30.04 mi, 4:45:58, 9:31 avg
I needed to run far today. Started from my house just after 6:00 and ran to Longleaf where I met Jamie for 6:30ish start. Brief stop at Diane's lemonade stand and continued into Starkey Park, stopped at the shelter and then continued on. Jamie headed back after a half mile so she could get back with 13 miles total. I noticed a couple of times that my pace was very steady until I realized I had stopped it at the shelter and forgot to start it again. Missed about maby 0.7 miles (Starting where the shelter trail intercepts the main bike trail is a Sun sign and then planets spaced proportionally until Pluto (which was still a planet when the signs went up) which is 1 mile from the Sun. Started my watch again at Uranus.
At about two miles out from the shelter are the big power lines with a dirt access road running underneath. Turned onto the access road and ran north until I thought I had enough to make it to 30 miles round trip (not counting the 0.7 that I missed on the way out but knowing it would count on the way back and planning on bypassing the side trip to Diane's house). It was a great place of solitude. Also, the road was rutted and pot-holed with lots of water to avoid. It was a pain dodging around the obstacles but soon I forgot I was doing it and was just doing it instead. Saw a really big buck crossing the trail. Stopped and picked up a big white feather and was going to bring it back with me but it kept on falling out of my belt. I wanted to stick it in my hat but there was no place to make it stick.
My pace felt pretty good, sometimes slowing a little as the road was harder to pass and speeding up a little when it was smooth. Near the turn around my legs were getting tired which was kind of worrisome when only half-way done. But, this was why I was here and doing this distance - to run on tired legs.
Made it back to the bike trail, topped off my water at the last water stop and was soon leaving the park. Starkey Blvd was mostly uneventful. I thought of stopping a few places but didn't. I'd think about stopping at a bench up ahead or a fence where I could stretch, but when I'd get to that spot I'd just keep going.
Made it back to SR 54, only two miles left to go. Slowed a little on second to last mile and then got some spring in my step for the last mile and ran about an 8:45 pace. Done.
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