Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Smarten Up!

May 11-12, 2012
May 6, 2012
I have had a couple 'smarten up' runs lately.  Maybe I'm getting lazy, maybe it's the weather.  Certainly the weird pseudo-winter we are sort of having in the Northeast is making preparing for a run confusing....hat/no hat....how many layers...it's warm (40), but windy???? It is truly a crapshoot & more often than not I am either too warm or too cold during my run.  Then there is my inexperience in true winter training.  I've run in the winter, but not trained specifically for a spring event (or 2 marathon length races 4 days apart if you are crazy like me). 

My biggest 'doh' moment came on Friday when I went out for a long run.  I had 16 on the schedule & I wasn't too worried about being able to do it.  I feel like I'm in pretty decent shape right now.  I set out slow and steady, and basically enjoying myself.  Everything was going well for a while. First mistake was not bringing any water.  I don't like doing it in the first place, but it is easier to make myself do in the summer.  I just don't worry about dehydration in the same way in the winter (I know, you can yell at me for being a bonehead now). I DID stop as planned at mile 8 at the gym and had a drink and potty break.  Normally, I would have eaten something, had a GU but I was a little leery of them after my body basically rejected one on my 18 miler a couple weeks ago (I never ever want to see a blackberry gu again in my life).  I did bring a cliff bar and some Wegman's dried fruit strips which both seem to agree with me but for some reason I just grabbed a drink and kept going.  I finished mile 14 and HIT THE FREAKIN' WALL! I've never met the wall before, but it is not a place I want to see again.  Very suddenly I was dizzy and my belly was cramping and I knew that if I didn't stop and eat something RIGHT AWAY it was going to be worse.  Luckily for me, those dried fruit strips went down pretty easy and since they are practically pre-chewed I felt them kick in within a minute or two.  I walked until I felt better, then walked/ran, then was finally able to crank out a slow last mile.  Lesson Learned.

Must. Fuel. Better. &. NOT. BE. A. BONEHEAD.

Do you ever get lazy & forget the basics??????

My inspiration!
I am still trying to do better at cross-training & building a better core (or basically a core at all ;-)).  I biked once last week & I am going back for my second Core class today at the gym.  Last week they had a student teaching his first class & I honestly thought it was a little weak....until the next day, and the day after & the day after that when my abs screamed in that way where you'd think they were punishing me for having the audacity to use them!

So tell me, Have you ever done/not done something during a workout that makes you go D'Oh!

Do you like inspirational emails?
I actually do like the Daily Kick in the butt from Runner's World & the Ragnar ones.

8 comments:

Kathy said...

Fun blog!!! I just finished my first 26.2 last October (Portland), knocked out #2 (Housto) and am gearing up for #3 4/29/12 (Big Sur). Best of luck with Toronto - and bouncing right into a 50K?? Right on!!!
And I know that wall ... very,very well!!

Rachelle Q said...

I don't like to run with water either. I ran 13.1 last week and I planned it so that I would pass water fountains. Unfortunately they were turned off for the winter so no water for me:( My legs definitely felt it after mile 9. Good luck in Toronto!

Kathy said...

ugh - I think that's the hardest thing about long runs - planning the fueling and water. We generally have to drive out and drop water places unless we can count on water fountains. You got it done though, and I'm sure you'll remember next time! Good job!

Coy Martinez said...

I'm the pack mule for all races. I wear a hydration pack and carry everything from toilet paper to Ibuprophen to GU. I carry my friends car keys, etc. As you can tell I was a big back pack person in school. That's only for marathons though. Sometimes for trail races I'll pack tons of stuff too. I must look like a total tool. When I ran the Marine Corp I wore nothing. Felt pretty good being free. Anyway, I learned my lesson on a 17 mile run where I locked up. It was winter and I didn't drink or GU enough.

Penny said...

I drive my route and put water bottle every two miles that way if I get thirsty I will not have to run far. On long runs I always have my Spibelt on, with gu or something else. Good Luck with both marathons. One a year is enough for me.

Michael said...

I will often go out without water on longer runs in the cooler months too. Just because it's not hot, doesn't mean you don't sweat. I always end up regretting it. I continue to learn lessons all the time.

Anonymous said...

Full body workouts on abdominal exercise machines and high protein diets compliment each other by allowing the muscle fibres to build and recover at a faster rate. The result is that you are not only burning fat but you are toning your body in complete proportion.

Kate Geisen said...

This past weekend I ate WAY not enough on a bike ride and wanted to die for almost the entire way back of our out-and-back. Does that qualify? :)