60 laps

So this weekend the Torn Ligament family went to CT to celebrate the 4th. On Sat morning both Mrs. TL and I did a run I used to do in high school - a 4.3 loop around Pinewood Lake, where they filmed Revolutionary Road with Kate Winslet/Leo DiCaprio. Ironically, it is the same distance as the loop I do here in Kittery. It was a slower pace than I'm used to but nice to run with her. It has very big hills and I'd steam up them and then wait for her, but so nice that we can talk a bit and that we can share the joy of running together.

After we finished, I went next door to my old H.S. and ran 1 mile on the brand new rubberized track (a far cry from the gravel and dust I ran on 20+ yrs ago) and did it in 6:57, :06 slower than the 1 mile split time from my last two 5k's.

Sunday morning was my long run - and I was so impressed with the new track I decided to do 15 miles (60 laps) on it. Took me 2:12:57, so basically the consistent 8:45 time as my other long runs. Repetitive, yes, but I did enjoy it. I caught some collegiate running the other day after the World Cup on ESPN - from Oregon I believe, some sort of national championship race. They were doing the 10,000m and that got my juices flowing to barrel around a track, something I have not done in decades. Mrs. TL joined me for a bit, as she did 3 mi but we did not run together but she's getting faster - about 11:00 min mile - and then stretched in the shade and went back to my parents.

When I was done I walked a lap and then did the entire football field worth of suicides. Slow going, but I made a point of touching the yard lines every time. Goal to 10 yd line, back to Goal, then to 20 yd, etc. It is another psychological booster come marathon day - I can harken back to the July 4th morning in the ridiculous heat when after running 15 miles on my old H.S. track I did a full series of suicides. I was alone, and could have just walked back to my parent's home, but did it anyway.

I'm convinced that mental resilience, the willingness to push just that little bit harder when I'm running on empty, is what will get me to break 3:30 come October.