First of all, I postponed the 9 miler for Sunday; I opted for dinner out with the hubby and some friends on Saturday night, so I ran my scheduled 9 miles tonight. It went well; here are a few notes:
1. I got friggin' thirsty. During the last 2 miles, my mouth felt like I had licked a wookie, and when I got home, I drank two bottles of water right away because I was so parched. How does everyone else deal with this? Carry a bottle of something to drink? Plant them along the route ahead of time? Have someone meet you part way with refreshment? I need to figure something out because I can't do 10 miles next week without a hydration plan.
2. I felt good for the majority of the run, but the last mile was a bit rough. My legs were getting stiff and tired. One good thing in my planning was that I actually plotted a route that was 9.2 miles, so I ran the 9, and then walked that last .2 and I think that helped me cool down a little better; still, it was hard on my legs.
3. Around mile 5, I ran through a little pocket of cool air -- an unique phenonmenon in FL -- it felt like a little piece of heaven.
4. I can now see how so many people say they enjoy training more than the marathon itself. I felt great finishing the 9 miles, a distance I'd never done before, and to think that every week I will face challenges like this, and that every week will be a new accomplishment. It's true that it's all in preparation for the ultimate goal, the marathon, but think of how many small accomplishments I will have along the way! That's very satisfying.
Lastly, I had a bowl of Kashi cereal (lots of good carbs, high in protein) with skim milk and some raspberries for a recovery meal, and I'm crossing my fingers it settles appropriately. I have to find a way around the barfing that has plagued me post-long-run in the past. Right now, I feel great.
7 comments:
i plant all my water bottles/Gu's in a spot that i know i can/will circle back to, the first couple miles i generally go without, around mile 5 i i take one with me. Propel makes a nice sippy top on their bottles you can close it and easily open to squirt water in during the run.
congrats on your nine!
kashi rocks!!
and on the hydration thing...you need to go get you a fuel belt. any running store will have what you need. i recommend the one that holds 4 bottles and not 6. they are about 6oz each i think..
i fill 2 or 3 with gatorade the other(s) with water. if i know my route has lots of water fountains, i put gatorade in all four. it will help with the loss of salt through the sweating.
First of all...when I was doing my 6 and 8 mile runs, I had it mapped out just so I could stop and by a bottle of water or powerade 1/2 or 3/4 of the way through the run. That way I can drink half the bottle and it is not too difficult to manage in my hands the rest of the run.Sometimes you will crave something sweet like gatorade or sometimes you will just be dying for water...
Second, Kashi? I have seen it in the grocery stores..and on Grey's Anatomy...is it good? Do you eat it plain with milk, or do you add fruit?
Nice job on the 9 miles! pat yourself on the back!
I use a hydration pack (camelbak). Others use a fuel belt as suggested http://www.fuelbelt.com/
which I hope to be aquiring soon, some carry a hand bottle and some run a route they know has taps.
These are just some suggestions on what I know people do.
And congrats on the 9 miler!
Wow Jess! That is a great accomplishment! I wondered about the hydration thing because I worked outside in the yard yesterday and must have lost 3lbs of water in less than an hour. I couldn't imagine running in that heat.
Great job! I am proud of you.
2 words: fuel belt. mine is from amphipod which i think is better than the name brand fuel belt because you can add or subtract the bottles/pouches and it's adjustable in size.
some people prefer the handheld bottles or the camelbacks. get thee to the running store and try some of the stuff out!
congrats on the nine and welcome to long distance running!
A "wookie" is what Chubaca is in "Star Wars": A large, wooly animal of some sort. Rent the movies to see him and others like him.
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