Bonk!

So today was my mid-week mid-distance run.  Ten miles -- no biggie.  I was so certain it would be cake, that I didn't even bother adding Gatorade to my waterbottle; I just filled it with plain water.

And I was going strong... until after mile 7, when I began to bonk.  If you're not familiar with the term "bonk," it's basically a word that describes when your muscles run out of stored carbs for fuel and you begin to essentially "run on empty."  Your muscles won't respond well, your mind gets foggy, and every step gets hard.  This was my situation during miles 8, 9, and 10.

BUT, looking on the bright side, as I try to do occasionally, I kept telling myself, "What if this happens in the marathon?  Do you expect to feel fantastic for all 26.2 miles?"  And in reality, this tired, heavy, hopeless sensation is probably close to how miles 20-26.2 will feel.  So I pretended I was in my race and I HAD to finish.  I kept putting one foot in front of the other and plowing through it.  I played games -- run hard 30 seconds, run easy 30 seconds, keep alternating, keep going. 

And it worked!  Not only did it work, but I finished this 10-mile run (ACTUALLY, 10.5-mile run.... THANK YOU MapMyRun.com for your accuracy...) with an average pace of 8:44 minutes per mile, which is a pretty speedy pace for a long training run for me.

This weekend:  20 MILES!  THE MONSTER!!! DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNN!

18 Miles - DONE!

Wow, I have to say there isn't a rush quite like the feeling of accomplishment you get when you do something beyond the realm of normal, and running 18 miles straight would fit that bill.  My run today was in great weather.  There was a little wind, but it was tolerable.  The temperature was cool with the sun shining for most of the duration.  And I felt GOOD!  I ended the run feeling very strong.  My average pace was about 9:11 per mile, which is actually pretty quick compared to my typical 10 minutes per mile pace.  I wasn't concerned with running fast -- I just ran how my body was telling me to run and it came naturally.

I won't go as far to say that 18 miles felt EASY, but it felt easier than when I did 16 a couple of weeks ago.  And I am really zoning in on my fueling strategy.  Usually I fill my CamelBak with Gatorade (probably 20 oz.) and bring a Clif Shot gel for the midway point.  But sometimes that makes me nauseous, so I began to wonder if it was just too much Gatorade.  Today, I filled the CamelBak with JUST water, brought my gel, and also brought my handheld 10 oz. waterbottle filled with Gatorade.  It's a compact design, so I could stash it in the pocket of my CamelBak when I drained it empty.  And this worked perfectly.  I felt strong the whole time, not nauseous or bloated.  So this will be my new fueling strategy going forward, and if I need additional fuel, I'll bring 2 gels rather than 1.

I'm also learning that as I extend these runs (today's run was about 2 hours and 45 minutes), I need to plan my route so I have a "pit stop" where I can take care of business at about the halfway point.  Today's route brought me right by the Dunkin' Donuts in Ballston Spa.  I was prepared to buy a bottle of water in order to use the facilities, but the counter help seemed pretty distracted so nobody minded me slipping into the restroom and then quickly out.  Nobody except the two ladies sitting with their coffees who looked at me like I had five heads.  I guess it's not an everyday sight to see a girl with a reflective vest and a backpack with a hose out the back, red-faced and sucking air, heading into the Dunkin' Donuts restroom...arriving and leaving on foot.  Luckily the marathon will have port-a-potties at some of the aid stations where I won't be judged, lol.

With another successful run under my belt, I'm one step closer to my goal.  After running almost the equivalent of six 5Ks back to back, it's hard to believe I still have to add 8.2 more miles to make this a marathon distance.  Next week I take another step forward with 20 miles.

18 Miles?!?!?!

The runs are getting longer, and I've got the longest one yet coming up this Sunday -- 18 miles.  I just finished 9 today and felt pretty darn good.  My pace was fast without pushing hard, and I felt strong all the way through.  Seems weird to be going twice as far in only a few days, but I've put in the training so I should be ready.  I'll let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, the Spring race season is gearing up.  I accidentally (yes, this can happen) scheduled a race for just about every weekend in April...but those of you who know me well know that I'm grinning ear to ear at the prospect.  I did this in October and had a great month, with a race to look forward to every weekend.

