40 Miles of Mountain Road...

It wasn't on mountain road but I combined two days of running to total 40 miles as I continue to prepare for Rocky Raccoon. On Saturday, it was 13 miles of local running on the slight hills of Millstone. On Sunday, I decided to run to the beach, better known as the shore in New Jersey. Belmar, NJ is just over 27 miles away. From my driveway to the Atlantic Ocean it is 27.03 miles. The idea was to get through 25 miles under 5 hours which I did with a couple of slow walks and a stop to eat something since I had to be self-sufficient. I reached the ocean (yes, I went the whole way to the ocean) in about 5 hours 15 minutes. Of course, with 31 marathons under my belt in the 4 hour or so range, this does not sound like a feat. However, it was a training run combining back-to-back long runs using a strategy to get me through 50 miles in a few weeks time. What will be different for me at Rocky Raccoon is that the run will start in the dark and end in the dark where I will need to use a light over rooty trails. The course is also a 3-loop course where running to the beach was point-to-point and easier for me. On the plus side, Rocky is on pine needles and even with the roots should be easier on the body. Of course, there will also be aid stations where I can refuel and change shirts. All said, I was happy with the 40 miles and when I touched my running shoes into the Atlantic, it was actually kind of emotional for some reason, maybe it was the vastness of the ocean, the smell of the sea, the quiet, or knowing that I accomplished something that I set out to do. It was the longest training run I had ever done. Left My Body on the Other Side.