Am I Marathon-Training?

Elizabeth's original goal, once she started running with me more frequently, was to run 10 miles. Then, she learned her brother had once run a half, so then her goal became 13.1. But she actually wants to run longer than her brother, so she's revised the goal to 15...because 14 isn't good enough.

She'd like to run fifteen miles...just because. (I'm still trying to convince her to run a race with me.) I tried to explain to her that running such a long distance without a reason is crazy.

But then I went out and ran twenty miles today and I haven't really decided if I have a reason, so who am I to talk?

This week, after suffering some ankle, shin, and quad cramps last week, I only did two weekday runs and I kept them shorter. The weather has been gorgeous - cold and dry (when it's not storming...I mean, maybe not dry, but not humid!) - so my paces have been picking up, but this week felt like a rest week. I knew I had a possible 20-miler on my schedule, but I literally played it by ear until I woke up Sunday morning and realized I was going to really do it.

Spoiler alert: I did 20. Also, this is my highest-mileage January ever.

This was new for me. For all my previous very-long-runs, I mentally prepared all week. Training builds me up to the distance so that I'm flirting with the idea of 20 for ages before it happens. Not this time; this time, I barely thought about my weekend run until Montana made it to town Saturday evening and sealed the deal.

I had to actually breakout cold-weather gear for this run: gloves, capris, long sleeves to layer, and a hat. For the first ten miles, all that was absolutely perfect. I ditched my top layer after that point and was able to take off my gloves and hat by mile 15. I was sure it was in the 70s by the end, but it was only 52! Funny how our bodies warm up and play tricks on us.

Mile 6.5 - chilly and loving it!

Anyway, the run went well. Montana and I kept a steady pace (we aimed for 12:15 but both felt comfortable in the 11s) for the first half and only took brief walk breaks to fuel. I actually didn't eat or drink anything in the first eight miles. I tried UCAN for the first time this morning and it worked very well; I had steady energy the entire run and never felt like my hunger got out of control or distracting.

Okay, this stuff is THICK and not the tastiest, but it's not bad. And most importantly, it seems to do what it says: provides sustained energy without any crashes. I didn't crave a Coke at the end of this run because I didn't need the sugar!

I also fueled with Glukos blocks and gels this time around because Gu has been giving me heartburn. I liked the results!

I didn't use "auto-pause" this time, so bathroom and fuel breaks show up (mile 6 specifically). I like the honesty.

At mile 10, Montana traded places with Elizabeth. She and I continued on. At mile 11 or so, Kristin came out to greet us, but despite being dressed to run, she bowed out. Too cold!

Montana and I at mile 10. Does anyone look good in a beanie?!

We had to pause at mile 15 for a bathroom break; I didn't stop my GPS so that mile's split is an outlier, but at least it's honest. At this point, I was developing a pain in my left arch/outer foot. I decided to press on because we'd already turned around and there was nowhere to go but back to the car anyway.

Another extended stop at mile 15; you can see I was struggling at the end. It was all about my foot - my energy felt fine. PS: even without auto-pause turned on, this was my fastest 20 yet.

Around 16 we began taking short walk breaks every .75 or so. My foot was killing me and my hips weren't happy either. Maybe I jumped up to 20 too quickly, but now I'm tapering - or something - so I have time to let it all heal.

Success!

Of course, no long run is complete without a fantastic breakfast. Montana and I went to Skillets afterward; I had chocolate milk, coffee, a GF chocolate-chip and blueberry waffle, cheesy eggs, and bacon.

Now that I've done another 20 (which, if I'm being honest, I had my doubts that I would actually do), I can make a better decision about A1A; the choice won't be made for me by lack of training, anyway. So now I'm tapering for a marathon, or I'm continuing training for a half. For me, that boils down to six-of-one, half-dozen-of-the-other.

My mind is there for a marathon, and my body feels like it can do it, although there was pain today, but I'm not sure if my heart is there yet. Part of me is scared. I don't want a repeat of BDR. Part of me just realizes that marathons hurt and I'm not sure how badly I want to go through that again so soon.

