long 30

Running myself, I planed to run about 30km, running to the 38 through Bet Shemesh and then along the bike trail beside the Highway 38 to Messilat Tzion and back the same route to Bet Shemesh and then Road 10 to RBS.

the only thing not to like about this route is that the last 9km of a 30km run would be all uphill - though only some of it steep. I hate routes that end with long uphills, because they are so much harder at the end of a long run. But I never ran the bike trail before and it was a good opportunity to try the route.

I started off Running across Kishon and through RBS B. I took Levi Eshkol to the Industrial Zone then down to Road 10 and out to the bike trail just before the 38. The trail was pleasant enough with the way out being more uphill (after being mostly downhill from my house to the 38) but also a lot of flat stretches. At Messilat Tzion I turned and ran back. Road 10 was tough, both because of the uphill and because of the sun now being right in my face. I didnt have sunglasses because I started my run in the dark. I pushed on, at a much slower speed than the first 21km had been run at. One step at a time. Eventually as I approached RBS, there was a car on the shoulder ahead of me and someone trying to change a tire. I stopped to offer assistance, and it turned out to be a neighbor of mine. The tire was stuck, but I got a little break. After unsuccessfully trying for a few minutes, I gave him the number of a volunteer roadside service, which he called, and I continued on my way. I finished my run at exactly 30km by my house, so the distance was planned perfectly, without any need for extensions.