I ran farther today than I've ever run in a single day: 30 miles. A few months ago I had this grand idea that it would be fun to run in a 50 mile race. So I signed up for the Buffalo Run, which is on March 27 (in 7 weeks). In preparation for it, I decided that today I would try 30 miles. It was a rude awakening! I ran south on 1300 East and hopped on the bike path in Draper. Turns out it's a really great path that takes you all the way to Point of the Mountain. From there I took the frontage road to Cabelas in Lehi. I couldn't believe I could get that far in 15 miles. Anyway, I took a bathroom break and refilled my water. For the first half, I felt good, my stride was relaxed, and I was averaging 7:45/mile. I felt like the pace was sustainable for another 15 miles. At about mile 22 on the way back, it started to get uncomfortable, and it got much worse after that. The last 7-8 miles were painful. I kept thinking, "what was I thinking to believe that I could run 20 miles more than this?!" I have gained a new respect for ultramarathon distances. In the end, I'm glad I did it. But hopefully my body will be able to handle it better. During the second half, I averaged 8:45/mile, so I slowed down a lot. Those paces don't include about 10 stops for traffic lights or for short, planned walking breaks. Anyway, 56 miles for the week, which is my highest this year. Aiming for 60 next week. | 