Early Morning Long Run

Time: 125:38
Distance: 19.35 miles
Pace: 6:30
Splits: 7:31, 7:09, 7:02, 7:08, 7:01, 6:37, 6:35, 6:31, 6:28, 6:22, 6:25, 6:21, 6:13, 6:08, 5:35, 5:25, 5:32, 6:30, 6:49, 2:14 (for .35 at 6:21)
Map

This morning's run was a truer simulation of what will be going down on April 26th. The first step was starting the run at 6:30 in the morning and meeting Scotty along Pickard. The second step was bringing along some Gu and Gatorade. The third was to brave the windy elements on a hilly course. The fourth was not crapping my pants.

The body didn't feel too bad this morning at 6:30 when I hit the streets. Thanks to the phone call from Meagan at 5:30 am I had about an hour to wake up and put my costume on. The air was a bit chilly and it was windier than I expected. Scotty and I first made a round on the streets near campus. I started the fluid intake early around mile 3 and then ditched the bottle in a location where it could be picked up near mile 5. Drinking out of a Gatorade bottle is a little sloppy but much better than paper cups.

We turned on Constitution and headed out to run Bobcat to get some hills and lose the traffic. We got the hills but the traffic was unexpectedly still present. Yesterday, Scotty stashed some G-rade around the 7 mile mark and we drank it slowly for about a mile. The pace wasn't too quick and the heat wasn't that much of a factor but seeing how the stomach responds to the taste is important for simulating race conditions. The final bottle was picked up around mile 12 with the wind at our backs. We made the turn onto Lindsey and started dropping the pace from miles 14-17 where we averaged about 5:30 for 3 miles. I struggled with keeping my pants clean but managed to finish up at the track and stretch out a bit. A short jog home capped off this run.

The body finally started feeling sluggish around 2 pm so I took a short nap before returning back to Winan's. Or should I say Michelangelo's. It appears as though the new owner is changing the name. There are new paper sleeves (the ones that protect your hands or say "caution this beverage is extremely hot") that dawn the new title. The sleeves also say "coffee and wine bar." That could mean the chocolates will be no more and that a different indulgence will be provided. The Baptist youth groups are going to have to find another place to conduct their informal prayers.