Very good 22-miler this morning with Pat and Kenny. Did a 10-mile loop on the River Trail, dropped Kenny off at his car, then a 12-mile loop across the river, up Kavanaugh and down Cedar Hill. I left Pat shortly after the turnaround at Mount St. Mary's and wound up beating him by almost a mile. We started slow, picked up the pace later, particularly after starting the second loop, and I pushed the last five miles pretty hard. The result was 22 miles in 3:25. If it's true that you should be able to run 22 in training in about the same time as 26.2 in a race, I should be in good shape in Newport. A 3:25 will get me where I want to be, which is Hopkinton. I think this is definitely the best LR I've ever had. Certainly a lot better than my 22 in October before Memphis, when I really struggled. The weather was ideal -- mid-40s, overcast, minimal wind. A few sprinkles fell but not enough to get anything wet. I'm starting to like the idea of going out really conservatively in Newport, then gradually picking up the pace as I go. Kinda what I did today, only with a little faster start; maybe run in the low 8s for four or five miles and then pick it up from there. It was nice being able to actually accelerate after the 17-mile mark today. The turnaround in Newport is at mile 15, so that would correspond pretty well with trying to put the hammer down at the turnaround. Psychologically, I do well with accelerating on the return leg of an out-and-back, which is one reason I think Newport was a good choice for my BQ. Maybe that realization that I'm homeward bound helps me overcome my governor in the Noakes central-governor theory. | 