Sunday, March 4 - 60 Minute Cross Train

Ran 18.01 miles in 2:42:16 at a 9:01 pace

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about running 18 miles. The pain in my knee had been acting up on every run this week so I wasn't sure how it would feel during such a long run. This definitely weighed heavily on me mentally getting ready for the run and I was more anxious than I have been as I pulled up to my weekend trail.

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It's incredible how much of an impact your mind can have on your performance. I noticed immediately as I started my run that my legs felt heavy and I was moving more slowly than I'm used to. Not significantly slower, but I felt like I was crawling along. Luckily I was able to find a rhythm and pick up the pace a bit with every mile.

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My knee wasn't necessarily painful but I was definitely aware of it for almost the entire run. The first half of the run felt pretty similar to my other long runs but the end was probably the hardest finish I've had so far. The last few miles passed by slow and the fatigue in my legs set in earlier than I was expecting.