September 11, 2023 - Sunday Long Runs

Yesterday I ran a wonderful Sunday long run. Sunday long runs are my favorite runs. I've been running a 20+ mile run on Sundays almost every Sunday for four or five years now. And for those four or five years, pretty much the same route up and down the A1A avenue along the Atlantic ocean.

Sunday long runs leave me feeling both wiped out and low energy, and fulfilled and joyful. It's social engagement, comfortable discomfort, pretty views, experiencing the world before most people are awake. Just glorious, even on days it doesn't feel so fun. I love the Sunday long run. I run largely for the Sunday long run. Without it, I probably wouldn't run.

Will my chasing a High Five 100 finish in the next 10 years mean I can't regularly run the Sunday 20+ mile long run? Will I need to focus my training more on climbing and descending? Will the Sunday long run be detrimental to my pursuit and training? Every time I dive into a big mountain ultra project, I have this same wondering.

Yet I don't think so. I haven't had to give up the Sunday long run in preparing for my other mountain ultras. I don't think I will need to for this project, either. Fundamentally, the Sunday long run is deep aerobic capacity development and maintenance. Sure, the route I run is very flat. And I'm running far faster than I will during a mountain ultramarathon. But at its core, it's aerobic capacity development. And if there's one thing a big mountain ultra absolutely requires, it's very deep aerobic capacity. Very deep endurance. The ability to endure and sustain a reasonable challenging effort for a really, really long time.

Yes, I may need to take a Sunday here and there to get on the treadmill and hike uphill for five hours. Or another Sunday to travel to a mountainous area and actually spend time on terrain similar to what this project will ask me to cover. But by and large, I will be able to continue my regular almost every Sunday 20+ miler up and down A1A avenue.

My Sunday long run is extremely important to me. I think this project would hit an immediately roadblock if I had to get rid of it. Fortunately, I don't.

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