The long road to Takapuna

So I did my long run yesterday, and because my runs are getting longer and longer, and I didn't want to just run an extension of the loop I've done a few times already I decided to go one way. I got on to Map My Run and started trying out the possibilities. And the winner ended up being a daunting run from home to Takapuna. To put this into perspective, Takapuna is about a 15 - 20 min drive away, far down the shore and just a hop skip and a jump across the water from the CBD. In other words, it's pretty damn far! And as far as it seems mentally, looking at the map just made it worse.

Of course, I knew that I was only upping my mileage slightly, and that I had the fitness to complete, but it was still a little intimidating! To make it easier for me, I arranged to meet a friend in Takapuna after my run for a catch up, so the entire way down I had the reward of seeing here to keep me going (and the time limit for my run, if I wasn't to make her wait around for me).

All in all the run was pretty good. I was slow and steady, but I got there. Around km 11 my knee started to get a bit sensitive, and I eased off from then on, walking more and more. But the end result was a pace not far off of my normal long run pace. So I'm very happy - especially when I look at the map!