The following is NOT a work of fiction.
Jan2920128:23 p.m.
So as I've already documented, on Friday I ran six and a half miles with no walks, for the first time.
How do you explain this then?
Today's instruction was to run for an hour and forty-five minutes.
And I did.
Non-stop, no walking, eleven and a half miles.
Decent, steady pace all the way round.
How or why I was able to do that today I do not know.
Here is my long run preparation.
I was at Mum's yesterday and had spag-bol at 3pm, followed (at around 6.30) by a pork dinner with extra potatoes, followed by a bottle of red wine.
Tea and toast at 9am and porridge, banana and honey at 11.45am. I drank a few glasses of water throughout the morning and a Lucozade sports drink before I ran at around 2.20pm.
I think that having plenty of time to prepare both physically and mentally is good. I'm not sure the wine would have helped had I had to run at 10am.
I've rescued an old exercise bike from my marital home and have been using it to warm up and warm down since I realised the true value of a good warm up, so that might have helped.
I ran with a bottle belt for the first time too, so was able to take another sports drink with me. It wasn't too annoying considering it cost less than a fiver.
I tried a different gel too. A SiS (Science in sport) Go isotonic energy gel. It was much easier to get down than the Lucozade one. Less gooey. I took it at around 45 minutes.
I wore my size 11's but I'm going to have to use the eleven and a halfs for all long runs from now as I have a blister on the end of a toe.
So, I was ok for carbs and hydration and I warmed up ok.
Other than that I guess it was just down to focussing on each small section at a time and keeping on going.
The last 10 minutes were a struggle and there was not a chance of me trying to get to 13.1 miles, or even 12 miles. I think I'd have been close to 2 hours for half marathon distance though. My legs ache and I've got a terrible feeling that next weekend I'm expected to run for 2 hours!!
I might have to have a little walk to get round that one.
For the record:
11.5 miles 1hr 45 mins Average pace: 9.07
Splits: 8.36 ??? , 9.10, 9.12, 9.13, 9.16, 9.05, 9.02, 9.09, 9.06, 9.17, 9.12
and the last half 9.03
Just to repeat. This is not a lie. I really did do this.
Take care all.
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Comments (6)
claireconnolly 'Brilliant, well done! It seems to be the weekend for 11+ mile runs! Great time too, considerably quicker than me, haha!! I must try some SIS gel and see how I get on. Hope you are having a relaxing evening now ..' added 29th Jan 2012
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reenee_62 'Ok a bit envyous that you did it that quick, but very impressed, no walks is great! Well done, a brilliant effort' added 29th Jan 2012
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toddingtontrotter 'Thanks guys. I'm not sure where it came from, or that the garmin isn't faulty! I am now enjoying a drop more wine and The Kings Speech. ' added 29th Jan 2012
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reenee_62 'OO good movie lol. I know at first i used to think my garmin was faulty. Like it was counting less than i had done lol, back when i used to measure in kilometers and still trying to figure out why the bottom numbers kept changing alot, (pace per mile/kilometer) lol' added 29th Jan 2012
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crooxi 'There you go - training WORKS, you see! No fear, you WILL manage 12 miles, 13 miles, etc. etc. etc.......... right up to the requisite 26-and-a-bit. You may even enjoy it! ' added 29th Jan 2012
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jenjo 'Woo Hoo!! Well done, what a good run. Am jealous of your speed, keep up the good work and I hope to hear there is no walking next weekend.....' added 29th Jan 2012
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