Burke-Gilman, 18 mile long run, 36 days to BBM

Runners are goal setters.  We reach a goal then we set a new one.  And so it goes for route selection.  I conquered the Snohomish County Centennial trail so I now set my sight on a new route.  I plan to run the Burke-Gilman trail from Kenmore to Fremont for my long run Sunday 8/21.   I have never run in the area but I know the landmarks along that trail so it will be fun sightseeing along this leasury run :)

Burke-Gilman Trail (King County)

The trail is under 15 miles long and ends at 11th ave NW in North Seattle.  But from there it's a couple of miles to the Sound.  Then a shorter leg of the trail along the waterfront that ends in the Golden Gardens park.  I have never been at the Golden Park ... 

Runners are explorers.  A part of the thrill of the run is the discovery along a new route, the unknown.  I want to continue towards the sound through Fremont and hopefully I will make it to Golden Garden parks at the end of the second trail portion ... I can't wait to explore the trail as I go, elevation and all.  I will run from a landmark to another, having been at several of these at times but never one at the time.  Finally I will make my way through the urban jungle to the shinning sea ...

Last minute update ...
Just found this PI article ... There is on-going construction along a 2 miles stretch of the northern end of the trail with a hilly, 7 miles long detour route along HWY 522 so I think my best bet is to start south of the detour, in Matthews Beach park instead (off Lake Washington waterfront).  The park is about half way the portion of the trail.  I can start a loop from Matthews Beach park to Golden gardens cutting accross I5 along 80th street (I hope it's pedestrian friendly ... Google says it is LOL).  That leg adds back 7.2 miles to the route.  That takes me to the Golden Garden park first instead, then looping  back to Matthews Beach Park along the trail.  It's the opposite direction I originally planned for a few days ago but I am glad that I found this article this morning else I would had been in for a not so welcome surprise a few miles in the run!

So here is the final planned route with checkpoint coordinates:

Start @ Matthews Beach park

@47.692707,-122.271805

Checkpoint 1 @ Golden Gardens (7.2 miles ETA +80 min)

@47.687908,-122.402249

Checkpoint 2 @ end of the shorter trail portion (2.0 miles ETA +22 min)

@47.667508,-122.39832

Checkpoint 3 @ beginning of south end of the longer trail portion (1.8 miles ETA +19.8 min)

@47.658970,-122.366150

End @ Matthews Beach park (7.5 miles ETA +82.5 min)

Updated route estimate is 18.5 miles, 3.4 hours @ 11 min/miles

This will be a slow pace run, targeting about 11 min/mile overall.  I read about a FB post  on Hal Higdon's training page yesterday that recommends a one minute walking break every mile to help manage pace so I will implement that and see how that works out for me.  I have to figure out a water situation as I usually run out by 15 miles with my belt.  An option is to carry my camel back but not sure it's a good idea because I won't carry the camel back on the actual marathon ...

The loneliness of the long distance - quote ...

It's a treat being a long-distance runner, out in the world by yourself with not a soul to make you bad tempered.  It's a good life. - Alan Sillitoe

Beat the afternoon crash ...

Interesting video from Active.com about "office exercise" ... Not sure I would do them myself.  I think it would still be best being able to take a 15 minute power nap ... Workers in Japan are allowed to do that and I imagine their productivity is up as a result.  This is the video from Active.com.

Cadence ...

Mile 1- Lets have some fun,
A mile two- a just for you,
A mile three- just for me,
A Mile 4- a give me more,
A mile 5-right on time,
A mile 6-just for kicks,
A mile 7- I'm in heaven,
A mile 8- this feels great,
A mile 9-I'm alive,
A mile 10- LETS DO IT AGAIN


:D

Running ...

Funny as I read this article from reposted from "Runner's World" at Active.com as it implies runners mostly run in pack, but my experience is I ran alone.   Around here running clubs charge to run in packs ... I mean, really?  So I did try a run with Run 26 group and it was actually a lot of fun.  I was left behind with as the group of I think eight runners split into three paces, I settled in with the slowest group quickly.  Within the group I lagged at times and lead at times.  Sharing the experience of a group run was fun ... But anyhow ...

I recognized some tricks to navigate a race's "no man" land I have discovered instinctively ... and others that only you gain through experience ... The tip of the day from Hal Higdon is that there is no substitute for experience when it comes to learning how to pace yourself ...

Settle in ...
Settling in on a new pace is something I have done ... I will usually just slow down until I feel I caught up my breadth and pick up again ... Not much thinking into it I guess anyone would do the same ... So I liked the simple tip from the article ... breathe in for 2 strides and breathe out for 2 ... making a mental note to follow this tip next time ...

Look Ahead ...
Running is an endurance event.  You can't manage the event by thinking about the end point.  I mean, if you think 13 miles left ... you not going to get there. You need to break the long event into smaller, more manageable distances.  When the going got tough in my race or my training run I focus on a the patch ahead.  I know it's not the end, but when I reach it I know I will have managed the tough going and will move on a step closer to the end.  Think little, results will follow.  So whereas on long training runs I pick landmarks a couple of miles ahead, in races I found I often pick other runners instead ... although in the Seattle Rock and Roll half I did pick some major landmarks (I-90 bridge was one, couldn't miss it even when I was miles away).

Keep it up ...
As I make my way towards that runner I will pat myself on the shoulder when I pass them ... By then I forgot the tough going as I am picking my next target ... But I remain ever aware that victory lies not in the miles I have completed but in the miles yet to come ...

Lone Ranger ...
Is this where experience comes in?  To know the pace you can manage for the race ...  For my first half marathon I under-estimated my pace and ended up running faster than I though I could, a great boost.  As I get ready for my first full it's a different story.  I must focus on resisting running faster, as I have on my last few long runs.  I am also conscious that managing my speed effectively will be a challenge ...  Running can be so exhiliatring, especially as you begin a race and soak in the energy around you ...

From the Spartans ...

 ... "Long runs teach your muscles to store more glycogen the energy your body burns for fuel. They also build mental toughness, endurance and durability" ... Oohaa!

Centennial Trail

A favorite amongst cyclist and runners alike.  This is a paved trail that runs from Arlington to Snohomish.  There is another paved section that runs North of Arlington to Bryant that I have never been on.  But I have run, in sections, the entire trail at one point or another.  My first ever "long run" was a ten miler on the trail between Machias and North Marysville.  This was about 2 years ago and I was so un-prepared for it physically I lost my toe nails as a results.  Well today I completed another check mark toward my training.  I ran the trail in its entirety, starting at the south end (Pine and Maple in Snohonish) and completed the run at the 67th avenue trailhead in North Arlington.  The trail is 17.37 miles according to my RunKeeper app.  This isn't the longest run as I completed 20.13 miles last week however about 2/3 incline.  The elevation change was 513 feet.  I feel the soreness in my legs, it's taken me a couple of hours to recover from this run ... So pretty sure I had a good workout !

At the start in Snohomish there were a lot of cyclist.  I wasn't very surprised as Snohomish is a great little city to bike through so there are always cyclists there but turns out that these cyclists were part of the RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver, BC and Party) ...

The greatest little surprise today was a lemonade stand at milepost 14 under the 108th Street bridge, manned by a couple of very enterprising young girls ... There lemonade was the perfect blend of sourness and sweetness to get me to the end of the run.  The had setup a sign about 500 feet away from the bridge on the northbound and southbound of the trail.

Centennial trail:

17.37 miles

2:58:11

10:15 min/miles