Slow 12 Mile Run

Today's run was a slow 12 mile recovery / long slow distance run.  Again I found it difficult to map out a route that wasn't so familiar for two reasons: (1) it is boring; (2) knowing the exact route enables my mind to know when I am approaching the finish so I can take my foot off the gas! So I do have a GPS watch that tells me when I am close to the end of my workout, however I can choose to not look at my watch!  For this run I choose to run on some familiar segments, but branched out to south of town hitting the trails at Willamette Park.  I have only ran on these trails once because I don't like running on S. 3rd St.  Today I made an exception, and I am glad I did.

The run out to S. 3rd was predictable and boring.  The miles clipped off, and I hit the park around mile four. The temperature was in the mid 60's, and the sunny was out.  It wasn't too hot, the shade on the trails was nice.  Halfway through the trails I was getting a bit hungry, but I forgot to buy any cliff shots or energy gu.  Luckily there were ripe blackberries throughout the trail! I picked and ate a couple of handfuls, drank some water, and continued on the path.

The scenery on the trail was beautiful!  The Willamette river was running on the left surrounded by farm land and trees. I kept running down the path until hitting Riverside Dr, and then I ran from Riverside back to 3rd and back to the boring bike path! I ran behind the Corvallis Country Club on SW Brooklance Dr. I was about 1:20 minutes into my run, and needed more fuel.  I found some more blackberries, and ate probably four or five handfuls this time. Later I found that Safeway sells about one half a hand full for about $6!  I hit the gold mind I guess.  I was about ten miles in at this point, and I was a bit spent.  Include those ten miles I had run over forty miles in four days.  I thought about walking it in, but I had motivation to keep pushing.

Going over the next couple of hills was tough, and I had to take a water break a few times.  I made it past the hills, and coasted the rest of the way to the end of the course, 12.54 miles.  I was relieved, and I felt good that I finished the course.

Tomorrow will be fairly easy, three miles at a brisk pack (6:58 - 7:18 min/mi) along with a one mile warm up and cool down.


Please consider donating for my effort to raise $2,012 to support Christina during my run of the Portland Marathon in 2012.
http://gogetfunding.com/project/running-against-tnbc-portland-2012