I did another 18-mile run this morning and was in better running form than the last time I did a distance like this.
The first 30 minutes were a little painful. Fortunately, my running legs woke up after that and I was able to achieve a pace of between 9:20 and 9:50 minute/mile for most of the 18 miles. In particular, I forced myself to run a little faster towards the end, in order to “simulate” a strong finish.
I was also careful to drink lots at every 2 miles and took an energy gel sachet at every 6 miles. This translated to an energy gel every hour.
The best news is that my ITB did not bother me after the run. I used the foam roller before the run during warm-up and immediately after. So it looks like the combo of foam roller and physiotherapy is working.
Now, I am wondering if I should do a 20 mile run next weekend. The plan is yet another 18-miler. But perhaps doing a 20-miler followed by two 18-milers would allow more time to rest before the 22-miler in April.