Long Run Week 11.

I did my long run a day early. Now I've done 16, 18 and 2 20's - they all hurt. I was worried that I'd be running tomorrow in a driving/heavy rain - although it now looks like it may not be so bad. I managed what I think is at least 20 miles by doing 6 - yes 6 - of the Jupiter loops from work. The first loop I did the Avery point loop as well. The advantage of the loops is that I didn't have to carry my water bottle the whole way - I could just take a swig every ~1/2 hour or so. Mentally - it felt just as hard as the running home thing. The legs felt good - until the 2 hour point - then I started to feel it (again). I'm hoping part of it is the lack of rest the day before.

This is hard. I've been looking at this website which outlines the benefits of the long run: provides endurance, strengthens heart, increased mitochondria and myoglobin, strengthens leg muscles and ligaments, recruits fast twitch muscles [not sure I have many of those], teaches the body to burn fat as fuel, develops mental toughness - this I believe - the long run feels mentally and physically difficult.