It may take me a while to get motivated and get out the door, but once I start moving, I remember how much I really enjoy the long run. The pace is easier than most of my runs, and it gives me time to think and reflect on the week. After the first 15 or 20 minutes, I’m in a groove with the tunes (I always keep my iPod on ‘shuffle mode’), and I can feel my head starting to clear out. At times (like today) the feeling is quite a bit like popping to the surface of a very deep lake. My mood is high, my head clear and I’m cruising along with almost no effort.
Today’s long run was a bit of a “little Billy” run. I wasn’t planning on the route I took, and in fact had intended to go in a different direction. But after the first 30 minutes along a familiar route, I decided to make some changes. I ran down Evergreen into Bernardsville, then headed straight into Little Italy, down Bernards ave and up Liberty onto Pill Hill. After the long downhill, I turned UP Meeker Rd, and finished that brutal climb. Then out to Annin Rd, to Whitenack, and back through Cantebury. If I hadn’t made a wrong turn and had to backtrack a bit, it would have been a PERFECT 1:45 run. As it was, I came in at 1:50:51 and 11.18 miles.