There's no rush to decide, but now that this long run is done, I have a feeling I'll be thinking it over. A lot.

Any tips for treating soft tissue pain on the outside of my foot? It feels bruised and hurts to walk.
Do you need to mentally prep for long runs?
When you're not training for something, do you still run long-long (not just long)?

ABK

Relativity & Why I Love Nike+

Sunday was my first long run of marathon training. Okay, not really. I was supposed to do eight last weekend and that fell through (because I'm lazy). But this was the first long run I actually did. And it was my first double-digit run since March.

I think I needed to get this one done so I would officially feel like I was training. My mentality definitely shifted today. I feel much more like I'm in marathon training mode.

I was nervous because I hadn't run long in awhile, but things came back to me pretty easily. I had a pop tart and small iced coffee (no sugar, some milk) at 4:45am. I drove to the library and was running by 5:30. As planned, I met Kristin at the bridge, and then realized I hadn't turned on my Nike+. Oops. We continued on our way, and Kristin left at her halfway point (she was aiming for 9 miles), and I went on.

The moon was insane this morning!

I had a Gu at around 4.5 miles. It was overcast and not too warm, thanks to TS Erika. (The temperature when I started was 77, which felt worlds cooler than it has been!) By the halfway point, I was feeling really good. I remembered that the longer I run, the easier it starts to feel. I took a couple walk breaks for water as necessary, but pretty much just chugged along at a slow, even pace.

It's funny - 10 miles would mean you're nearly done with training if you were training for a half. But when you're training for a full, 10 is just the beginning. I guess it's all relative.

That's not sweat, it's liquid awesome!

I only experienced some soreness in my knees; my feet felt really good the entire time, as did my hips. But I definitely need to be better about cross-training and strengthening exercises.

I love that Nike+ lets me add a run manually, so my whole 10 miles was recorded even though it was off during the first 1.25 to the bridge. I also love that I can get cheers on Facebook. They seriously keep me going and give me something to look forward to after the run - I love checking to see who cheered for me!

The benefits of knowing your route by heart: manually entering your distance is really easy.

The comments made me laugh.

I've been using Nike+ ever since I started running; I know it's not the most "serious" of running apps, but I'm totally loyal to it.

I'd call this week a success. Time for a rest, and then onto the next one!

Did you run long this weekend?
What running apps do you use?
Were you awake to see the Supermoon?!

ABK 

A Family-Filled Weekend

I owe a big "thank you" to everyone who shared some insights on my last post! I am going to make an appointment with my doctor and get to the bottom of what's causing my exhaustion.

Last weekend, Matt and I saw his side of the family. This weekend, my sister and her boyfriend came to stay with us for a mini-vacation.

I was supposed to run Saturday morning but woke up to rain, and pre-sunrise rain is a deal-breaker for me. So instead we all slept in and then had a giant brunch of chocolate-chip waffles, bacon, and eggs...all devoured before I got a picture!

Any guesses what kind of class I've been trying out?

Steph and I met a couple friends for a workout class. I usually hate classes but it's been nice to try something new and different, and going with friends helps keep me motivated.

After the class, we drove up to meet my parents for dinner at our usual halfway meeting place. 

Back-seat selfie!

Most of the family made it to dinner!

Sunday I successfully got up to run with Kristin. I hadn't run in over a week and mentally I've been feeling really blocked and anxious about all these half marathons I have coming up. I can run a 5k without much training and finish it, but obviously a half is more daunting! 

It felt really good to get some distance in. It reminded me that I can still run long. My knees were tight toward the end, maybe because of Saturday's workout, but I felt good overall.

Matt had a SUP race Sunday so we went to watch and cheer him on. 

We watched the race from on a bridge and Matt passed right under us.

Afterward, Steph and Gordon paddled a bit. (I opted out because there were manatees in the water!)

Some GoPro action.

Steph near a manatee.

While they were circling the manatee...

...I relaxed on the dock and took selfies.

