Decided to do this long run on Saturday morning before heading to Whippfest for the long weekend!
Lately I've been covering fair distances on an empty stomach, without any sustenance along the way — typically up to the 16k mark. To be honest, I didn't think 8 extra k's would be too much to handle, but I was wrong! I'm not entirely sure if a lot of the struggle was due to three 70k+ weeks, or the fact that I underestimated my calorie requirements. Either way, it was one bloody difficult run!
Kicked off on a normal warm up pace of 6minutes kilometres, once warmed up settled in around a 5:30 pace for the rest of the run. I wasn't even 10k's in when I realised this run was going to kill me. I held off until 12k's to consume my one and only bag of dried sultanas and pineapples. Spirits and pace picked up once the sustenance kicked in, but alas, it was short lived and I was back to struggle street once again.
I hit my final turn around point at 17k's and boy was that a relief to know I was on the home run — only 7k's to go, primarily up and down hills.
The final 7k's were the toughest I've ever ran — literally. Hitting the uphill peak with 4k's to go was such a blessing, one that will not soon be forgotten! Even though the last 4k's were mostly downhill, I still really struggled to keep momentum and a respectable pace.
The last few metres were pure heaven, combined with the relief of a long weekend away with close friends.
Saturday Stats:
| Location: |
Fernleigh Track |
| Distance: |
24.00 km |
| Time: |
2:16:06 |
| Avg Pace: |
5:40 min/km |
| Elevation Gain: |
178 m |
| Calories: |
1,764 C |
