Yahoo, it’s the weekend and so, come hell or high water, it’s when we do our “long run”…typically, unless we’re racing, our single most voluminous mileage session takes place somewhere between Friday evening and Monday morning...some weekends we work our entire lives around said long run and other weekends we work our long run around our lives.
Regardless of circumstances, the long run happens…it just does. Tradition? Maybe. Habit? Probably. One might blow off a workout mid-week somewhere along the line… even, a track session or anaerobic threshold run …BUT, the long run is surely “sacred.” Our spouses and kids and friends and family are on “red alert” that you can NOT mess with our long run…these are high and holy services.
To date in 2010 we’ve endured all kinds of ridiculous weather…El Nino-like rains on the left coast and record setting blizzards back east. BUT, do any of Mother Nature’s elements give one a hall pass to skip their long run? Uh uh, heck no…the distance runner robot within relentlessly finds a way to cover extra far ground on the weekend…might have to juggle Saturday for Sunday or vice versa but absolutely nothing gets between the driven endurance athlete and their mileage.
So, what’s YOUR routine? Are you a Saturday long runner or Sunday? Do you count it as the final day of your weekly mileage or the beginning? How far do you typically run? Does the length change dramatically from a seasonal stance? Is it typically on roads or trails? What is the longest training run you’ve ever done? Do you like to go alone or with a group? And finally, describe your very FAVORITE long run…place, distance etc.
These days I’m generally good for about 12 miles tops and the purpose isn’t to be able to run faster as much as it is not to get too dang fat…was typically more like 18 back in the pre-masters day and if marathon training maybe a few extra…longest? Used to do 26-28 milers once or maybe even twice in the 8-10 weeks before racing a marathon and longest was about 37ish miles prior to running 100 miles.
If I could only run one more long run, it’d be in a light rain somewhere on Mt Tamalpais and include a stretch on the coastal trail…probably a solo versus group session so I could more leisurely stop and smell the roses (or wildflowers in this case)
Nailed exactly 40 miles this week and tomorrow’s long one will be about 12ish on soggy local trails in order to work up a sufficient appetite for jambalaya, corn bread and Super Bowl libations while hollering at the TV in support Drew Brees and team…Go Saints!
Make it a great week,
MF