Yep, I did twelve miles of running this weekend. I mean, I did a 12-mile run yesterday morning. Yes, that's three times around City Park. It was very close to a Half Marathon (13.1 miles). It felt really good. I made it in 1:48 too. Not bad for my first time. And no, this is not an April Fools joke.
I think I have mentioned this before on my posts, but it is amazing what you can do when you put your mind to something.
I started off this week by telling myself I can do three times around the park. I ran Monday. Lifted on Tuesday. Ran on Wednesday and then basically took Thurs and Fri. off to relax. Saturday when I work up I realized, oops, I forgot my running gear at work - how's THAT for preparation? But I have an extra pair of shoes and clothes so that was not my big concern. My big concern was that my iPod shuffle was not here. SO, thank goodness I am such a thoughtful husband and had recently purchased a green shuffle for my wife. So I asked nicely and was able to upload my running playlist to her iPod and off I went.
I think the three things that are the biggest concern when attempting to plan a 12 mile run are:
1. What to eat before a run?
2. How much water/sports drink do I need to bring? ( my lovely wife got me a runner's Camelback last week).
3. Will I end up chaffing so badly that I have to stop? - OH, and four,
4. What if I have to pee?
These all were answered soon after I rounded the second lap of the park.
First, you have to figure out what works best for you eating-wise. I have found that a bowl of Autumn Harvest Kashi cereal, with 1/2 banana and blueberries and soymilk works best. I also have a Clif Gel 15 minutes before a run.
Then before I take off I also rub vaseline on my inner thighs and nipples. This run I did not chaffe but I wore down my nipple grease and could sure have used another glob. Word of wisdom runners, bring a vial of lip balm or other grease so you can have some on hand if this happens. A few weeks ago, I dressed in the dark and put on the wrong undershorts and OOH WEE did I end up with some bad bad chaffing.
Lastly, I did not have bathroom plans for the run but ended up seeing a porta potty that was right next to path which I was able to duck into and take a much-needed 1.5 minute pee break.
I had filled up the Camelbackw with 1/2 water and half sports drink which came in very handy. I did not feel half as exhausted this time, less in fact, than my normal 8 mile saturday runs, because of the sugar and water mixture.
I would love to hear from othe runners on their hints, procedures and also eating habits. Runner's World has a plethora of beneficial info on every aspect of running.
LASTLY, my knee usually just the right one, ends up very sore right around mile 8. Any knee strengthening suggestions would be helpful as well.
Happy running.
3 comments:
You the Man, Gan. Way to go. That's awesome. MM
Impressive indeed. I'll be sure to reference the greasy nipple visual I have of you in the event we're ever in a meeting together.
My biggest thing when I run is hydration - for some reason the sound of water sloshing around drives me nuts so I've been trying to find a better solution. Have you tried any of the handheld water bottles made specifically for runners for shorter runs?
it's not a pretty site. i'll give you that much.
i have seen the runners "handgun" model or something like that. but holding a bottle while i run would negate the reason I have three ipods and only use the shuffle because then i can use my two free hands to touch my nipples anytime during the run.
i also was thinking of trying one of those water bottle fanny packs. i have heard they work quite well, however i think the solution lies in finding supportive boy/girl friends to set up water stations for you along the run when you are doing 8+ mile runs. problem solved.
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