My furthest distance ever!

I ran 14 miles yesterday per my training schedule, and it rocked! I ran a little through the city, so I had to stop occasionally for cars, but didn't walk or stop other than those brief moments. I kept a good pace and never felt like I wouldn't be able to finish. I ran better than the half marathon in '06! I've had some tough runs lately, and days like yesterday prove to me that I may be able to do this after all.

I was going to experiment a little with energy gels, but didn't feel the need. I took a bottle of water with me, and it lasted until mile 11. I also bought a bottle of Gatorade at the bike stop around mile 11, which gave me the extra umph I needed to finish well.

I ran along the Eliza Furnance Trail (aka Jail Trail), over the Smithfield Street bridge, past the Hot Metal Bridge on the Station Square/South Side trails to a creepy point in the middle of nowhere and back the way I came (although it was very tempting just to hop on the Hot Metal Bridge on the return trip). I'm impressed with how they are improving and expanding these trails. The Jail Trail has a little bike rental where you can buy drinks, a water fountain and a "misting station." Very nice for those days when I get out of bed later than desired and am running in the heat of the day.

my route

(view actual route under "Favorite Runs" in the navigation bar)

Friends of the Riverfront is a great resource for information on these trails. You can also request a printed version of this Three Rivers Heritage Trail map from the site.