I finally managed to run 16 miles today.
And I’m still standing! Oh yeah!
The knee is still giving me problems. But I think it’s a residue of the ITB problem I’ve been having and not an aggravation.
The difference with earlier long runs (e.g. the ones at Sawyer Camp) is that I ran fast. Instead of doing a 10 minute/mile pace, I did below 9:30 minute/mile for the most part.
This improved bio-mechanical efficiency and reduced the chance of injury.
That’s my theory, anyway.
The other difference is the running route. Instead of Sawyer Camp, I ran in the neighborhood, along the San Jose north-eastern foothills. There was no steep climb and strange road camber like the 5-6 mile stretch at Sawyer Camp. So maybe that also helped.
I found that the 20 oz bottle of my Amphipod Trail Lite hydration pack was no longer sufficient for such a long run. So I dug up my up-to-now unused HiTec hydration backpack. It has a 1.5L bladder, chest and stomach (I am not going to call it “waist” for embarrassing reasons) straps and a little pouch for a cell phone. It was a little uncomfortable in the first half mile, but I either got used to it or the sore legs were distracting me. There was no easy-to-access pocket, so I ended up carrying the energy gels in my shorts pockets.
The last change was the use of electrolyte powder instead of Gatorade. I managed to get some Cliff-branded stuff. It was a lot better because it wasn’t too sweet (unlike Gatorade). So it was a lot more thirst quenching… The downside was more alchemy in the morning before the run. Should’ve paid more attention in chemistry class.
Anyway, all in all, it was good run.