Easter Sunday - last long run

EASTER SUNDAY
Yesterday I'd been tossing up going for an arvo run to recoup my aborted morning mission, but I was finding it mentally difficult to face another 3.5hours plodding along by myself. Thankfully I had a message from Andrew saying he and Kathryn were going for a long run the next morning and did I want to join? Well I'd had so much trouble running solo ever since running with those guys at SMC last Sunday and just chatting and laughing all the way, that I jumped at the chance!

I pedalled over to Kathryn's house at 7:3oam and with all the kids still asleep, Kathryn, Andrew and I huddled in the driveway strapping on fuel-belts, vaselining delicate regions, stashing money and gels in various places, fiddling with footpods and HR monitors and then looking at each other and saying, "Right, so where are we going?"

We discussed a couple of options, then decided to run down to Chowder Bay and around the waterfront to Kirribilli, basically the opposite of my normal long run. The weather was perfect - cool and clear, a little sun but also dappled cloud. The trails were largely empty except for a few other joggers and dog walkers, all of whom Kathryn seemed to know quite well! We trotted along trying to keep to 5:30 pace, once again chatting and laughing the whole way.

Once again the time just flew by and I couldn't believe that I'd run almost 30km and almost 3 hours and where it normally felt like a LOOONG LOOOONG time when I was by myself, it had really just flown. The conversation was flagging at this point. Andrew put on a spurt as this was part of his normal trail which he is used to running FAST from his house. I had to ask him to slow down as he was holding 4:40 pace andI knew I couldn't keep it up!

By Chowder Bay road nobody was talking, Kathryn was starting to giggle hysterically and I felt like I couldn't make another 5km, including the big hill out. But I decided to throw everything I had at the hill and charged up it, which somehow reenergised me. Kathryn stuck to me and felt the same way, although I fear Andrew may have spent himself somewhat by his speed a few kms earlier. That last few hundred metres was bliss and we then rehydrated and stretched on Kathryn's lawn as her hubbie and kids looked on incredulously. I jumped on the bike and headed home and I have to say that a short spin after the run was just what my legs needed, I've got to try it more often.

All in all it was definitely my best long run of the year. I felt strong for almost the whole way (apart from a few minutes around the 30 km mark) and managed to hold a much better pace than when I'm running by myself. it was also so much more enjoyable running with those guys.

The stats:
3hours 16mins
35km
HR av - 142
Pace av - 5:30