Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Longest of the Long Runs to date

was this week; 29 km on the schedule. I was intimidated.  I was also wrong.

I mapped out 29 km and M and I planned to go early on Sunday morning but not too early because of the night before being Saturday night and there was some company and some knitty fun going on; mainly blocking my Exhibition entries :)

29 km on a map of town looks like a reallllly long way. It kind of goes everywhere.

It is likely better if you can map it out without looking at it if you are at all intimidated. That rarely works tho.  So I had to look and it looked like we were going everywhere ;)

Some of it was new and I reallllly enjoyed it. And some of the roads I knew I hated, I still hated LOL.

BUT thank god for company.  I don't know about doing these long runs alone; its so long and boring and intimidating and just knowing someone is beside you makes it shorter and more enjoyable and less intimidating.
OMG I said long runs were boring. Does that mean Im not a real runner?  Im not just IN THE MOMENT of the run?  SIGH.  It's still boring lol.

Anyway we got out about 730 am and it was pleasant temperature but promising to get super hot.  We had a quick stop at Tim's to pee, and then I went once more on a back road with a nice spot LOL nice enough to go back. Darned morning coffee....could pee a lot.  But then once you are good and sweaty the need for pee becomes less.  M was somewhat dehydrated and felt kinda crappy and VERY thirsty for a lot of the second part of the run. 

There are some hilly sections on this run which I simply could not avoid no matter how much I tried :( and I really tried but should not since Hills are our Friends.  It's just a really long way to go.  We were actually doing realy well time wise and walk break-wise, stopping fairly regularly to drink and have little snacks.  I was hoping to finish the 29 km in less than 3.5 hours.  Considering heat and time. 

We foolishly passed a store and had to stop a few km up at a farm to fill our water bottles with almost cool water from a hose lol  but that was good water. 

We ended up stopping at another store and buying water (loads of water omg) which was cold and the best water I ever tasted hehehe And despite all that water I didnt need to pee until later in the afternoon LOL 

Finished the 29 km (longest run so far ever) in about 3:19 almost.  So well under the time.  Pace wasnt great but it was hot and we were tired.  I think in cooler weather we would have knocked a lot of time off. 

And I felt really good.  I think things Im doing right: Oatmeal Breakfast, snack bar on the run (Quaker usually), Gatorade in the water bottle seems to be the biggest change for the better.  Bananas help too.  Need to be hydrated and keep electrolytes on those really super long runs.

I was really happy with the run. And the Omelet and Smoothie breakfast Scott served up when we were finished :):):)

Can't wait til next weeks' repeat of 29 km. Hehe. 

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