Brandon Fuller

Run: Steady 20M (20.03 mi @ 07:36)

Stay consistent but don’t get in a routine. For various reasons, my long runs have been not so pure the last 3 weeks. So even though I put in the distance, the runs were broken up or not at pace or in the mountains. As I contemplated my usual Saturday morning on Green Mountain, my heart wanted to go but my mind overruled. I needed to do Monday’s long run today. Why? I have to rest tomorrow as prescribed so I can be ready for my LT test on Monday.

I got a late start as I watched Kayla while Kim slept in. Kayla isn’t sleeping through the night anymore and its killing Kim. So I watched the kids, worked on taxes, and did other stuff until she was up and around. By then, it was nice and warm outside and I was chomping at the bit to get going. You know its going to be good when you look forward to a long run!

My legs were a little sore this AM from the traverse. Just the usual quad stuff from so much climbing. But that didn’t seem to effect my road running. I actually figured I would do about 14 today but then after being out there about a mile or two, I decided for the bigger loop. This was heavily influenced by the fact that I stripped off my shirt 2 miles into the run! First shirtless run of 2010 - March 6th! Surely, it will go back on a few more times but I felt at one with the road again. Something about wearing layers during winter just doesn’t allow me to connect with the entire running experience.

HR was running slightly high and I wasn’t really managing it. Just letting it do what it wanted. Unfortunately, this ended up putting me into the steady range for the day instead of slow but I figure that is a response from the level of fatigue I am at. No worries. There is a downhill section of this route from about mile 7 to 10. I figure its sort of Boston-ish. Nice descent. And I just ripped it up! I was sub-7 just cruising along. It felt solid and strong.

I broke for a minute at 10 for some business and water. Took my bag of GU Chomps. Those things are like crack. I love them. But that’s all I had. Didn’t plan on 20. Oops. But I don’t mind having a fuel fail in training once in a while. Makes your body adapt because that is going to happen in a 50 or 100 I suppose.

Was a little slower on the way back home for the 2nd half. Its all flat and there was a headwind. I was so happy with that first 10 that this 10 just needed to get done. Luckily, there were a bunch of people on the Greenway today so I was able to chase them down for something to fixate on. Got back home and had to do some distance in the neighborhood just to get over the mark for the day.

I went 20.03 miles with an elevation gain of 542 feet in 02:32:16, which is an average pace of 07:36. Heart rate average was 151. View my GPS data on Garmin Connect.