First "Good" Long Run Post Half Marathon

I've noted this phenomenon many times before, but I spelled it out in this post a year ago: I always get faster after a race.

I took it easy after the TC 10 Mile back in October so I didn't injure myself, and then I lengthened my long runs to be ready for the Moustache Run Half Marathon in late November. And then I had a fast long run because of that last Monday, which was just over 2 weeks post-race.

My last long run BEFORE the race felt brutal: I wanted to do my normal treadmill long run of 6 harder miles in the middle of the run starting at 8.9 mph and speeding up 0.1 mph every half mile to end at 10.0 mph. But I was hurting at mile 3 and was thrilled that I even made it 5 miles! (8.9 mph up to 9.8 mph.)

Last week Monday was my first "real" long treadmill run AFTER the half marathon where my legs were rested up and ready to go. I was ready for a brutal run, as I planned to do the same "6 miles hard in the middle starting at 8.9 mph and going up to 10.0 mph." And I DID that workout, but I noted in my training long that it "felt ALMOST EASY!" So it wasn't "extra fast" as I was adjusting the speed as normal on the treadmill, but it just felt like a walk in the park when a few weeks before it was a death march I couldn't complete.

And it was all thanks to that "post-race feeling fast" phenomenon. I love it.

(Again, in this post from a year ago I spell out some splits talking about how this happens after longer races for me. I've had other runner friends say it happens to them as well.)