Saturday, September 19, 2009

Longest Run of the Year

This afternoon I told my wife I was going out for a run: maybe 8 miles, maybe 16, or maybe more. I felt good once I got going and it was a camera worthy day. The late afternoon sun was peaking through the changing leaves and the solid blue sky made for perfect scenery. The usually stinky stream down by Buckmeadow Road was lit up by the sun with red maple leaves hanging over: simply fantastic. I had some new music on my iPod shuffle (Band of Skulls, The Elms, and Snow Patrol- the opening band for tomorrow's U2 concert that I am going to with my son). I was just grooving along, keeping loose, trying to maintain form, and enjoying the afternoon. After over an hour, I bought a Gatorade at Captain's' Corner and chugged it all down and got back to running. I decided to go further than 16 as I wasn't tired at all, then I decided to go more than 18 even though it was getting dark. Then it got dark so I chose a more well lit route down 111 and ended up at home after going 21 miles. If it wasn't dark I would have gone farther as I had no fatigue. I guess I am now "marathon ready" if I so choose to do a marathon this fall. At least the distance part of doing the Applefest 1/2 marathon next week won't bother me; the speed part will however!

When I got home my wife had already taken off in the car looking for where I might be stuck or lost on the route. Of course she wants no repeat of not paying attention like when I needed to be picked up in the "1234 Mishhap". Next time I won't tell her how far I am going, but maybe how long it might take before I arrrive home.

I did the run in the Puma K Street shoes, which is the farthest I have run in something so  minimal. I wonder how they would do in the final miles of a marathon. They felt great today however!

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