Rockville Millennium Trail Long Run

Yesterday's Total Calorie Input:  2575

This morning was my long run.  It's a stepback week, so it was a 10 miler, so I ran the Rockville Millennium Trail again.  This time I ran a lot faster than four weeks ago - 1:55:05 (10:42/mile pace) today vs 2:07:01 (11:49/mile pace) the last time I ran it.  I ran a bit harder today - my average heart rate was 156 vs. 152 when I ran it four weeks ago, but a 4 bpm raise in heart rate doesn't account for the full minute per mile pace in improvement...my body has increased its aerobic capacity as I have bumped up my mileage.

Since the trail is marked I decided to capture my splits where I could:

10:17

10:37

10:41

11:10 - I lost my GU packet...see below

10:39

10:42

10:43

11:07 - There was a monster hill up Gude Drive over the Metro tracks

12:06 - Included a brief stop in the woods to "relieve myself"...TMI???

4:59 half mile when I got to the beginning/end of the trail markers

During today's run I tried Clif Blocks instead of GU.  The thing I like about these is that you can ration them out throughout the workout - 3 Clif Blocks are equal to 1 pack of GU and there were 6 blocks in the bag.  However, I did not like having to chew these up while running and the gummy-bear like texture of them ended up getting stuck in my teeth.  I'll stick with GU in the future.

I actually brought a packet of GU with me - just in case I did not like the Clif Blocks.  However, it got lost on the way.  When I first took the bag of Clif Blocks out of my Amphipod pack, the GU must have dropped out because when I went to put the blocks back the GU was gone!  I turned back to look for it and could not find it (thus the 30 seconds lost in mile 4 above).

ONE FREE GU PACKET - FIRST COME FIRST SERVE - MOST LIKELY ON WOOTTON PARKWAY BETWEEN TOWER OAKS BLVD AND EDMONSTON DRIVE  :-)

Again, last last time I ran the trail, there were very few other pedestrians out that early.  This morning I saw zero bikers and two runners (they were two of the same runners that I saw on the trail four weeks ago!)

Luckily, I had my iPod with me to keep me company!  I listened to a bunch of Bens.  Ben Folds, Ben Kweller and Ben Harper and an EP of "The Bens" a project by Folds, Bweller and Ben Lee.