LDR this weekend

Going to do a long distance run (LDR) with my running partner this weekend. The choices as to “where” are many. We would do 3 laps around the Rock (15 miles) but my running partner is going to be in my neck of the woods this weekend so it doesn’t really make sense to do the Rock. Some other options: We could actually go and run the ½ marathon route that we will be running on Thanksgiving day but that’s downtown and would involve riding Marta early on a Saturday morning and it would probably be sort of deserted – that scares me. So, I don’t think we’ll do that. We could run three laps of our usual route through the city but that’s kind of boring. Or, we could run 20. I’ve wanted to run 20 for a year or so but just never had the need to run that far or the opportunity. I’m talking Highway 20, not 20 miles. 20 is a beautiful 4-lane divided highway that has been open now for about a year or so. It’s pretty much undeveloped on our end and still runs through the BEAUTIFUL country side with rolling hills, wide open pastures, cows, horses, etc., etc., etc. I know, I know, you say a 4-lane divided highway, what are you thinking!?! Well, there’s not much traffic on 20 (yet), and less on a Saturday morning I would think. There is a ½ lane wide paved shoulder to run/bike on and we will run against traffic so we can see oncoming cars. And most of the time when oncoming cars see you they will get over into the next lane. I see people running all the time on Mt. Carmel and that’s a narrow 2-lane winding road with no paved shoulder that cars and trucks fly on. I think running on 20 would be much safer. From the city to the new Starbucks (getting into the developed part of 20) is exactly 7 miles. So an out and back would be 14. Not the 15 we had planned but the basic need is to run a distance farther than the ½ marathon and that would do it. So, we’ll see… I’d say it will either be 20 or 3 laps around the city.