Saturday, January 27, 2007

LRM TR #48, Leisurely 16-Miler

LRM Miles Trained To Date: 330

My husband and I went to a "Casino Night" party last night, so I was unsure as to how early today's run would start. I definitely wanted to be well-rested for it, but at the same time I didn't want to start it too late. It is really becoming a family affair, and I didn't want it to "eat up our whole day," you might say. Luckily, I woke at about 7:30 and started my pre-run rituals. It was then that I realized just how much preparation it takes to get me out the door. First I like to have some oatmeal, just to get my system moving (see post from 12-18-2006 for an explanation). Then I download my favorite podcasts. Getting dressed isn't as easy as it sounds. I have to layer up, get on my Garmin heartrate band and slather my feet with Vaseline (which worked today, by the way!!!). I have to make my mid-run sandwich and make a "to go" pile for my husband consisting of my route, the sandwich, another water bottle, and whatever else the specific run might require (last week it was my library card). And I have to make one last pit stop before leaving. And finally I have to load my pockets with the necessary "carry on" items. Sheesh! It just takes a while... I literally got so involved with it all today that I forgot my shoes!

It rained sometime during the night, and rain was in the forecast for today. When I left at about 9 AM, it was not raining. Luckily it never (really) started up again while I was out there. My course took me up the service road for 4 miles. The next 10 miles were ran out in my favorite community (Salem). The last 2 miles were back towards home on the same service road.

I couldn't make myself eat a Powerbar before leaving home. The thought was just not appealing. I hoped that the oatmeal would stick to my ribs. When my husband met me within mile 9, I was hungry. Just in time! By then I had listened to The Dump Runner's Club, Running From The Reaper, and was in the middle of Phedippidations. After our visit, (which required a massage) I finished Fdip and ran home to Dr. Fitness and the Fat Guy. Last week I was not in the mood for podcasts; today I was all about them!

I did exceptionally well for the first 5 miles (always a benchmark for me). In fact, most miles were pretty good except one particularly hilly mile (as my times will prove). As I was complaining about the surprising difficulty of the run afterwards, my husband said "Well, if you'd ever pick a flatter course you'd probably be alright!" He's right. But sitting at my computer at work days ahead of the run, I always think to myself "Oh, that hill won't be so bad. This course will be good for me." Ha. Self-inflicted suffering is more like it!

Mile 1: 11:53
Mile 2: 12:26
Mile 3: 12:02
Mile 4: 11:51
Mile 5: 11:58
Mile 6: 13:07 (taking a breather, preparing for the "real run")
Mile 7: 12:41
Mile 8: 12:45
Mile 9: 12:47 (peanut butter sandwich and massage)
Mile 10: 13:35
Mile 11: 12:28
Mile 12: 13:35
Mile 13: 14:25 (the worst hill in town - no kidding)
Mile 14: 13:47
Mile 15: 13:08
Mile 16: 11:52 (big finish!)
Total: 3:24:27
Average: 12:47 per mile, 161 beats per minute

The last time I ran 16 mile, my average was 13:17, so I have improved! Any time my average is in the 12-minute range, I am ecstatic. So yay for today! I must admit, though, that with my miles decreasing so, I am wondering how on earth I'll run 26.2 in five weeks. Any and all advice and inspiration would be appreciated!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not that I've ever run a marathon, but I know that by decreasing the mileage now, you will be mentally and physically "fresh" for those 26.2 miles!!! Great job, very inspiring!

MarathonChris said...

The training plans I have seen have a big run (20+) 3 weeks before the race - then a taper down from there.

Leading up to that, what I followed was big run (18-24 miles) followed by 2 weeks of lesser runs (10-15 miles), then another big run.

If you are tapering down now, it might be too soon (but hey, I am definitely not an expert). If it were me I would try to get in one more 20-ish mile run before the race, either 3 or 4 weeks out.

When I trained I did my biggest (24.5 mile) run 3 weeks before the marathon, then ran a 15, then a 10 in the weekends leading up to the race.

Definitely leave 3 weeks to taper and recover from the last big run. You can spend the taper time focused more on eating healthy and getting regular sleep (and avoiding illnesses!).

I think your training has been going great, and you are going to be ready for that marathon!!! :-)

Maddy said...

I have enjoyed reading about your training - I found the link from Marathon Chris' blog.

Have you ever tried a Clif Bar instead of a Powerbar? The Clif Bars are 70% organic, taste really good and have a much better texture than Powerbars.

MarathonChris said...

Another idea for something easier to eat - Cliff Bloks. They taste kind of like big gummy bloks and are the equivalent of the shots. I think they are a bit easier to eat (much less messy).