Saturday was my longest run ever: 13 miles. It was also my first run with my shiny new cheap $20 windbreaker from Target (well worth the price!). In open areas the wind was gusting 12 to 20 MPH according to intellicast... early on it was just a giant wakeup call that left me feeling cold so I ran a bit fast to stay warm... bad idea. On my third lap of the neighborhood I was definitely feeling the extra effort. I don't keep a real close eye on pace in long runs but even a glance at the minute hand was enough to tell me I was fading and on the final uphill I had lost at least a couple minutes but after a couple hours I was no longer sure what time I had started or even what the previous split had been. The route I had chosen takes me up a road of increasing steepness, ending at a corner that I then realized turned directly into the wind. I made it to the top in a full run but hitting the wind just dropped me to a walk immediately. The extra effort, wind, and Friday's marathon pace run all combined with no breakfast and no calories added up to walking for a few minutes. Even downhill the headwind kept me dropping to a walk on the last mile at times.
Maybe this weekend I'll try out that sports Gu I've had sitting in the pantry for a couple months, since I suspect it will be just as windy.
Hopefully I'll improve over the next few months, but if it's windy on race day right now I'll be glad to finish at any pace!
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