We finished our weekend festivities with burgers and milkshakes. It was the perfect way to end our Sunday.

Did you have a good weekend?

Does your brain ever get in the way of your runs?

ABK

...And Then I Ran 20 Miles

At 3:50am, I hit snooze on my alarm but I didn't really need to. I was ready to be up. I had been dreaming about running all night. I think writing my last post and talking to running friends really got into my subconscious and produced amazing, uplifting, confidence-building dreams.

Matt drank the last of the coffee and because we went out for Halloween, I didn't think to buy more until it was too late. Oh well, I thought. My GIANT BOX of Caramel Macchiato Gu will have to do. And it did. I had a Gu thirty minutes before starting and ate a poptart in the car on the way to meet Adria.

Archie is disappointed that he can't partake in this glorious coffee substitute.

Adria is running the Space Coast, too, so she met me for the full 20. She is usually a speed demon, easily breaking two hours in a half, so while she did push me a bit for our first ten miles, it wasn't too much. She kept me accountable for how I usually slack on my paces. I could talk easily the entire run, so I knew the faster pace was acceptable, even if my legs felt a little uncomfortable.

I think the fast pace of this part of the run explains my struggle toward the end (besides, you know, it being 20 miles). But front-loading the run also meant my overall pace was faster!

The first ten miles flew by. We had amazing weather; it was 59 when we began at 4:30. The route was familiar and quiet. It felt...easy. My hips hurt a little around mile seven but I pushed through, knowing I'd have some recovery time at mile 10.

Halfway through we stopped back at our cars for a food/drink/bathroom break. (I had a second CM Gu. I really didn't feel I needed anything before mile 10 even though originally I'd planned to stop at 7 to eat. The two Gus were enough to keep me going the entire 20!) We also picked up Tracey, who is training for a half and wanted to run the last ten with us.

We started back out (it had warmed up a bit to a lovely 62 degrees). My legs were tired, but I thought back on my 10-mile race and how tired my legs were then, and I knew I could push through it. Adria ended up pushing her pace and Tracey and I stuck together; we all paused at the park for a quick drink around mile 17. 

There goes Adria, leaving us in her dust!

I slowed down significantly around mile 18, but when I had just one mile to go, I picked it up again. 

I told Tracey how amazed I felt...That I, someone who isn't a natural runner, could complete these 20 miles. That I now knew, barring any injuries or race-day issues, I would complete my marathon. 

It's been a pipe dream for so long, but it's never been something I was confident I could complete.

But now I am.

The run itself took us about 3:40, but including the stops at the cars and park, we were out for just about four hours. Will I be adjusting my goals for the race accordingly? Probably not. It's my first marathon, after all, and I'd like to keep my goals cautious.

I seriously don't think I could have finished this without them!

I'm having some pain in the tops of my feet and my lower back, so I know I need to double up on my core work this month and work on strengthening my ankles, too. I'm hoping this is normal soreness and not injury-pain, but either way I plan to rest for the next couple days, so I'm sure it will resolve itself.

The bottom line here is that I RAN 20 MILES AND IT WASN'T HORRIBLE AND I EVEN ENJOYED IT AND OMG I THINK I'LL ACTUALLY SUCCEED AND RUN MY MARATHON ON NOVEMBER 30!!!!

My reward: a homemade GF cupcake and playing blog catch-up.

Thank you all for your encouragement...your words were in my head during my run and you all helped me accomplish something truly amazing today. The success of this run has really boosted my confidence and was the perfect start to November!

How did you feel the first time you accomplished a goal you never thought you could?

ABK

It's Saturday! Never Get My Fill of It...

Remember back in elementary school when all the music classes had to put on choir concerts? There's one song from one such concert - it must have been fourth or fifth grade - that pops back into my head with perfect clarity every weekend. Hence the post title.

Scarred for life, guys.

My Saturday was definitely the best day all week long (as the song goes) this week. It started with a very cool and breezy 8-miler with Tracey. I accidentally paused my Nike+ at mile four so I can't see my splits, but we completed the run in just under an hour-thirty, so I know we kept a nice pace for an LSD, and I know we picked it up at the end.

