TITLE: A Ditty For Running Long
AUTHOR: Eugene Wallingford
DATE: September 20, 2009  7:20 PM
DESC: 
-----
BODY:
Courtesy of
<A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRX4mlFi06A">
   Waylon Jennings</A>:

<BLOCKQUOTE><EM>
Staight'nin' the curves  <BR/>
Flat'nin' the hills      <BR/>
Someday the mountain might get 'em   <BR/>
But the law never will
</EM></BLOCKQUOTE>

On most of my long runs, the road is rarely straight.
Even when I'm not
<A HREF="http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/blog/archives/monthly/2009-09.html#e2009-09-05T15_10_44.htm">
   at the edge of comfort</A>,
I like to take curves tight.  I'm not sure why; I guess
it makes me feel like I'm racing.  And, inevitably, two
things come to mind.  In one of those curves, I hear
Waylon singing, and then I start thinking of the math
that goes with straightening curves in the trail.

This week, I did my long run on Saturday, so that my
family could take a day at the fair.  This was my first
20-miler in two years.  I last ran a distance that long
in the
<A HREF="http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/blog/archives/monthly/2007-10.html#e2007-10-28T19_03_25.htm">
   Marine Corps Marathon</A>,
and I last ran a training run that long
<A HREF="http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/blog/archives/monthly/2007-10.html#e2007-10-11T13_35_27.htm">
   three weeks before the marathon</A>,
at the peak of my plan.

This 20-miler went well.  I started slowly but maintained
a steady pace early.  I ran a bit faster in the middle
and then returned to slower pace to finish.  I ended up
doing 20.5 miles or so, average 9:30 miles.  Even after
years of marathon training, I still haven't completely
grasped the idea that most of my long runs should be
45 to 90 seconds slower than the goal pace for my race.
If that's true, then this run was in the perfect
neighborhood.

Afterward, my legs were sore, and they remain so today.
I ought not be surprised...  I
<A HREF="http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/blog/archives/monthly/2009-09.html#e2009-09-13T14_06_38.htm">
   raced a half</A>
at marathon pace last Saturday and ran seven miles at
near-10K pace on Wednesday.  I am tired but feel good.
Just hope that I can walk downstairs normally tomorrow!
-----