This week in Hal Higdon's intermediate marathon training, we are scheduled to run another 20 mile run. Unfortunately the weather map looks like this for the rest of the week:
YUCK.
So, in order to not have to run a 20 miler inside (or outside in rain/snow and 30 degree temperatures), I switched the 20 miler to today. Because I hadn't realized how quickly the weather would change, I had not carbo-loaded in anticipation for this run. Far from it. But I grabbed some Gatorade and a powerbar and set out.
The wind was a lot stronger than I had expected it to be, so I changed my plan quickly. I started out running NW to St. Marys, after a mile, I turned back and ran straight west. After the turn-around, I headed south on the Miami-Erie Canal path. That was a nice change of pace, especially running on grass instead of asphalt. I ran on that for a mile and then doubled back and headed home. Once I made it home (the 12 mile mark), I changed my socks and shirt, refilled my Gatorade bottle, and chugged a Mountain Dew. Yeah, I know, it sloshed around a little. But that was OK. In the long run (hahaha, I crack myself up) it was fine.
The second trip out was "only" 8 miles. I took the same trip, minus the first spur and once I got to the canal trail, I turned directly then (instead of going past it 1 1/2 miles and turning back). Along the way back, I was thinking such things as "why was it, again, that I do this to myself?" (maybe because I like the challenge and because I like the results) and "the human body wasn't made for this kind of abuse" (it must be; otherwise we wouldn't be physically able to do it).
But I finished. After teasing Homer a little bit (I asked him how far he'd ridden his bike today, and he admitted that he hadn't ridden it at all - he said it's no fun riding in the wind. But he rode 27 miles yesterday. I told him that I had run 20, and that he should have taken advantage of the weather, as he's calling for apocolyptic weather over the next few days).
20 miles.
20 MILES.
20 MILES!
A good result was that during this whole run, I remained unchafed. Baby powder + Underarmor underwear + Champion shorts = a good combination
1 comment:
Whew! That made me tired just reading it. I think I'll go carbo-load and put my feet up and watch Montel and eat some ice cream and put my feet up some more just from all the effort to read about it. Ha ha ha.
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