Second 20-miler of the season

Using one of my previously set courses, I took a much healthier, more sane approach to my second 20-miler of the season.
Heading south into Cedar Grove along Ridge Road and over a big hill onto Bowden Road and the West Essex Trail, I ran the trail to Fairview Avenue in Verona and took a right on Bloomfield Avenue. It was a long uphill into the Caldwells, but a longer downhill out of them and into Fairfield and Montville, where I had to negotiate the dangerous intersection onto Route 46.

My time on the highway was brief, but necessary to get to the quiet residential neighborhood on Hook Mountain Road, taking a right onto Horseneck Road, where a more woodsy, country vibe was only interrupted by an Interstate 80 overpass.

After later crossing a Route 46 overpass, I was back in Fairfield where I hung a left onto Fairfield Road which took me right back to Main Street in Little Falls for the final three miles.

All along, I stayed controlled, focused, hydrated and, singing along to the tunes on my iPod, entertained. All told, it was an average of 7:35 per mile, well below my skill level but perfect for training. That is the constant and essential dilemma with these runs - it is actually quite difficult to consciously run slower than your capability allows. But I did it. One more to go.