Fat Kid’s Ironman Fitness Blog

Long Run 22 miles - 8:53 pace

This afternoon I did my 22mile long run. I am building back up to marathon distance after a couple months of only running shorter runs due to injuries.

My race pace goal is 8:00/miles for my Ironman split, so this pace is my “slower” pace… The first half felt pretty good, and the pace really did feel slow. My splits for the first 11 miles were all sub 8:30… then things got harder.

My official splits for the first 11 miles were:

8:14, 8:01, 8:15, 8:26, 8:20, 8:18, 8:12, 8:14, 8:32, 8:31, 8:18.

Then I took a short break at a Starbucks to use the facilities and get some water. I had to wait for a very long light to cross a busy street, and then get water, etc, then wait for the very long light again to get back on the trail. I never sat down, but this whole process probably took 15 minutes and as a result, I think I lost a fair amount of steam.

You can see it in my splits on the way home:

8:37, 9:23, 9:29, 9:18, 9:03, 9:28, 10:03, 8:58, 9:39, 10:32, 9:49

The stop at Starbucks was technically in the middle of lap 12, since I had run a little past the Starbucks to hit the 11 mile mark, and ran back to get to the light. I’m sure the first half of mile 12 was around 8:00/mile and the second half was more like 9:30/mile hence the slightly faster first mile on the way back… but clearly miles 13-22 were much slower.

Ok, so I’m not really worried about this… I mean, this is a minute per mile slower than I want to run my run split… but I still have a month and a half before the race, so I’m a long ways out still. Plus this is the longest run I’ve done in a couple months… and just last week I did 18… so I’m really just ramping back into these longer runs.

I know that come race day, I will be more prepared, and I’ll have the power of the race day emotions to push me harder. During mile 19 I was running with another faster runner for about half a mile, and we were maintaining a solid 8:15 pace… but as soon as that runner turned off the trail, I dropped back into droopy dog. On race day, I’ll have the rest of the field to keep me going.

I am one of those “rah rah” racers. I am always cheering on my competitors… every time I pass another racer (if I actually am passing them or if I’m just seeing them going the opposite direction on the out and back course) then I’m the guy who says “You go racer #357, you’re doing great!” or “Looking good! Looking strong! Keep going!”. I think the other racers like it, as I often get thanks after the race or the next day at the awards ceremony “Hey, you were the guy cheering me on! Thanks!”…

For me, it pumps me up to give out the “rah rah” to the other racers. I feel the energy coming back to me, in their smile or what they say in reply “You too!” or whatever. That energy easily gets me through those last 26.2 miles of the full 140.6.

A lot of people don’t run the “run” split of an Ironman. It’s hard work to do the first 114.2 miles, and the next 26.2 are just the icing on the cake. Since I use a run/walk strategy… run between aid stations, walk through the aid stations… or if I start to fade, run every mile, walk no more than 20seconds and then RUN again… I get these little bursts of “go go” energy when I start my run again. I also get to reward myself with the countdown to the next short walk break.

The strategy worked for me last year as I passed  13% of the field on the run… (it was a small race so that was only 10 places… but still, that’s a big chunk of people who were ahead of me before the run, tht I finished in front of)….

I think my run/walk strategy and my positive mental attitude were a huge part of my success last year.

Anyway, here are the stats from today’s run.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 07/31/2007
• Time: 15:00:00
• Total Time: 3:15:13.00
• Average Heart rate: 150
• Max Heart rate: 163
• Calories: 2520
• Distance: 21.95 miles
• Average Pace: 8:53.33/mile
• Max Pace: 8:01.28/mile

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