Gravel 20 at Lost Valley

RUN 20.01 miles (haha) in 3:49
averages 11:28m/m, cad 162 spm, HR 136 bpm
moving numbers: pace ~10m/m, 168-171, hard to say but only once over 150 bpm

I've decided to characterize my runs as road, gravel, and trail. Might come up with more? Path, urban, meadow?

I was worn out from the ride yesterday and as I was waking up seriously debated just running form home to Fo Pa for 20 miles. Da fuq?! I can do that any day of the week, I can save that for when it's not a holiday weekend, I can haul my ass out to a trail and RUN! Geeza louisa.

So off to LV, the plan to stick to the Hamburg and abandoned gravel road through LV. No trail. If I'm going to run rail-to-trails, I don't need to be picking and tripping so much this year. And I need to see if I'm really mentally prepared for the long flat of rail routes. I pass a few of these, then I can sign up for the Badger 100K.

I don't know why I think that. I mean, I ran Kansas R2T just fine.

Anyway, perfect day. Light clouds overhead, not warm yet. Trails dry. Today I tested Rice Chex cereal and rice balls. And my usual QT candy of Tootsie Rolls pops. I looped the Mound then headed out. There were a few mountain bikers, but again surprisingly to me few people out. I was undecided out my route, but knew I should take the gravel 'short route' road outbound and I could feel my cheating mind thinking about skipping it on the way back. My goal was to head out towards Defiance and guess on the math to overdo the outbound so any way back I still get 20.

Down the hill (like the Rohirrim riding down to Helmsdeep) and back up. I walked up and was soon attacked my mosquitoes. Oh Damn, the rest of the run I was watching for these. Killed quite a few. I did use bug spray, but only on my legs and neck. Not arms. So guess where they were landing?

The run on the short route road is unfamiliar to me, I've only done it a few times. But it's nice slow long hills. I watched trail on/off points go by, listening to Ten Junk Miles podcasts, hitting mosquitoes, and letting myself walk when I needed to. Looking back at the Garmin track, I didn't walk quite as much as it seemed.

I'd wondered if flooding would be a concern and sure enough the connection from the road to the parking lot (the one I almost parked at!) was completely flooded. Reminds me of the time TV and I encountered this, and when he wandered into the water. I joked that he'd come out cover in leeches. No leeches for me. I turn around. So much for wondering if I'd run the gravel on the return trip.

Back to the top of the hill, I was at 10 miles, with 2 miles between me and the parking lot (only 1 mile if I didn't loop the Mound). Decided to run the Hamburg out to the Katy until I hit 14 miles, that would put me at 20-ish. So down the Hamburg. Bippity bop feeling good.

Until I got to the Katy and found it flooded both ways. I could have crossed the left turn towards Lewis and Clark, but didn't want we feet. I was only at 12 miles. I thought the Hamburg was longer, more like 4 miles long. Not 3. Anyway. Explored a bit, found no where else to got, headed back up Hamburg.

Now I started walking more. I wasn't hungry, doing good on water, just tired and out of condition. So I let myself walk, and the Garmin track reflects a lot more walking after the 3 hours point. But not miserable trudge. Still doing good.

Got back to the Helmsdeep hill, only at 14.5 miles. Ugh. Back down the Hamburg until 16.25-ish, lots more walking now, and then turn to home. Hit the Mound at 18.67 (funny how I can remember all these numbers) and looped the Mound until 20 miles.

Ooooof and YAAAYYYY!!!!!!!! No pains, no aches, just tired and lightly sore. And to my surprise I felt good enough on the way home to get my shopping errands done! In fact, I felt so good later that I even drove to work to get the Garmin charger because I was getting low battery and I wanted the Garmin for Monday and Tuesday.

In summary 20 is kinda my operational limit and I'm ready to build.

NUMERICS: 12:25 (not counting commute)
SWIM 0.00
BIKE 80.6 miles
RUN 41 miles
COMMUTE 38.8 miles