Its amazing the looks that my neighbors give me when I'm up and heading out the door at 5:30am on a Saturday morning for a run. It could have been because it was the first real cool morning of late summer, with a starting temperature in the low 50's with a breeze. It really was cool (i'm afraid to say cold yet). So I headed out for my 20 miler with just my shorts and my normal wicking t-shirt, knowing that it would warm up at some point during the run (and thankfully it did). I'm being smart now and wearing my reflective bands since when I go out at 5:30am, its still dark for a good hour or more... I guess its kind of sad that I get up so early to run, even on weekends, but I'm so disciplined with getting up to run before work, that I lay wide awake at 4:50am (my usual wakeup time) everyday regardless, so I minis-well just get up, right?

Anyway, I can honestly say that I had a good 20-miler today, I focused on pace, pace, pace .. I planned to run a 9 minute mile, and I did it. The run actually calculated out to be 20.25 miles, and I ran it in about 3 hours, so it was perfect. Even though I didn't know where the mile splits were, I knew where the approximate 5 mile splits were, and for the most part I was on pace .. seems that I ran the 3rd split (mile 10-15) a little faster than the other splits, but it evened out in the end.

The good part was that it wasn't terribly warm, I didn't dehydrate and didn't even finish all my water (although I did stop for a water along the way). The water stop I made in front of the Giant supermarket was another opportunity for people to stare at me and think that i'm nuts.. There were people walking everywhere and employees sitting next to the vending machine smoking when I stopped.. I just put my head down, went to the machine (all sweaty and stinky), got my water and went on my way. I felt the eyes gazing at me as I was running away even though I never made eye contact with them ... I don't know what it is about people that they find runners and the commitments we make to our passion to be so odd. I'll never understand it.

Anyway, I used 2 gels, one at 1:35 (~ mile 10.5) and another at 2:30 (~ mile 17) and they seemed to do the trick because I finished strong and actually craved more, but I knew I had to take it easy. I do have to remember that I just finished a marathon only 6 days ago, I didn't want to push it.

I've written before about how sometimes you need a good marathon to kick you into reality again and make you focus on the finer aspects of training, and I think this one did it. I know that I have a tendency to think that i'm invincible and can run a 100 miles nonstop after training at a high level for 16-17 weeks, and I know now that its just not true, so thats the reality check. I think i'm back on earth again with my expectations, and now i'm focusing on a realistic time, what I did wrong on Sunday and use it to run a better race next time ..

The worst part about this season change is I feel something coming on in my sinuses.. its either my allergies are acting up, or i'm getting a cold... I woke up with a stuffed up head, so i'm on my normal regimen when I feel this way, in the hopes i can fend it off. There is NO time to get sick .. the Baltimore marathon is actually 3 weeks TODAY! WOW, we can't get sick now..

Well, off to rest and get something good to eat .. I deserve it.