18 Miles & Negative Splits!

I usually go to bed by 9:30 when I have a long run the next day. But there I was on Saturday, out until midnight with my friends. When the kids are away, the parents will play! So after 5 1/2 hours of sleep I set out for my 18 mile run. I forgot my gu's, my salt packs and my sweat wristband. Oh well, I looked at it as "I run out 9 miles, and run home". I ran up the coast along the beach, at an average pace of 10:30. It was overcast and about 68 degrees. Warmer than I'd like, but compared to the temps in other parts of the US, no complaining from me. The 9 mile mark was my co-workers house. So I stopped and refilled my water bottle and we had coffee and goldfish crackers. Yummy! After about 30 minutes I headed home. I don't know if it was the combo of the 30 minute break, or the coffee, or the overcast conditions, but the "perfect running storm" was created for me. My average pace on the way home was 9:54! On an 18 mile run! My overall time was 3:14:26. I enjoy running without an iPod. I have one, but I really like running and listening to the beach, birds, kids and my own thoughts. The only downside to running sans iPod is that when you get a song in your head, your stuck with it. On the way to my friend's house I was singing "The Long and Winding Road" by the Beatles. After I left her house I was wondering if my husband would call me to see where I was (he wasn't awake when I got home anyways) but if he were to have called me, his ringtone is the Soprano's theme song "Woke Up this Morning", so I had that in my head. Then out of the blue I started hearing "Home, Sweet Home" by some 80's rock group - I think maybe Poison or Motley Crue. I have some eclectic taste huh?
After I got home, I stretched well and just hung out for the rest of the day. I'm going to take a page from NYCrunner here: I rewarded myself with some treats. An extremely large bowl of Cream of Wheat with lots of sugar, a pint (yes the whole pint) of Hagen Daas Cookie Dough Ice Cream and a Snickers bar. Yay for me!

Run for fun!

-lml