ha.
Well, here it is again folks--I JUST A NEW PDR!!
So, I alluded to how my marathon training was going last week and although it's kicking my butt week in and week out, I'm constantly learning that you know what? I might just be able to do this whole 26.2 mile run thing. And Sunday was a HUGE confidence booster toward that.
I normally do my long runs on Saturday but due to some conflicts (i.e., I had to help out with a race), I made the switch to Sunday this week. Not exactly ideal since I don't like taking Mondays off from running but I'm realizing more and more that the big thing with training for marathon is learning to be flexible. So, Sunday it was.
I lucked out this weekend and found a friend willing to bust out 10 with me so I got up early, knocked out 10 on my own and then as soon as I was done, drove a few minutes to the next town over to meet up with her for the final 10.
The first 10 was pretty uneventful because well, I did them on the treadmill. I know some people are totally against the treadmill but it's really been a big help for my running this last year. And hello, I was watching the Food Network the entire time. ;)
Once I finished up, I rushed to meet my friend who is slightly quicker than me (a good thing!) and we set off.
We couldn't have asked for better weather. Not very hot, kind of cloudy, and we even got rained on a bit which cooled it down even more. The route was one I hadn't ran before so that helped the 10 miles go by fairly quickly.
One thing I'm still struggling with is fueling. And hydrating. As I've said before, I've never had to fuel for a run before and I didn't do a great job on Sunday either. As we got toward the end of the run, I could tell my body needed an extra boost, which I'm pretty sure I could have avoided had I fueled properly. You live and learn though, right? I have two more 20 milers so I still have some time to tweak my plan. Any suggestions?
Anyway, back to the run. We stopped once for a water break but other than that, we kept up a pretty decent clip for the entirety of the run. Minus the fueling issue, the run was a HUGE confidence booster for me. I think I intimidated myself from the get-go thinking about the fact that it was TWENTY MILES. I mean, who does that?! Well, me now apparently. Before the run, I was still having major doubts about this marathon and the possibility of me completing it. After the run, I KNOW I can finish it. I may not run the entire time and I may not hit sub-4 (my dream) but I have no doubt that I'll at least cross the finish line... and let's be honest, that's what really matters.
And my mental game was strong too on Sunday. I took the run 1 mile at a time and that seemed to help. When I think about the bigger picture, I get overwhelmed but taking it in small increments definitely made it easier. And not to mention I had someone to talk to. Maybe I need to convince someone to run Richmond with me solely to keep me entertained. ha. Any takers?!
Anyway, my average pace for the 20 ended up being between 8:30-8:35 so I'll take that. If I can manage to keep it under 9 for 26.2 miles, I"ll be a happy camper.
Physically after we finished, I felt okay. Not great but not nearly as bad as I felt after my very first half marathon. ha. I felt a little light headed (again, FUELING!) but my legs didn't feel SUPER tired. I think what saved me was the fact that I kept moving for the rest of the day.
My stats for the day.
So there you have it. My first 20 miler. A pretty boring recap but it's kind of hard to make 20 miles seem interesting. ha. Basically all you need to know is.... I SURVIVED!!
Also, Sunday I took a look at my mileage for the year to see where I'm at toward my goal of 2015 miles in 2015.
And you know what?! I'm less than 140 away! Meaning, I should hit it in the next month and a half or so! CRAZY! I knew I'd run a lot this year but man. As of this morning, I've ran 1882 miles--basically the distance from my small town in the Southwest corner of Virginia to Salt Lake City, UT. Not too shabby, right?!
Here's to my last 140 miles!
Happy Tuesday Ya'll!
Sarah
Well you make running 20 miles look easy! Great job! When it comes to fueling, I use Clif Shotbloks and take 2 of them around every 3 miles or so. I've only needed them for as far as the half marathon distance though. It's probably very important to make sure you have a good meal before your long runs, like toast with peanut butter and banana, maybe around an hour before your run. Just some things I've picked up!
ReplyDeletei LOVE shot blocks! i'm not much on gel but shot blocks have come in clutch on several occasions!! and thanks for the tips!!! :) I need any and all help when it comes to fueling! ha. :)
DeleteCongratulations on completing 20 miles. I'm sure the second half went so much quicker than the first half. Time flies when you have someone to chat with and places to see.
ReplyDeletethank you! and yes, having someone to talk to makes a HUGE difference for sure!
DeleteCongratulations on an awesome run! I'm so excited for you and I think you will do absolutely amazing in your marathon! Fueling is one of the hardest parts about marathoning and it definitely takes time to figure out - that's what we use the long runs for!! Glad you're feeling so well - hope you have a fabulous week!!
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I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm so glad I have 2 more long runs to figure what exactly my body needs and when-ha! I'm ready to get this marathon over with!!! :)
DeleteNice job on the 20 miles and whoa, you've run a lot of miles this year!
ReplyDeletethank you! :)
DeleteSo much mileage!! You make running long distances look easy as pie!
ReplyDeletesometimes I wish it were as enjoyable as eating pie!! ha :)
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