16 miles! (10.8.11)

I ran 16 miles today. Well if you count my cooldown walk it was 16.17 miles.  I used my water belt for the first time.  I ran for 20 minutes and then did a run/walk with a 4:1 ratio until 15.5 miles and then ran the rest of it. While running, some passenger in a car took a photo of me using his phone.

I ran 5 miles and then swapped directions.  Less than a mile into the other direction, my knee started hurting. It got worse. I decided to go for 3 miles total and turn around. As soon as I turned around, my knee felt a lot better.  I ran 3 miles back to the start then continued and ran the 5 mile loop going the way that I started.

This is my 2nd longest run ever but my longest run that wasn't a race. The longest run:walk that I did. The most I swapped directions. The first time I ran with my water belt. The third time I ran and ate gummies along the way.

Post Run

I almost didn't even go on the run. My ankle hurts. I rolled it Friday when I was putting cedar siding on a house. Moving my foot around hurts. Pivoting hurts. I figured running on a road can't be that bad so I'd give it a try. (Running on a trail with roots and uneven surfaces would have been a different story.)  I thought of how Callie ran 15 miles on a sprained ankle in bad terrain so I figured I should at least try.  Once I started running, I didn't even notice the pain from it. I figured I was good to go.

My next concern was my left knee. It has recently started hurting like it did back in March (when I went to PT).  It started to hurt a little around mile 3. Then it really hurt after mile 5.  Mile 7 it was really bad. I was deducing that it must have been the direction I was going so then I decided that I'd turn around at 8 so then I could finish the loop to get 11 and then run 1 more loop to get my 16.   Within a minute after I turned around, my knee pain was almost nonexistent.  OK it was there but faint. It lasted the rest of the run but it was so minimum that I kept going.  I thought of how Callie ran 50 miles and her knees hurt and she still lived to tell about it and she's running now and not permanently injured from it, so I kept going.  I did think about what I should continuously be doing to stop my IT band from hurting. I am just not sure.  Also for the past month or so my hips seem to be in a constant state of soreness. I know the exercises I did at PT but apparently those aren't the best

Previous long runs (runs longer than 9:

1. 30k (18.9 miles according to my garmin) 
2. 15 miles (with Christina on 3/13)
3. 13.1 miles (Pittsburgh Half Marathon)
4. 13 miles (9/11 - had to walk the last 2)
5. 11.5 miles (10/2)
6. 10.9 (6/12/10 part of Callie's Ultra)
7. 10.07 miles (7/31)
8. 10.01 (2/5)
9. 10 (4/18/10 with Liza)
10. 9.65 (4/4/10)
11. 9.18 (2/20)

These are all within the past 2 years but it counts my entire life. In high school the longest ever was 5 miles and that was once a year for a cross country practice.  In 2009, I ran and was increasing my distance but the longest I ran was 7 miles.

My overall pace was 10:07 (or 10:10 if you count the cooldown walk).  While running I was thinking my pace for my last 15 mile run was probably 10:30 so that's what I had to get this time.  It was like a game. My 0.25 split had to be 2:37 to meet my goal. With running and walking the walking split was slower so then the following split I had to make up the time. So if I had a 3:39 I needed at least a 2:35. But it was more likely that I got a 2:41 or 2:47 or 2:51. So then I had to do math in my head to figure out what I needed on my next split to make it up. If I didn't make it up I added the 1 or 2 seconds to the following split to make sure I made it up. If I had extra seconds they were wiped away and I started over.  For example: I had a 2:48 so I needed to make up 11 seconds.  The following split was 2:27 (12 seconds below 2:37 so I made up 12 seconds), so then that extra second was wiped away and I started over.  I had 2:42 so I needed 5 (or 2:32) and I got 2:25 so the seconds were wiped away.  Wiping away the seconds helps to beat a goal. Sometimes I run around my neighborhood and start banking 30-50 seconds and then I just run slower.   Another example was once I had 2:52 so then I needed 14 seconds and the next time I had 2:23 so I just made it.  During mile 8 I had 2:49 so I had to make up 12 seconds but then I had 2:33 and only made up 4. I had 8 more to makeup. My next split was 2:49. Now I had 20 seconds to makeup.  The following split was 2:29. I only made up 8.  I lost!  Then I had 2:39 so I was behind by 2. I thought I might have to give up. But then I pushed it good and got 2:15 and made up all the time.  

What a fun game. I almost ran more just for more game.  Also, while running I'd figure out what fraction of the workout I finished. Mainly I did it to the .5 so I might have been 12/32 done. I then would do the math to get the smallest fraction (forget what that is officially called but the example above would be 3/8). Sometimes I did it to the .25. Sometimes I figured out what percent complete I was done.  That math was the hardest.  

My pace for my previous 15 mile run was 10:21 not 10:30 like I was guessing. I'm sure glad I beat my goals. My pace for the entire 30k was 10:33 (according to the 18.9 miles my Garmin said).  

My worst split was 2:53. Not bad for some splits including the entire minute of walking. 

I'm proud of myself. I got my confidence back since I was able to complete this.  My next problem is that I don't want to go 3 weeks before my next long good run. I keep taking too much time between them. 

Key Splits

My half split time was 2:13:20 and my projected half split based on my entire pace was 2:13:18. Talk about consistency. Usually my last few miles would be too slow and I wouldn't make it.

I burned a lot of calories today because of the run.  I thought I took a lot of steps and was thinking I might be able to get a new maximum steps for the day but I checked my BodyMedia fit personal bests and saw that I was 10,000 short. I guess I'll have to have the maximum on another day.

I almost ran more than 16 because I was feeling so good. I was out of water and had only eaten a little packet of those energy chews and it was hot and I figured I better not overdo it more than I already had.

I analyzed and compared a lot more data but I won't write it all here. If you want to know more things, let me know.