I slept in until 8 am, and hung around with Julie and the kids until about 8:45. I decided that with the marathon two weeks away, a three hour run might be overdoing it a bit, so I resolved to run 2 hours instead. I went out on the Minneapolis Diagonal Trail again, which isn't terribly long. I ran up on the trail until it ended, then had to visit a restroom at Hom Furniture. I asked a sales guy if I could use the bathroom and he said yes. That was after 40 minutes or so of running. I have a mental difficulty at some times during runs where I feel a little tired and then realize I'm only a fraction of the way through the run. I did that after 40 minutes today, realizing I had another 1:20 before I'd be done. As soon as I started running again, I felt great, though. Funny how that works. I made my way back to the trail but instead of running back the way I came, I turned left at Gross Golf Course and over to the Ridgeway Parkway. It basically loops back to the Diagonal Trail. I ran down the hill to the end of the parkway and decided to go up the hill a few times. So I ran up the parkway and back down five times. I felt more and more tired as I did each one, but found that I was going a bit faster on each one. I paid special attention to keeping good form, trying to run smoothly. I think that helps. Each uphill and downhill set took about 8 minutes, so by the time I was done with that, it was time to head back home. Fifteen minutes later I arrived. I have no idea how far I really went, but I'm pretty sure I was faster than a 10 minute pace, so I assume somewhere in the 13 mile range. It could have been 14 miles, but probably not more. I should mention that with this run, I think this is the most miles I've ever run. I've been pretty close, but I think I've always ended up around 30, not much more. Had I made it out on the intended easy runs, I might be around 40, but this was a pretty decent week. Side Note: Running with a Hydration Belt I ran with my hydration belt today. It is definitely easier to run with one than to put out water, but it's going to take a while to become accustomed to it. I have an Amphipod-brand belt that has four bottles of 8 ounces each. It doesn't bounce up and down much, which was my primary concern when I bought it, and I have room in the little pouch for a few other things. Today was the longest run I have done with it. It was 65 or 70 degrees during the run. I felt like 32 ounces was fine for two hours of running, given the temperature. Of course when I got back I had to drink a lot more, but the point of hydration during a run is to keep performance high, and I think the hydration belt is answering this challenge. What I don't like about it is the tendency for the front-most bottles to slide along the belt in their holsters. It would be nice to lock the holsters in some way, but that doesn't appear to be possible. The other thing I don't like is the tendency for the belt to make me look like a fool. It doesn't help that the bottles are neon green. Of course, running and looking silly are inseparable. I'm not afraid to embrace my inner (and outer) running dork. I think the hydration belt is a keeper.
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