Yep, you read that right. Whatever lingering doubts I had about my ability to do long mileage were put to rest this week. Not only did I run pain-free, I ran faster than I have in my training thus far. That comfort translated into a dreamlike 20 miler yesterday, which Rob and I finished in two hours, fifty-three minutes and change.
I’m really happy to have the Garmin Forerunner 405. Despite a weird battery hiccup yesterday, it proved an invaluable training tool. We discovered that we ran a bit beyond our recommended mileage last weekend, thanks to my now completely condensation-fried Nike Plus Sportband.
At this point in training, it’s best to have an accurate measure to avoid overtraining and risking injury. My Garmin does just that, while providing great insight into the actual run itself. Negative splits, FTW!
The mileage steps back this week, with a long run of 12 miles. The real benefit is that now I can concentrate on speed and not so much on whether I’ll have enough gas in the tank for Sunday’s long run. Moreover, I’m sure next week will feel even easier now that long and short weeks alternate. I’m already eager to see how much our 20 mile time improves two weeks from now.