This morning my super-suportive spouse gave me a pass from swim meet duty so I could log some miles with my running pal, KKD.  She and I met a few years ago through a moms’ running group and became fast friends.  KKD is a marathoner extraordinaire- she’s trained for and finished at least a trillion of the things.  She encouraged me to register for Portland, a race she has completed three times, and went the extra reassuring mile by agreeing to train for and run it again!

KKD is an excellent training partner, even more so than Eminem.  She’s speedy, has a stellar sense of direction, and likes to talk as much as I do.  Today’s 9-miler flew by in her company- except for maybe the multiple hills which weren’t technically her fault, after all we do live in Marin County.  A lot of runners choose to do their longer weekly run in pairs or groups for the simple reason, it get’s lonely out there, and most marathon coaches agree that the weekly long run is the single most important element of training.

“Running long get’s you used to the stress of lifting your feet up and down nearly 5,000 times per hour.  It allows you to practice skills you will need in the race, such as taking fluids.  Long runs build confidence in your ability to succeed, and maybe equally important , you learn patience.” Roy Benson

KKD and I definitely lifted our feet up and down more than 5,000 times this morning.  I also realized that some of my skills are in need of polishing (an insufficient water supply) while the tightness in my lower back reminded me I have not been foam rolling enough.  In general, confidence and patience prove to be my greatest challenges.  It’s a good thing there are 16 more training weeks to go!