I have to double this? Wait.... whaaaaaat?

This weekend marked the longest run so far in my training. 14 miles. It was a windy but beautiful day, and chugged through my route, mile by mile. I finished proud of myself, with a distinct sunglasses tan line, but I also finished exhausted. I mean really exhausted. My legs felt used up and then used again.

That's when I had a terrifying thought: I pretty much have to double that run in a matter of weeks. Five weeks and five days, to be exact. Yikes! I know that I need to trust my training, but knowing that the race is creeping up on me makes that really hard. I'm working my way through it, and even based this week's Marathon Monday segment on the pitfalls of thinking too much. You can watch that here if you fancy.

So that's the goal. I need to turn off my brain and continue with my schedule as prescribed by my trainer (even though that means 16 miles on Saturday).

Other things:

I posted previously about how I tried energy gels and didn't like them at all. It turns out that my knee jerk "I hate all gels" reaction was wrong. It's all about the flavor, baby! This weekend I tried Cliff Chocolate Cherry, and it was great. It was like a sundae topping, and I highly recommend it!

Also, as I was running on Saturday, I was passing a lot of the Charlottesville sights this city is well known for. It got me thinking about how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful, fascinating city. So please allow me to give you a tour of the best parts of my route. This week's training schedule is also posted below, in case you're curious.

Charlottesville is the home of UVA... Thomas Jefferson's University. The Rotunda is the keystone building. This is between miles 1 and 2.

About 2 miles in there is John Paul Jones Arena... home of the Cavs.

I'm not done yet, sports fans! Scott Stadium greets me between miles 3 and 4!

Keep going! All the way to the Downtown Mall (mile 7). It's a ped mall smack in the middle of downtown, with local shops and restaurants lining it. There is an outdoor pavilion on one end that boasts a free live concert every Friday in the summers.

Next up? The trails at Riverview Park (miles 10+). I've heard there are around 20 miles of trails here, but I can't confirm. It's a pretty run for the most part!

And finally, to finish the run I'm back downtown. This is Charlottesville's historic Court Square (mile 14). The main building has been used continuously as a courthouse for over 200 years!

That's the end of my Tour de Charlottesville! Have a great week, and wish me luck on tackling 16 this weekend! :)

Week Eleven Training Schedule*, designed by Trainer Dan Bayliss

Sunday- Off (or non-weight bearing exercise)
Monday- Off (or non-weight bearing exercise)
Tuesday- Run 6 miles
Wednesday- Run 6 miles
Thursday- Run 4 miles
Friday- Off (or non-weight bearing exercise)
Saturday- Run 16 miles