20 Miler in the books!

Today was my last big test before race day, the 20 miler.  I drove out to the Wellesley Community Center, my usual long run spot, without the TNT crew today.  I headed backwards toward Natick Center for 4.5 miles and then looped back to the community center.  My plan was to run about 10 minute mile today, but I felt really good and was anywhere from 9:25 to 9:40 for my first 15 miles.  It was near perfect running weather, about 45 degrees with overcast sky's.  There were a TON of runners out on the course.  There were busloads of people being dropped of and running at various points on the course.   I felt really strong for the first leg back to the community center.   After refilling my camel pack with GU juice, I replaced the GU Gels that have been doing a number on my stomach the last few weeks with dried fruit and nuts which were an awesome change.  I headed into Newton and felt really strong on the hills.  I made it all the way up to the top of heartbreak hill at mile 15ish feeling really strong.  I stopped for about 20 seconds at the top of the hill to stretch and catch a breath and then headed back down the hill home.  I think the stopping to stretch hurt me more than anything else.  I finished the last 5 miles home at about a 10 minute pace. ON race day I might have been able to push more, but I ran out of water with about 3 miles to go and that hurt me a little as well. Overall felt really well with no intestinal turmoil from the dried fruit and it was just some muscle ached when I was done.






I rewarded myself tonight with a nice little treat.   Poor thing never had a chance.  Going to be at least two or three days of recovery and then the three weeks of taper to get ready for the race.  I think it's going to be a long three weeks