Last 20 Miler

I completed my last 20-mile long run today in preparation for the marathon next month.

I got up about 6:30, hoping to get an early start, but rain and thundershowers moved through the area and pushed the start back to a little after 10 am. The air was still moist and warm, and necessitated shirt sleeves and shorts for a January long run in Alabama. Shoes of choice were my Pearl Izumi IsoShifts, since my feet have been killing me on long runs in my other dogs.

I started around the neighborhood for the first five miles, and did a quick pit stop to grab my water bottle (filled with sports drink), since part of the plan was to make fewer stops and do a better job of keeping on moving. I also planned to keep tempo below 8:45 for ten miles, and by and large it worked.

Typically I'd head toward the University of Alabama campus, but they were celebrating national championship #14, so I avoided traffic as I traced and retraced many of the paths I've already pounded. I took a few hits on my sports drink as I needed, and stopped once during mile 13 to get more sports drink. This went very well, since killing a 20-ounce bottle will make you pee. Not a concern for me this time around, as it had been in the past.

I let off the (8:45) gas with four miles to go for the cooldown and finished my 20 miles in 3:06. I felt tired and a little sore, but I felt much, much better after this run than I did after my previous 20-miler. In addition, my feet didn't hurt as before.

I am very pleased about this run and learned a lot about planning. I feel a lot more prepared for my big race. The taper officially begins now, as after completing a 43-mile week, the next two weeks are 32 and 25.

Three weeks 'til race day.