Going Long

I ran my first 3 runs with a pack this week.

The first was a trial run – I packed 4 bags of rice totaling 6 lbs and went for a short 6 mile run. Everything seemed to go very well. The Raidlight pack is simply amazing, it doesn’t let you feel the weight at all, and it completely wraps around your midsection so the weight doesn’t bounce. It also has a feature that allows you to cinch the pack tight if it’s not full, reducing the bouncing even further.

Since the first run went well, the second was a little longer, with a little more weight – 10 miles with 9 lbs. Since we had no more rice I added 3 pounds of pasta. I was running with dinner for 8 people On this run, I could feel the weight a little more. It changed my stride a bit and made it flatter, not as much bounce in my step. Overall, though, it went well.

The final run this week was a 17 mile run with 9 lbs + 3 lbs of water. I had planned on going out for three hours, but I got bored after 2:35 so I stopped. I ran south on Shoreline, until it hit the Stevens Creek Trail – which I’ve never run on. So I followed the trail, believing it would take me miles inland. As you can imagine, I was a bit disappointed when 4 miles later I reached a dead end with a sign that said ‘End’. That’s it.
So I turned around and got back to the car with 1:15 to spare. I did another loop to the north but I was tired and uninterested at that point, so I turned around at Byxbee park and called it a day.

So – low mileage this week, only 33 miles, but they were good miles. This month I’m focusing on building strength, so my mileage will drop a little in favor of more hours in the gym.

Until next time,

E

P.S. – I got a brand new, Garmin Forerunner 305 sitting in front of me! Expect the full story and course maps to follow soon…