Friday: Long Run
I don’t have any long races left this season, no half marathons, and I’m not running my first full marathon anytime soon. I am running a 10K early May, a 5K mid-May, and that’s it most likely. So I wondered if I should keep doing long runs.
And then I remember that I was doing long runs way before I started racing, that long runs are very enjoyable for me, and that they provide many other physical benefits, besides training for a race.
So Friday I ran 23.25K/14.4M. 01:58:46. Average pace 05:06 Min/KM (08:12 Min/Mile).
My first split was 06:06 Min/KM (09:50 Min/Mile), and my last split was 04:43 Min/KM (07:36 Min/Mile), getting progressively faster through the run. Mostly negative splits, with a couple seconds positive splits here and there.
It wasn’t an easy run, only because my legs were a little tired from a hard Fartlek run the day before. Usually my long runs come after a cross training day, so my legs are more rested than they were this Friday. Still, it was a good run, and if my tired legs helped me keep the pace relatively easy, that’s a good thing.
Saturday: Tempo Run
Starting the run with tired legs from Thursday and Friday’s runs, I was hesitant about this run. But, I had it on my schedule, so I had to try.
I am happy I was able to pull it off, although I know I could not have run even a second faster on the last 3K, I was giving it all I had.
I’m satisfied with this run because it went according to plan, however I doubt on race day I can do faster splits than 04:18 Min/KM (06:55 Min/Mile), which is too bad because I am counting on the last few KMs being faster than that.
Do you keep long runs all year round?
2 Cups 'N Run 