Run Reflection

I don't usually go into too much detail about my training runs, but as I mentioned in my last post, I had a pretty solid 14 mile run on Sunday! I hate to come off as boastful, but I'd like to take a little time to reflect on how great this run made me feel. I've been having a hard time committing to my training plan lately, so I'm hoping this post will serve as a reminder that I CAN do this when I start to doubt myself again.

The running group meets on Sunday mornings for a long run (various distances and speeds). The meeting time gets earlier and earlier as the summer gets hotter and hotter. This week we met at 7:00am at Lake Zorinsky.

I grabbed a quick breakfast of an English muffin with almond butter and a banana, but I ended up saving the banana for after my run.

I really like running at Lake Z, but it's pretty far from my house. It takes a good 20 minutes to get there, even with empty streets and no red lights at 6:40 on Sunday mornings. The lakeside path is made up of 2 loops - 1 that is 4 miles and 1 that is 3 miles - so it's easy to mix and match routes to get to your desired mileage. Plus, it's got great views (the lake, wooded areas, grasslands - we saw a deer on Sunday!). It is a city park, so there are restrooms and water fountains along the route. And although sometimes it gets a little crowded, it's nice to know there are people nearby if you need help.  I like waving 'hello' to all of the other runners on the trail. There is something comforting about grinning 'good morning' through the grimace of a long run. Like someone else understands why I put myself through this pain.

This Sunday, I set out on a 14-miler. I quickly paired up with another girl in the group. We did a great job keeping a steady pace, even while chatting. She was running 7 miles, so I did the entire 1st half of my run with her.

• Mile 1 - 9:18
• Mile 2 - 9:37
• Mile 3 - 9:40
• Mile 4 - 9:40
• Mile 5 - 9:42
• Mile 6 - 9:51
• Mile 7 - 10:25 (grabbed water & fuel and did some quick stretching)

Although the 1st half of my run felt good, I started getting doubts about doing the whole thing AGAIN. My running partner was heading home, so I'd have to do the next 7 miles by myself. However, I noticed these thoughts creeping into my mind and quickly went to work dispelling them. The weather was still cool, my legs were feeling great, and although I ate my breakfast on the way to the lake, I wasn't experiencing any stomach pain. On any given day, one or more of these things could make my run MUCH more difficult. I decided just wanting the run to be over was not a good enough reason to stop here. I counted my blessings and set off on the next 7.

For the 1st couple of miles by myself, I played the 'just focus on this mile' game. It's amazing how well that works! With my Garmin, I can glance down and see I've run 8.25 miles..."only 0.75 more until 9. I can do that!" For another one of the miles, I busied myself with math problems (nerd alert!) It's not just any math, though, it's pace/mileage math. I find this is a good way to keep my brain busy. Time math takes a little more thought and most race distances make for interesting calculations (a 10k is 6.2 miles, a half marathon is 13.1 miles, etc).

Once I hit mile 10, I was actually quite blissful! My hips were starting to feel a little sore, but my legs and lungs felt strong. I knew I could finish the next 4 miles at this pace, and that felt so good. (In fact, my last 3 miles were some of my fastest!) Running without that nagging doubt of "Can I really do this today?" is awesome. I was so, so, so happy that I hadn't stopped at mile 7!

• Mile 8 - 9:47
• Mile 9 - 9:49
• Mile 10 - 9:52
• Mile 11 - 9:52
• Mile 12 - 9:32
• Mile 13 - 9:24
• Mile 14 - 8:42 (woohoo!)

As you can see, I really kicked it up for that last mile. I love doing this - I'm always surprised at how much energy I have left!

My overall stats were: 14.01 miles in 2:15:14, which = 9:39/mile.

Remember that super-hot half marathon I ran in May? Well I finished this run 4 minutes faster than it...and this run was 0.9 miles longer!! That works out to be 1 minute per mile faster - booyah! I was very pleased.

I also felt pretty bad-ass with my Curt Schilling-like bloody sock. (Any Red Sox fans out there?!)

I hung out in the parking lot for a little while, stretching and cooling off. I ate my banana and drank some Gatorade that I brought from home (about a third of the bottle) as well as lots of water.

Once I got home, my hips were really tight. They were the only things that gave me issues during my run, so I was sure to give them a good stretch. I'd like to work on strengthening them, too. Weak hips can ultimately lead to IT band issues, and I don't want a repeat of what happened during my last marathon! (I had to take 2 full months off of running!) Strength training is definitely something I need to incorporate into my marathon training this time around.

After a snack, a shower, a nap, and a decent lunch, I felt pretty good for the rest of the afternoon. I ended up taking a couple of Tylenol before bed, because my feet were aching. Today I did 10 minutes of yoga for runners, which felt amazing. Angela from Oh She Glows turned me onto Polly's Yoga for Runners in this post. This was the first time I tried this video, and I loved it! I am a fan of yoga in general, and I loved how this session focussed on the tightness most runners experience. I will definitely keep this in mind after other long runs!