Long Run – March 3, 2022

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Long runs in recent weeks have not been successful. Because of this, I have yet to register for my 27th JFK.

This week I jumped my long run up to 18 miles. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. But with the safe course I planned, I did not feel apprehensive. I’ve been fading around mile 12 and knew I’d be back home before bonking in traffic.

I got out before 7:30 am on an overcast morning with a 47-degree temperature. I wore shorts over compression shorts, singlet over a long-sleeved shirt, neck gaiter, knit gloves, ball cap, and my new Saucony Endorphin Speed 2 shoes. My hands stayed warm today.

My planned course was six miles via Lee Drive to Lansdowne Road, back home, and then six miles on the Belmont-Ferry Farm trail in Pratt and Brooks Parks.

I felt good going across the Chatham Bridge and through town. My first split point was a reasonable pace.

As I reached the Blue Gray Parkway crossing, I was glad to see the light pattern had not changed, and I slipped halfway across the road to wait a couple of seconds for east-bound traffic to stop.

Don’t tell the local PD: to avoid crossing Lafayette Boulevard twice, I cross Blue Gray Parkway, not using the crosswalk.

Going out Lee Drive, I had a few twinges in my right IT band and Achilles. I finished the first 6 miles in 60:10.

It took a couple of extra seconds to cross Lafayette Boulevard when it came out of Lee Drive. Once on the crosswalk side, I saw the Blue Gray Parkway light status and ran hard downhill to hit the crosswalk without stopping.

I felt I was slowing some but still did the second 6 miles in 61:36. Once home, I got a fresh bottle of UCAN and headed out on my 6 miles out and back course on the BFF Trail.

Throughout the whole run, I walked for 2 minutes every 2 miles. During the walk break, I drank part of my UCAN bottle.

I was slowing some, and it was not easy going down the switchbacks. I got to the three-mile turnaround in 31:24.

I continued to run back up the switchbacks and took a 45-second walk break at the top. It took me 3 minutes to get up the hill.

Going back through Pratt Park, I took my 2-mile walk break and then set a goal to run until I got to the gravel road in Chatham. I finished my UCAN bottle and walked a little.

I must have been doing the running portions faster on the way back and the last 3 miles in 31:23. The final six miles were in 62:47. My total time was 3:04:34.

Through I slowed a little, those last 3 miles were encouraging.

I’m not ready to register for JFK. This run was promising. I’ll do another 18 mile run next week.

With the Chatham Bridge closing, the last time I ran this course was January 6, 2020, in 2:55:59. I looked back at my Fall 2019 logs to see today’s time was a little faster. On-on.