My longest run of my Chicago Marathon training cycle is 16 miles. So I tip my hat to everyone who did the
Newton "Ready to Run" 20 Miler on Sunday. As I was entering the Lakefront Trail at Irving Park Rd around 7:15am, I got mixed in the first wave of runners. It was fun to run by the aid stations and hear the cow bells (all for free), which is good race day simulation.
Luckily, the lead groups were thin as I made my way down to Navy Pier:
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| Gatorade! Gatorade! |
At my final turn-around of the season at Navy Pier, it was a picture perfect day for my last long run. Looking out near the end of the pier, I saw the sun shine shimmering on the water around the lighthouse just off shore in Lake Michigan:
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| The lighthouse is over my shoulder in this pic |
However, the relative calm was soon gone, because on my way back, I saw walls of on-coming runners:
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| Densely Packed and Ready to Run |
Despite the amount of on-coming traffic on the trail, I still was able to put in a "fast finish" long run over the last 8 miles. I can use the average of the final 8 miles to help predict my marathon pace. I am now officially "ready to run" the Chicago Marathon. Too bad I have to wait 2.5 weeks...
Last long run stats: 16 miles at 7:22/mile. Last 8 were at 6:56/mile.
