In it for the long run

Today Melanie and I had our first of two 20 milers for this training cycle.  I love long run day - it really is my favorite.  I love that I can get lost in the run so easily - I'm not worried about pace or route - it's nothing more than just keep running.  

Today's run was great.  We came in quite a bit under 3 hours and had a great pace of 8:34.  We tried something new that was fun - usually for a super long run I do an out and back - or some variation of one (last cycle I went out 5 miles in one direction before coming back and going out 5 miles in another direction).  We have a great dirt path in our town that makes a little over a 3 mile loop - and there's an extra little loop at the end that you can add on and it gives another 3/4 mile or so.  So we ran over to this trail and did 5 laps on it.  

I thought running the same course over and over would bore the heck out of me - although we ran it backward twice.  But truly, this was easily the most manageable long run I've done as far as the mental aspect goes.  It was easy to focus on the particular lap we were in instead of looking at the mileage as a whole.  We (I) chatted the whole way and felt great at the end.

I had a good stretch and a lot of food after and although my legs are tired, I feel great and love the accomplishment of completing a 20 mile run.  We have 12 miles next week and then another 20 miler before heading into our taper.  We've made it this far and I couldn't be more excited. 

I'm just tired

I hit this point in training last time and got tired too.  The miles are piling up - I hit my first 50 mile week EVER last week.  We are into the 17-18 mile long runs with 8 mile tempo run days.  I love the feeling of accomplishment that comes with it.  I don't dread my runs at all (well, maybe tempo day a little), in fact I feel like something is missing if I don't get in a good run.  I don't feel like the quality of my runs has suffered at all.  But I'm tired.

I wrote earlier about how marathon training isn't just about the running, and that seems so evident now.  On the plus side, I am sleeping amazingly and waking up feeling refreshed.  And I'm enjoying the runger - eating is my favorite!  But I'm tired.  I know it comes with the territory of these high mileage weeks.  And it's ok.  I'm just a little tired.

*side note:  today's tired isn't because of running.  It's brought to you by a late night at the Foo Fighters concert last night and a day at an amusement park today.  It's a totally different tired.  But still a good one.  And look - Asher actually smiled on a ride!