Long run attempt #2

I'm tired of running. OK, I'm tired of training for the marathon, which is decreasing my desire to run. I can't just go out for fun any more. Every run has to have a purpose and must be planned in advance. I'm tired of the time commitment - an entire summer and early fall of running, running, running. I have to block off a big chunk of time every week for a long run, and try to strategically schedule some other runs in as well. I'm tired of the physical pain during and after each long run. I'm also tired of the emotional rollercoaster that accompanies said physical pain.

Having said all of that, I did another long run today. I know, I know. I said I wasn't going to do any more until the marathon, but I just couldn't let last week's run be my last big run before the race. I just didn't feel good about it. So against the advice of many of my running friends, I went out again this morning.

Oh, and it's exhausting just getting ready  for a long run! There's the pre-hydration, pre-run Advil, light snack that will provide energy but not upset my GI tract, shot of caffeine, taping my knee, putting moleskin on my foot to prevent more blisters, starting my GPS, getting my iPod working... man, it took 1/2 an hour just to get out the door this morning! So much for running being quick and easy!

I started out at 6:30, alone (except for my dog Marley). I didn't know how far or how fast I would be able to go and I didn't want to encumber anyone if it didn't go well. It was warmer and more humid than it's been in awhile. I wore my Merrell shoes with very minimal soles - the ones that wrecked my calves a few weeks ago. However, these shoes save my knees and I'd rather have sore calves than sore knees at this point.

I did three loops of 5.6 miles, and added an out-and-back of 1.2 miles at the end, for a total of 18 miles. I felt great throughout the run, save the foot and calf pain. I never felt tired, in spite of the heat amd humidity, and was able to maintain a running pace of about 9:30 min/miles for the entire 18 miles. I didn't even slow down at the end! My knees held up, and the only damage was a recurrence of the foot blister (which, probably because of the moleskin, never bothered me during the run). The best part about it is that I stopped because I hit my goal, not because I had to due to injury.

The totals of this run are:
100 calorie pudding snack before run
3 Shot Blocks after 60 minutes
1 Powerade energy and electrolyte bar after the second 60 minutes
32 ounces of water
2 hours and 52 minutes (plus breaks - I cheated and stopped my watch for those)

I know this is a little TMI, but I talked about my boobs for 2 months, so what the heck. When I urinated an hour after the run, it was the darkest gold/brown I've ever seen! I am not sure if I was really that dehydrated, or if maybe there was a little myoglobin (a product of muscle breakdown) in there. The weird thing is I felt, and continue to feel, fine! It's not like my body told me to quit or anything. Anyway, weird.

So, I'm glad I did it. I feel good now about the marathon in 3 weeks. Now I start my taper, which, according to the experts, will result in weight gain, insomnia, restlessness, anxiety, and depression. Wow, I can't wait! Maybe the training part wasn't so bad after all...

Oh, and today I'm going to do something I've never done before. I'm going to pay for a massage.