Let the long runs begin! This run was bad at times, good at others, first real long run in many months, but I am getting into the meat of marathon training now. The target was a progressive long run with 12 easy, and then the last 6 progressing into marathon pace with 2 at 7:45, 2 at 7:35, and 2 at 7:25. Well the first 12 went REALLY easy, as I was not feeling it, but surprisingly at go time in the last 6 I exceeded my goal. I didn't have any gatorade so I got this brilliant idea that I would run into town, get a gatorade at the gas station, and then run it to my house and stick it in the mailbox at the end of the drive so I could circle back to it. Didn't work. I ran 4.7 to the gas station, got the gatorade, started running, and quickly realized that my hand was too small to carry it comfortably. I tried, but it threw my gait off and so I had to ditch it a mile later, and so ran the rest of the run with no fuel or water or anything. This made me feel a little paranoid that I would bonk, and in mile 16 I felt bad as if I was going to, but the feeling passed. Mile 18 I was nauseated, but felt light on my feet and legs were loose, so the finish was nice and strong, although I was feeling VERY fatigued.. Quit running as soon as I hit the 18 mile mark, let out some kind of loud battle cry(don't know why it just happened) and walked the quarter mile home to cool down. Splits 9:35. 9:28, 9:19, 8:46, 8:44, 8:27, 8:46, 8:32, 8:28, 8:39, 8:14, 8:14, 7:40, 7:38, 7:15, 7:23, 7:10, 6:59 8:18 average pace thanks to unmotivated shuffling at the beginning
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