20.2 Miles in 2:24:11 (7:08) on a unseasonably warm morning. Visiting the family on their land near Hot Springs, Arkansas, I ran a along a very flat Hwy. 171 between Malvern and Hot Springs, Arkansas, including a short stretch into Lake Catherine State Park.
It was an interesting training run. Getting up at 4:00am, I quickly realized I had forgotten to pack my knee brace, so I improvised with some pre-wrap and duck tape (took me back to my old high school football days). Also, it was eerily dark, with the white line on the highway barely visible for the first few miles. Normally, on clear evenings, the sky is beautiful on my family's land and the surrounding area. But this was serious darkness, and I'm glad my Dad (who left a few minutes after me and ran a 20 miler on a similar route) had an extra wrist band reflector.
As to the run, it essentially turned into a 20 Mile Progressive Run, with the first 4 Miles at 8:00/mile, including a lengthy but necessary bio brake, and the next 16 Miles hovering right at 7:00/mile depending on the grade (there are several false flats and gentle downhills). I am a little more sore than I would have liked, and more sore than I was following the 20 miles at a similar pace two weeks ago, but my mileage was up a little this week, and I'm hoping that it is nothing more than general (and normal) fatigue.
Wesley
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