Long Run AND Hill Repeats

Daily Quote: "It's the road signs: BEWARE OF LIONS." --KIP LAGAT, KENYAN DISTANCE RUNNER, EXPLAINING WHY HIS COUNTRY PRODUCES SO MANY GREAT RUNNERS

Today's workout is the Long Run as scheduled in "Runner's World Run Less, Run Faster" book, pg 236, for a marathon race goal of 3:40. My mission, run 20 miles at 8:53 minute per mile pace.

8:30 a.m. Out and back to Red Rock Canyon. Sunny, 62-70 degrees, with little wind. Set my virtual training partner for the 8:53 minute pace and set out for a new course, up Alta Road towards Red Rock Canyon that's a gradual climb, but an easy negative split as I'll be coming back down hill.

I reached the overpass at I-215 around nine miles out and proceeded to do hill repeats on the 7% Grade, four times, 8:00 minute pace, with a light jog back to the start of the grade. My cardiac drift was 184 bpm during the hill repeats. I then proceeded with my Long Run.

I reached the 10 mile turn-around and was four minutes behind Garfield, which I was sure I could catch up to him it's all downhill from here. I did notice that I was almost finished with the single bottle of Gatorade I had carried with me, which caused me a little concern.

Miles 11-17 were fun, it was like a free fall towards home. My heart rate was in the zone, and was making good time on Garfield!

The eighteen mile mark I was starting to bonk as I was out of fluids and was very thirsty, my time dropped drastically to 9:30 minute miles.

I finished the run with a time of 3:03, which was 9:10 minute miles and Garfield had beaten me badly...I swore revenge on him next week.