Long Run_21012010

The wonders of technology....Info from my Garmin FR50

After last week's meltdown during the long run, I was determined to make this week's run a success. I can't afford to screw up too many of my workouts otherwise it will do plenty of damage to my morale. I made sure I had a good lunch, and I left school earlier so that I could go home and get some rest before the run. I also had 2 slices of bread and some milk to prepare me for the long workout.

Venue for the run was Bedok Reservoir, where I have been doing my long runs since Christmas Eve. I like running there. Terrain is almost flat, with a gravel trail running the circumference of the reservoir, save for a short section of tarmac, I am able to maintain a constant pace and HR there easily and the gravel trail is gentle on the legs.

I started at almost 7 today. Target was to run 6 rounds. Each round is around 4.3k. After each round, I would stop at the toilet to drink. And then head back to the trail and run it in the opposite direction from the previous round. This helps to balance out the load on the muscles, and also changes the scenery a bit:)

The first 3 rounds went by easily. Today, I switched the view on the garmin to speed, instead of HR during last week's run. I basically focussed on running at around 11-11.2kph; keeping it constant, and not putting in any surges like last week. After the 4th round, I made a quick stop back at the car where I finished a bottle of Gatorade and gulped down some gel. Then it was back to running the 5th and 6th round. By then, I was a bit excited cos I was now in uncharted territory........my longest training distance in a while.....by myself!! I had to remind myself that it is not over until it's over, and that though I was feeling fine then, that feeling could change in an instant if I let myself get carried away. I picked up the pace a bit in the final lap and covered around 26+k today. (amount is different from the total distance covered at the top cos I only started the watch about 500m into the run) It was a good run for me. However, I know that I cannot be complacent and must be careful and continue listening to my body. I am looking forward to next week's easy week, but first, I got to clear my long ride this Sunday!