Today, I switched my usual Sunday long run to Saturday, so that I could go run with the running group that got me started in endurance sports.

Each winter, this run group hosts a marathon training program, that helps local runners get ready to run the Pittsburgh marathon or half marathon.  This training program traditionally starts on the Saturday before Christmas Day, with their annual cookie exchange run.  So the thought of seeing old friends and delicious post-run cookies, made it an easy decision to do my long run a day early.

My long run this week was scheduled for 90 minutes.  Today it was a very long 90 minutes. 

The weather was cold but, with the sun starting to break through the clouds, it was a nice day.  Our group started out on the trail alongside the Monongahela River and my legs were dead. I thought to myself, “give it time, the legs will warm up soon”. 

After a little over three miles, we looped back to our starting point for a quick water stop.  I almost quit at that point.  After all, I did actually have a 35 minute run scheduled today that I had switched for my long run.  I could have just said that I did my scheduled 35 minute run and then go back to doing the long run tomorrow.  However, as the group headed out again, I just started running with them … I was ‘all in’ for my long run.

My legs never did feel good. In fact, at one point my quads were feeling really quite sore.  More mental training time … “fight through it Phil, this is what you have to go through in races”.  I did fight through it and got the 90 minutes done.

Then I ate … ALL … THE … COOKIES ….