AM: first real long run back. After missing yesterday I was dreaming of getting on the trail and doing some running all day. Also, with my local running buddies doing some racing this weekend, I was feeling particularly inspired. That being said, I made this more into a progressive run with some twists. I would run each set of 5-mile sessions (4 sets) progressively faster, and then during the last 3.1 (5k), during miles 17 to 20, I would run my only timed goal of a sub-20 5k pace. This was nice since it allowed me to focus on keeping my form and not on making sure the watch said any numbers in particular, as long as I hit my goal after each set. Surprisingly, although it continued to get harder this workout was a ton of fun! "Workout": 4 x 5miles, progressive, no recovery. Set 1 (5 miles): 39:56 (hills) Set 2 (5 miles): 36:45 (hills) Set 3 (5 miles): 35:19 (flat) Set 4 (5 miles): 32:13 (flat), with final 5k in 19:36. Cooldown 0.5 miles It certainly was a challenge since I'm used to stopping a bit on long runs with a group, but since I was solo in this one, aside from a quick take on my stashed water bottle at mile 10, I didn't stop except for letting a car pass in front of me. It felt good to experience that uncomfortable feeling with my endurance that I regularly get with speed work. A fun variation of this might be splitting it into 5ks which I might try. | 