Two weekends ago, I busted up a 17 mile training run as I continue my journey towards the Chicago Marathon on October 9. 

A few weeks before that, I blogged about my experience with 15 miles. It wasn’t pretty to say the least, but I knocked it out. Therefore, with 17 miles on the schedule, I was curious to see how my body would respond since I struggled so much with 15 in this Atlanta humidity/heat.

I decided to go back out to the Cochran Shoals Trail by the Chattachoochee River. As I mentioned before, it has a nice and easy 3.1 mile loop with very little elevation. Plus, it has 2 bathrooms (one at the front and one in the middle) and several water fountains. 

I went through my normal routine of setting out everything I would need the night before and set my alarm for very early. The following morning, I was out the door and at the park by 6:45, which is what I was aiming for.

I started my run by keeping a very nice and slow pace to allow myself energy for the final few miles. I had downloaded an hour-long podcast to listen to before moving to just music. I was curious to see how I would do with a podcast on this long of a run, and I’m happy to say, I was completely engaged. 

The run went a little better than the 15 miler. The weather, while very humid, never got above the low 80s, which I consider a win for August in Atlanta. I did find myself taking several walk breaks during the last 2 miles, but all in all, I was pleased with my time and pace.

I am scheduled to run 18 miles this Saturday, before back-to-back half marathon weekends with the Disneyland Half and the Atlanta Craft Classic. (Speaking of the Atlanta Craft Classic Half Marathon…the code “BibRave” is good for $10 off the Half or $5 off the 5K if you want to join me!)