Last weekend for my long run, I decided to set an FKT (Fastest Known Time) on the Lakelands Trail. This gave me the opportunity to have a little fun with my run. I decided someone has to be the first to set the FKT so why not today?
I had Derek drop me off at the trailhead in Stockbridge, Michigan and ran unsupported to Hamburg, Michigan. It was a beautiful day to run: It was in the high 50’s and cloudy when I set off. I love the thrill of getting dropped off somewhere to run to a destination. I headed out with my Nathan Vest with four hydration bottles filled with Tailwind and some spare Tailwind in ziplocs just in case. The Lakelands Trail is a beautiful scenic run on a rail trail. It started off in Stockbridge with a paved path and turned to crushed limestone.
I hit Gregory in no time and was feeling great. There I was able to make a pit stop to the porta potty and switch my hydration bottles out.
Headed for Pinckney, I got a text from my nephew, Kevin sharing stats of the U of M Football game. As I ran along, I texted back and let him know he would have to keep me posted as I was on my long run. I am always surprised how few people enjoy this section of the trail as it is so peaceful and serene. Today I decided to count the humans and animals along the way to pass some time.
Between Gregory and Pinckney, I had to make a couple quick stops to adjust a leaky water bottle. When I got to the Depot Trailhead in Pinckney, the sun was starting to peek out and warm up a bit so I was able to take off my light windbreaker. The trail had turned back to pavement.
Before I knew it, I was at the trail’s end in Hamburg. At this point, I stopped my new Garmin 945 that I purchased the night before at my favorite running store, Running Lab. I quickly took some photos and restarted my watch as I still had some miles to put in before my long run would come to an end.
But before I started off, I got a text from Kevin again that U of M had won: this added to my running enjoyment. I headed back to Pinckney and returned back.
My plan was 5 hours of running that day which would get me around 33 miles. When I thought I had finished my 5 hours, I looked at my watch and noticed I was at 31.5 miles. I thought it odd because I had been on pace for around 33-35 miles and wondered how I had slowed that much. I went home a bit dehydrated and tired. I reviewed my stats when I got home and realized I mis-calculated my time (rule number one…never do mental calculations on long runs). My new watch did lap times for every hour. I remember my watch reading 3:27. I calculated that as 3 hours 27 minutes when it was actually 3:03.27. Oh well, I got in 31.5 miles which was short about 2 miles. I guess sometimes things don’t go as planned. I look at each training run as a learning lesson to put in my toolbox for race day of the do’s and don’ts.
Fast forward, I submitted my time to fastestknowntime.com and received feedback that I had the fastest known time for the section of Lakelands Trail from Stockbridge to Hamburg. Hmmm… I wonder how long before someone breaks that time!
Oh and now for the facts…. I counted 49 people, 10 dogs, 1 live chipmunk, 1 dead chipmunk, 1 red squirrel, 1 black squirrel and a Blue Jay during my FKT. People often ask what I think about during a long run well the answer is usually nothing, but Saturday I tried something different! 
