The Best Mediocre Run Ever

Justin:

So a few days ago I wrote about my worst run ever. Meant to be a 16 mile long run at an 8:30/mile pace it turned out to be a disasterous 14 mile jog featuring a 2 mile walk of shame and a sleepless night of agony. Needless to say, this experience left me dreading my next long run.

Well, after correcting for a few mistakes I managed to kill nearly 17 miles at my target pace of 8:45/mile. First, instead of eating lightly during the previous day, I ate a lot. Second, instead of killing a medium run the previous day, I jogged an easy 3 with a few pushups and situps thrown in the mix. Third, instead of eating lightly the day of the run, I ate and hydrated a lot. Fourth, instead of not hydrating during the run, I broke with principle and purchased a water belt and some Gu. Fifth, instead of over-reaching with an 8:30/mile target, I paced myself and ended up with a (relatively) respectable 8:45 - not great, but not bad given the distance.

These adjustments, common sense to most people, made all the difference in the world! Again, while the pace was nothing to swoon over, I finished and I felt great. As a result, whatever the run may or may not have done for my legs and lungs, it gave me the confidence that I needed to continue with the training schedule. Thus, the moral of the story is, I guess, that we not only have to run hard, we also have to run smart.