LD Marathon (26 mile trail run)

Clay and I ran the back end of the LD50 from Lake Hughes Rd. to the end and back. It is exactly 13 miles one way. Both my kids were sick last night, and I must have slept through my alarm because I woke up at 6:20 and was supposed to meet Clay at 6:30. I didn't get on the trail until 7:00am. Clay had a 30 minute head start on me. It was breezy out there and got worse during the run. I pushed the pace on the way out and make it to 7N23 4 minutes faster than last weekend (1:41). Then I ran down the steep fire road to the turn around point. This is where I met up with Clay who was coming back up. I kept thinking, I can't believe I have to come back up this road. I make the it to 13 miles in 1:58:50. I had to dig down deep to make it back up that road. I am nervous about that hill which will be mile 30 and 31 on race day. I felt good for the next 5 miles and met up with Clay again with about 5 miles to go. We both commented that we were exhausted. I had some lateral right knee pain for the last 4 miles going down to my car. I finished the 26 miles in 3:54.

This was my last long trail run before LD50 on April 17th. I never got in my planned 30 miler. I ran two marathon distance runs over the last 15 days, but that is only just over half way. I know I can finish but I am a little concerned. Is this like running a marathon with a 13 miler as your longest training run? No, its probably worse than that.

The first 16 miles of the LD50 are fairly easy, then you do the out and back 13 mile route that we did today. My quads will be shot by the end of this section due to the 11 miles of down hill at the end. Then there is 8 miles left, first 5 which are all uphill with switchbacks, then 3 miles downhill to the finish. With 8 miles to go I will be in survival mode.