Sunday, September 21, 2014

SUNDAY=LONG DAY

There's just something about it.

A light breakfast, a relaxing cup of coffee or two, the Sunday newspaper, and a long training run.

Often the rigors of the work week render us a bit sluggish by the end of the day, but on Sunday mornings we generally feel fresh and ready to conquer the longer distances.

Today, on the last full day of summer, temperatures soared here in Pennsylvania. Participants in the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in Philadelphia suffered through mid-summer conditions, complete with high humidity.

Two hours north of Philadelphia, pockets of mountain air and an abundance of shade made my 9-mile run quite pleasant today. Now, "Back in the day," a 9-miler would hardly fit my description of a long run, Today's workout, however, was my longest run since I tore two hamstring tendons in May 2013.

I have always attempted to run my long runs at a brisk pace, adhering to the philosophy that, "Long slow distance makes long slow runners."

My wife also completed 7.5 miles today in preparation for her half marathon debut at Philadelphia in November.

Long run completed, I showered, drank copious amounts of water all afternoon, watching my beloved Philadelphia Eagles win their third consecutive game of the young season.

Some yard work and a delicious dinner followed, and blog now written, it's time to celebrate the day with a Yuengling beer or two.

Combined with a mid-week speed workout, a weekly quality long run can go a long way toward racing success.



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