Happy Labor Day and Post Week 8

Happy Labor Day!

Well, the legs and feet feel good after the two long runs over the weekend.

I successfully completed the second half of my two-day long runs: 31.3 miles Saturday in 5 hours followed by 24.5 miles in 4 hours yesterday. It’s hard to determine what was the better day. I went out faster Saturday than Sunday, which was a mistake, especially when I need to run 4 hours on Sunday. Because I never ran back-to-back really long runs, I was concerned. Would I...

be able to maintain a good pace during the second run? My Saturday pace was 9:36/mile and Sunday was 9:47/mile. I'm happy with the results and I could have continued longer than 4 hours if I needed to.

The route was different to break up the monotony so it's impossible to know which route was harder. Weather was also a factor. It was 8 degrees warmer on Sunday.

I crawl out of bed about an hour before any long run. In my previous blog I neglected to add one food that I do eat before going out. I will typically eat a Clif Bar. The Clif bar provides 44 grams of carbohydrates so they are a quick way to fuel up with my cup of coffee. So yesterday morning I had a cup of coffee, a Clif Bar, a banana, and some left over bread pudding that had apples in it. I really don’t enjoy eating so early in the morning, but it’s a necessary evil.

In order to expedite getting out the door sooner, I usually get my pack together the night before.

Here’s what I bring:

64 oz. hydration, hip bag, GU Chomps, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, cell phone, P&J sandwich, snack bar. The hip bag allows me to spin the bag around my hip and access the food without stopping.

I recovered pretty quickly within 24 hours from the previous day’s 30+ miles so, upon my departure, I felt positive about getting 4 hours in. I had no particular pace in mind; only finishing it. The end result: Other than my legs and feet feeling numb, the run went well. I know I’m feeling good during a run when I don’t question transitioning from running to walking up hills. Oh, one other thing, whenever I need to make a pit-stop, the clock keeps ticking.

Shortly after I got in the door around 8 am, I gulped a tall glass of milk, took a quick shower, and then devoured three eggs and toast.

After my Sunday runs I need to get ready for church, so the marathon continued. Yesterday was particularly challenging in church. See, I was on the schedule to be an usher with my son, Evan. The challenge was standing for any period of time. This was not high on my to-do list, but I did it without collapsing on the floor.

I crashed yesterday afternoon. I am not a nap person, but between two 3 am starts and the physical demands, I was not sociable; not in a cranky way. Instead, I could not focus and in a vegetative state.

Waking up refreshed and looking at the ceiling, thinking how I survived, I realized that I have to do three more weekends like this. For the moment, I will celebrate this success.

Don’t ever forget to celebrate successes along your journey, no matter how small they seem. If you don’t meet your goal, celebrate your determination and get out there again.