Fueling...It's Time

Up until today, all of my runs, have been without additional fuel.  My treadmill runs would have some water, but my outdoor runs did not.  I know I will need some fuel to make it through the Half, but have no idea what kind, when to start, how often, etc.

Image Source:  Run and Become website

Trolling the web for info and it looks like I should have started already.  Today's run was 8 miles, with a tiny water break in the middle...not enough.

According to Runner's World writer, Sarah Bowen Shea, I should be fueling for any run that is over 75 mins.  And according to marathon coach, Jason Fitzgerald, I should be fueling every 30 mins after that. He recommends gels or chews with water, or even just sports drinks (for Halfs and shorter), but not both.

But I'm eating clean so the chemicals and general non-naturalness (it's a word...now...) of performance "food" concerns me a bit.  But thanks to my friend, Janice, I may have a solution for that.  She recommended this Natural Race Food article from Active.com.

The author suggests:

• Dates
• Coconut water
• Pureed fruits/veggies
• Sunflower seed butter
• Frozen grapes
• Homemade honey/molasses "gel"
• Watermelon dipped in salt
• Dehydrated fruit
• Honey
• Navitas Power Snacks

Some of these seem a little messy and/or inconvenient, so I just ordered 2 different flavors of the Power Snacks.

 Image Source: NativasNaturals.com

The Blueberry Hemp was sold out.  Probably a good thing since my job does random drug testing.  Wouldn't that be fun to try and explain?

Half Marathon Training Progress Report - 

• About .25 mile walk
• 8 mile Run/Walk (12:44 pace...hence the focus on fuel today)
• .75 mile walk

Total Distance - About 9 miles

Total Run Time - 1:41:55

Total Time - About 2 hours

Another Tough Run

Except that it really wasn't that hard...3 miles, outdoors, and a route that I've completed easily 3 times before this.  I'm running into a bit of a wall and not sure what to do about it.

Could be I'm not fueling properly (banana and iced coffee two hours before the run), could be that time of the month, could be dehydration, could be a million stupid and ultimately inconsequential things.

For now I will just celebrate that I did my run, in spite of the planets clearly being aligned against me - electrical issue at the house, crazy traffic (No, it is NOT OK to go below the speed limit in the fast lane!), forgetting my badge (impacting not just parking, but office access and my ability to get on my computer) and the list goes on.

Oh, and I will be happy that my feet did not fall asleep...tied my laces a little differently today, but still need to test that out on a long run.  Ultimately, bad run(s) or not...I'm still on track for the Half.

Half Training Progress Report - 

• 3 mile run

Total Distance - 3 miles (11:15 pace)

Total Time - 32:57

Danger - Social Butterflying and Half Training Do Not Mix!

It has been almost a week since my last post, because well, I've been out and about enjoying the company of friends. Doesn't sound like a bad thing, right?  In a completely unrelated set of circumstances, I missed one of my runs this week and did my long run today, instead of Saturday.

Image Source:  BBC.co.uk

OK, maybe the two issues were related...missing my 5 mile midweek run didn't seem so bad until I tried to run today.  The result was 7 ugly miles at a slower than I want to think about pace...that had a lot to do with 60-90 sec walk breaks starting after mile 3.  Yes, I know I can run 4 and even 6 miles without stopping.  Yes, aerobically it was fine.  The sad truth is my legs were dead today, which I attribute to the skipped run.  Not sure if that really makes sense, but that's how it felt.

On the good news side of things, the run was completely outdoors!  Varying terrain and mixed running surfaces and wind, so it was a much better training day than any day on the treadmill.

Also ran into a numb foot issue again, primarily with my left foot.  Will try lacing a little differently for the next run...more on that later.

Half Marathon Training Progress Report (Tues) -

Note - Run Club day, with GPS operator error...

• Ran about 3 miles

Total Distance - about 3 miles

Total Time - about 32 mins

Barefoot Progress Report (Thurs) -

• .25 mile walk
• 1 mile run (10:00 pace)
• .25 mile walk

Total Distance - 1.5 miles

Total Time - 19:17

Half Marathon Training Progress Report (Today) - 

• 5 min walk
• 7 mile run (12:04 pace)
• .5 mile walk

Total Distance - about 7.75 miles

Total Run Time - 1:24:29

Total Time - 1:38:48

Numb Foot? Weird...

Saturday's run was indoors due to chilly weather (defined as anything below 42-degrees).  It was another good run and my first 2 mile jump in the Long Run!

The strange thing was as I hit mile 4, it started to feel like my left foot was falling asleep.  I tried to alter my gait a bit, but that's kind of difficult on the treadmill.  A little later my lower left calf started to feel the same way...sort of numb, but tingly at the same time.  It wasn't a major issue, just odd.  It cleared up almost immediately when I moved to a barefoot running stride (forefoot strike) for the last .75 miles of my run.  Did I mention it was 6 WHOLE MILES...without stopping?!?!?!

