2 x 3

Another new milestone today: I ran 30 miles in one run.
I had a 30-mile day scheduled and after spending many days this week sitting around in my running gear while at the Conference on World Affairs (after running there, then running during and after), I really wanted a day where I ran then was done, showered, and in clean clothes.
I was curious how the run would turn out... It was fantastic! It worked out to be three lovely two-hour segments:

1. I left my house at 6 a.m. setting off in a quiet cool morning, running northeast through Boulder, then east out of town and circling around back south to the neighboring town of Louisville where I was to meet Joe. I arrived at our rendezvous point with exactly 2:00:00 showing on my watch and there was smiling Joe - offering gatorade refills, a place to stash a layer of clothes and the surprising and welcome news that he was up for running two hours with me!
2. Joe and I ran out/back on a creek-side trail under a brilliant blue sky - with Joe setting a very reasonable pace and providing excellent company. Today's picture is from the top of a hill along the trail looking west to Boulder, the flatirons and the snow-capped Continental Divide. (I may need to start carrying a real camera; my camera phone doesn't do it justice.) 'Twas a simply gorgeous morning. We made it back to our original starting point with 4:02 on my watch.
   
3. The final segment sent me on trails, dirt roads, more trails and a country road back to Boulder. After the last trail, just as I was starting on the last stretch of road into town, Kendall arrived on his bike to provide moral support and conversation. (I was feeling pretty good - but my conversational skills by that point were reduced mostly to grunts.) The highlight of this stretch (besides Kendall) was a bald eagle soaring in circles overhead for most of the time I was on the last trail, its white head glowing in the Colorado sunshine. Final time: 6:06
   

Overall, a grand run - and a great experiment. For the first time during a long run, I tried to stay on a steady schedule for eating, drinking, and walking: drinking at least every 20 minutes, eating (gu or a mini clif bar or gumdrops) every 40 minutes, and walking for 3 minutes after each 37 minutes of running (coordinating it with the eating). It seemed to work out quite well. After arriving back home, I iced my legs, ate, packed a backpack with more food and drink, and headed off to CU's spring football game where I had a surprising amount of energy (and a beer - which is a rare occurrence for me but oh did it taste good). Definitely a confidence boosting day!