Last Long Run! – Steve

You could not ask for a better day to train for a marathon. Just like Marathon day, I was unsure what to wear. It was cool and in the low 40s and there was a chance that it might be sunny by the time I finished this long run. My plan was to run from the starting line to Natick. Briefly stop at my house, at the 10-mile mark, reload with fluid, GU and change my attire if the weather had changed. On my ride out to Hopkinton I saw hundreds of runners preparing for that final long run in April. I got to Hopkinton center and there were still groups preparing to run. I was ready for whatever would come to me today; it should be a good one.

My goal was to complete at least 24 miles in any time that it takes. The run from Hopkinton was nice and steady and a bit fast without any discomforts. I was taking fluids every fifteen minutes and GU once on the run to Natick. I was expecting to run just under nine-minute miles but I was consistently running 8:30 or faster. This is always something that every runner is concerned with – starting out too fast and burning up at the hills. I got to my house is less time than expected; refueled, changed to warm weather gear and sunglasses and yes, voided. I was off again like a shot and caught up to many of the people that I had previously passed. I got to Wellesley and the half marathon spot in a time that should qualify me for next year...will that be possible? I continued along through the rest of Wellesley and Wellesley Hills and then the slow climb past the Hospital. Things in my left ileal psoas started to tighten up. I made it to the police station and now the long slow climb up the first of three heartbreaks. I pushed on through the first two and then the monster and Johnny Kelley's Heartbreak. Well I made it up all of them but had slowed quite a bit; would I still be a qualifier? It was 21 miles at the top of heartbreak and now I had to run back to the Hospital for my ride home. If someone offered me a ride I probably would have taken it but no, I must push on. It was hard to run down to the Hospital, especially since there were both downhills and then little teaser up hills. I made it back to the Hospital and found myself to be very dry and then consumed quite a bit of water found in the car. I measured the run to be 25.1, which means I would have only a little more than a mile left. That would be just before Kenmore Square. Now I just have to hope that I can get something done to my tendonitis in my ileal psoas. If I can get rid of that between now and the Marathon then I might be able to qualify again. Now it is easy training and hopefully a bit of biking to cross train.