There is, of course, a whole host of medical things that could cause this - vascular problems, flat foot problems, the ankle equivalent of carpal tunnel syndrome, tight calves issues.  But I'm not ready to run to the doc quite yet.  Some articles say the falling asleep sensation is a common issue for treadmill running.  I imagine that is more likely when the pace and elevation don't really change, which is the way I run indoors.  Other articles say it's not too common, but don't advise an immediate doctor's visit either.  It could be as simple as me tying my sneakers too tight.  Maybe a good foot massage will help...mmmmm...feel better already...

Image Source:  CeylonSalon.com

So for now, content to just try it again and see what happens during the next indoor run.

Half Marathon Training Progress Report (Saturday) -

• .25 mile walk
• 6 mile run (10:30 pace)
• .75 mile barefoot run
• .25 mile walk

Total Distance - 6.5 miles

Total Time - 1:12:00

Note - When my treadmill rolls over to hours and minutes, it no longer has room to track the seconds.

Today Was A Good Day

No particular reason...a couple of meetings at work, but they went well.  Lunch out of the office (a rarity) to get caught up with a friend.  A productive, but not insanely busy afternoon...broken up by the occasional text from my lovely daughter and my favorite guy.  Crossed some things off my To Do List, treated myself to some Skittles (definitely not part of my clean eating regimen).  Can't quite put my finger on it, but it all worked.

Was curious (read: hesitant) about today's 4 mile run.  It was too cold and windy to think about doing it outside...so down to the basement I went, and I began to run.  And it was good.  Not my fastest or my farthest run in this training cycle, but just good.  It was my first 4-miler with no stops.  I did have have to slow down a bit during mile 3, but ended with my usual 10 min/mile pace.

Image Source:  Nurse On The Run blog

Now I'm sitting on my couch, with Rex the Wonder Dog curled up by my feet and all I can come up with is...life is good...

Half Marathon Training Progress Report -

• .25 mile walk
• 4 mile run (10:20 pace)
• 1 mile barefoot run
• .25 mile walk

Total Distance - 4.5 miles

Total Time - 50:33

Training While Sick

I have been feeling sick for about a week now...I won't get into the details, just not myself, exhausted and food has not been my friend.  I skipped yesterday's optional barefoot run, but I did manage to get both my "required" training runs in, Saturday and today.

Despite feeling not up to par, both my runs had acceptable times.  Sadly, I can only conclude that I am sandbagging when I feel healthy, i.e., not really running to my capability. Not sure what I should do about that...I could intensify my training - pick up the pace in general, start adding speed work (intervals), and resist the walk breaks that I am generally fond of during anything over 3 miles.

I weighed the Pros and Cons and decided I'm not going to work any harder.  I have a training plan that will accomplish my goal for this Half...to keep a (slightly slower) friend company and finish the race.  If I start training harder, I run the risk of injury.  I also run the risk of frustration...thinking I could have run the race faster.  So, the game plan is to just focus on the distance and a training pace between 10:00 and 10:45.

In June I can plan for the next Half - assuming that sounds like a good idea when I've actually done one!  If that's the case, I can train a little harder and see what I have to offer the Half Marathon gods.

As far as this past week went, this is how I felt...

Image Source:  DanceFullOut.com

But this is what I did...

Half Marathon Training Progress Report (Saturday) -

• 4.5 mile run (10:43 pace)

Total Distance - 4.5 miles, plus unmeasured cool down
Total Run Time - 47:57

Half Marathon Training Progress Report (Today) - 

• 2.9 mile run (10:32 pace)
• .1 mile walk

Total Distance - 3 miles

Total Run Time - 30:46

Minutes and Seconds Are Not Always Minutes and Seconds...

I have been using what I thought was old fashioned, but correct, notation for minutes and seconds on this blog, and pretty much for my entire time-telling life.  Just found out I have been completely wrong.

Apparently, there are two situations in which 10'30" is correctly read as "ten minutes and thirty seconds."  Specifically:

          1) When you are measuring angles, and

          2) When you are indicating latitude/longitude (which is technically measuring angles).

The most "famous" use of this notation is not by any mathematician or global explorer, it's by Angelina Jolie as seen below...

Image Source:  Glambistro.com

Angelina used the 10'30" style notation to mark the locations of her children's births (or where they entered her life, I've seen it described both ways).  So, there you have it - purely positional and nothing to do with time.  Who knew?

Well, I'm way too lazy to go back and change all my previous posts, but moving forward I will use the correct notation of 10:30.  Proving that you are never too old to learn new things (or unlearn wrong things)!

On a training note, I ran today and had a less than great run because I've been sick.  I had to slow down twice (no stops), but I still did it.  It clearly impacted my time, but not stopping is more important to my mental training than my speed right now.

Moving right along...and now that song is once again stuck in my head.  Still, you have to admit there are worse things!

Half Marathon Training Progress Report -

• .25 mile walk
• 3.5 mile run (10:23 pace)
• 1 mile barefoot run
• .25 mile walk

Total Distance - 4 miles

Total Time - 45:37