A few days ago, I posted with title "Back in the Saddle". A marathon runner isn't really 'back in the saddle' until his long runs meet or exceed 17 miles, in my opinion. As a beginning runner, I remember being put off by a celebrated coach at his definition of long run as anything at or longer than 17 miles. I've come to understand why this threshold distance is important: it is roughly the point where the runner has burned more calories than the body can store as glycogen. This training encourages the body to use a higher ratio of fat to carbohydrate earlier in the run in order to conserve the latter for longer distances. This is crucial in the marathon.
Today, I ran 18 miles, my first long run since the 2009 MCM. Life events have converged to preclude the focus running such a distance until today. Somewhat unfortunately, the weather did not totally contribute. I started at 14F (-3F windchill) and finished at 20F (4F windchill). The physical challenge of running in the windy cold took more energy than a usual 18-miler and I was somewhat burned out for the rest of the day. Furthermore, I felt a touch of strain behind my right knee cap, probably an indication that its time to retire my cushioning shoes at 360 miles and maybe even consider going back to stability shoes which invariably lasted to 400 miles with no issues.
Apparel: Full face hood, heavy mitts, Mizuno gloves, N. base layer, Prajna pullover, Sugoi vest, heavy RRS tights, UA briefs. Was comfortable.
146.6/14.7%
31:19, 33:23, 31:29, 31:38, 31:13, 30:49
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