It was a bloody long way!

Today was LSR day and the plan said 22 miles!  

In preparation I even abstained from the wine last night and only had one G and T all night!  It was Friday night after all and I couldn't not have anything after the week I have had!

So I was up bright and breezy (for a Saturday anyhow!) and had a large bowl of porrige, a banana, a cup of coffee and a pint of water before heading out the door!  I wanted to be well hydrated and fuelled!

Looking out the window it looked like a sunny warm spring day so I opted for 3/4 length running pants and a thin long sleeve top and no gloves.

I also wore my large running belt bag in which I could carry 2 water bottles, my gels and some Kendal mint cake as well as my phone.

By the time I was ready it was about 10 past 9.

I had a route in mind that I have never run before.  

I am not usually a fan of "out and back" routes but I am beginning to get bored running my usual circuits and I couldn't find a circuit (new or old) that was 22 miles long!

After studying a map I realised that I could run from Kendal to Windermere which is 11 miles then run back again!

So with my route decided off I set!  I was keen to run at an even pace as I didn't want to set off too fast and then fade and die by mile 15.  

When I first set off it was a lovely spring morning and I was feeling a little warm and was starting to wish I had worn a T shirt but by the time I had run 5 miles the sun had gone and it went really chilly! At this point I was wishing I had some gloves to wear!

I took my first gel washed down with water after 5 miles, then took another after 10 miles.  It was a fairly hilly route and by the 10 mile mark the hills were getting bigger!  I had a fleeting thought that at least I would get to run down them on the way back!  

As I came to the top of a particularly big hill I caught sight of Lake Windermere for the first time!  Although with living here I have seen the lake hundreds of times before, today it looked particularly spectacular! I think with running there I appreciated the view that much more!  

I felt on top of the world and lucky to be alive! I was running with a big smile on my face and the motorists going past probably thought I was an escaped lunatic!

I arrived in Windermere just as my Garmin bleeped the 11 mile mark, I did a loop around the Lakeland shop (rather than just turn around and look silly!) and was soon on my way back!  

Instead of thinking "Oh no I have that to do all over again" I was feeling unusually positive and I thought "Yes I'm on my way home!"

But why do the downhills never feel as big as the uphills?  

By the time I had run 12 miles the wind was beginning to get really strong so not only did I have tired legs to cope with I had to push harder to get through the wind!  

Another gel and drink came into play at mile 15 and then from mile 18 I nibbled on Kendal mint cake as I was feeling low on sugar!

By the time I hit the 20 mile mark I felt like I was running very slowly but I chanted to myself "just keep moving forward" and was determined not to walk!  I think if I had stopped to walk I would never have got started again!

Once back in Kendal I took a slightly different route than I did on the outward leg! 

On the way out I had run along the main road but as I was feeling rather sloth like by this point I wanted to hide from the general public and took the quieter canal path option hoping not to be spotted by anyone!

I arrived home after running 22.04 miles at a much slower pace than I had wanted but it wasn't too bad considering the wind and all the bloody hills!  

My average pace was 9.41 minute miles which would give me a marathon time of 4 hours 13 minutes 53 seconds if I maintained it! This would give me a PB!

I am hoping that as Manchester is billed as the flattest and fastest marathon in the UK I will improve on this on race day!  Fingers crossed it is not wet and windy!

You can view my run here.  As you can see I didn't maintain the even pace I was aiming for but hey ho! 

I am not very good at this pacing lark, but one day soon I might just get it right!

So that's my penultimate long run done and dusted! (and the longest on the plan!).

Next weekend there is a 20 miler on the plan but I am hoping to find it easier as I am doing the miles in a race at Trimpell 20!  No water to carry and other runners to hopefully spur me on!  It is also billed as a flat course so I am hoping to get a better idea of the pace I will be able to maintain with no hills and another opportunity to get my pacing sorted!

On getting in the shower I had a bit of an "ouchy" moment when the water hit my skin!  My running bag had been rubbing my skin and I now have awful fierce looking red weals on both my sides! 

Not a good look!