Here's my April agenda:

• 4/9:  Bust-a-Move 5K at Russell Sage
• 4/16:  Dodge the Deer 5K -- which will be my friend Emily's first 5K race.  YAY EMILY!
• 4/23:  Lake George Half Marathon -- the "practice race" for my marathon, during which I'm going to fine-tune my pacing, fueling, and all the little race day details.
• 4/30:  Albany YMCA 5K -- the last race before the BIG DAY IN MAY!  This race is in Washington Park and is a BEAUTIFUL, scenic course.  Last year the tulips were in bloom!

I hope that you're keeping active too and looking forward to the upcoming warm weather...after tomorrow's (final?) dumping of snow, that is.

So, a funny thing happened...

I went to the Running of the Green 4-Mile race at Green Island on Saturday.  While I was there, I ran into my cousin Joe, who was helping at the ARE booth.  I knew Joe was an accomplished runner, but I did not know that he was an ARE member and assisted with these events.  Knowing that I was training for a marathon, he invited me to join their 15-mile group run the following day (Sunday).  Since I had to do 16 miles, tacking on an extra mile at the end would be no problem, so I happily agreed.

Normally accustomed to running my long runs solo, it was an interesting change to run with a group.  The course consisted of 2 7.5-mile loops.  I ran the first loop at a faster clip (faster than I should have, but I was feeling good) with a friendly trio.  And the second loop, I ran more at my pace with another group of experienced runners.  All of them had been through marathons before and had great tips.  I used the opportunity to soak in what knowledge I could (one of the recurring themes seemed to be the importance of ice baths post-run).  At the end of the run, I was sore and tired, but feeling upbeat and confident about my training.

Today I'm sore, but not as sore as last Monday.  I usually make it a point to stay on my feet after my long runs as opposed to crashing on the couch.  I'll do chores around the house (yesterday I was cleaning, dusting, vacuuming, etc.)  I find that moving keeps my legs loose so that they don't tighten up the next day.  I wasn't brave enough to attempt an ice bath, though!

I'm going to enjoy the upcoming "down" week.  Twelve miles will be my long run this week.  It'll be interesting to see if I notice any difference between this week's 12 miles and my 12-mile run from a few weeks ago.

VICTORY!

I have officially triumphed over 15 miles.  I moved my typical Sunday long run to Saturday this week (for those of you who live in the Northeast, look out your window and you'll know why).  Yesterday, I completed 15 miles.  This was the longest distance I had ever run, but when I did it in the fall, I did it accidentally and was in a lot of pain for several days after.  This time, I completed it and just have the regular post-long-run muscle fatigue the day after (heavy legs, soreness, but nothing intolerable).

Was it easy?  No.  The last two miles were a mental bear.  My legs were tired.  Could I have gone another mile?  Probably if I needed to, but would I have wanted to?  No.  After all, that's what next weekend is for.

Interestingly enough, I had to make a pit stop after about mile 8 or 9.  I guess as you get into running for several hours at a time, it becomes an inevitability.  Luckily, the middle school was open and I could take a brief 5 minute break.  I should start to take this into account as I plan my longer runs.  Always work in a place to pause, take care of nature, maybe sip some water, and continue.

Now that the 15-mile mental hurdle is over, I KNOW that with the right training, I can tackle this marathon.

Runner's Toe: The Sequel!

Well, it only took six months, but my runner's toe on my left foot is almost completely gone.  The old nail came off in weird pieces, showing a nice, healthy, normal-colored nail underneath.

The irony is that, the day after the final fugly piece of nail came off, the toe right next to it got runner's toe.  See Exhibit A to the right.

Here's to another six months of avoiding sandals!

PS:  The seven-mile run today went smashingly.  I wouldn't say it was easy -- these runs are never easy -- but I definitely feel a lot stronger.