Oh fall, I love you.

Now don't get me wrong, eight miles isn't easy and it's not painless, but it just seems so much easier and more doable since I've been lengthening my long runs. It's so much easier to wrap my head around eight; I didn't even end up needing to fuel.

(Later in the day I caught myself saying "only eight miles" and had to make a conscious effort to stop. I don't want to be that runner. Eight miles is nothing to sneeze at; runners who talk like this deserve all the rolled eyes they get.)

We finished before sunrise. I guess that's how you know winter is looming.

Post-run breakfast: a Van's whole grain GF waffle with syrup and an over-easy egg.

After the run, I met Matt after his first SUP race of the day. He had two: one 4.5-miler and another just under three miles. The second race was put on by the city for their annual fall festival, River Fest. There was a big group of Matt's friends racing, so I had company in their SO's while we waited for them downriver. Because of the festival, the park was packed with food, games, and music to entertain us while we waited for awards to be announced.

Matt at the start of the downriver race.

Jared, Justin, Meg, and Matt after the awards. Justin and Meg placed first in their divisions; Matt placed second!

Enjoying the perfect weather!

We finished the day with food truck barbecue and a light nap. All our afternoon activity in the sun really wiped me out.

Photo courtesy of Meg...I had pulled pork and coleslaw. Yum!

I'm looking forward to a very lazy day tomorrow!

Did you run long or race this weekend?

Does your city host a fall festival of any kind?

What's your favorite season?

ABK

Victory!

Saturday at 8:30am, my confidence was fully restored.

I rolled out of bed at 4:15 and had a poptart and Caramel Macchiato flavored Gu, the pre-LSD breakfast of champions. I was out the door and into the pleasant 71-degree morning by 5:15.

The guys at Fit2Run were like, "Uh...stocking up?" I got two of each so Matt and I could both try them. Caramel Macchiato is my new favorite flavor. It's not too sweet and has a nice coffee-flavored kick.

My plan was to run my parents' neighborhood three times. The main road is a 3-mile loop with one offshoot that adds two more miles. I wanted to be done by 8:30 so I could make it to Matt's race in time to see him finish, so I was aiming to complete15-16 miles in three hours.

I ran the first five miles without any music; it was just me and the wild that is the golf course. There were quite a few frogs, but most of the creatures out at that time were of the silent variety; I saw bats, deer, and a bobcat.

A mama and fawn stopped grazing to watch me pass.

At mile 5.5 I paused for Gu (Peanut Butter this time) and water, then went back home to use the bathroom. It was my one and only "pause" on this run. I was beyond happy that I was able to run basically the entire thing.

My paces were so consistent, I couldn't have been happier.

I took the same loop backward for the second round. There are two water stations right near the sidewalk and I paused once along each repeat for a sip, and snacked on Lifesavers as I went.

Sandhill cranes taking a leisurely stroll.

Water-stop selfie.

By the time I finished the second loop I was bored and didn't want to have to cover that one random offshoot a third time, so I turned into a subdivision and ran two miles there, then completed the 3-mile loop one more time.

By the end it was starting to warm up, but I was filled with confidence. I knew there was no way I'd fail to finish this long run, and in the three hours I had planned!

The last mile was my fastest and included the one big hill on the run!

Hooray!

I cleaned up and drove to Matt's 10k SUP race; I got there with plenty of time to see him finish. 

Matt coming in toward the end.

There were two dolphins playing right near the last quarter mile.

This was the last in a series of races and Matt placed first for his division for Saturday's races! (He came in 4th in this 10k, and 1st in the sprint race right after, and the points averaged out to first place.)

He looks thrilled.

I had literally no pain post-run except in my right kneecap, but it was gone by the next morning. Considering this was the distance that left me injured last year, I'm pretty excited that this year 15 miles can go in the books as a success.

Beast mode: on. Training: full speed ahead!

How did you spend your weekend?

What kind of wildlife do you see on your runs?

ABK