Run Fatboy Run

Tasty!

So, yesterday was the second long run in my training. And I have to say, it was much better than last weeks. I made sure I drank plenty of water beforehand. I also made sure that there was water on the route I was on. And I ran with a friend this week along with the rest of the Capital Striders. It was a blast.
I also tried the Powerbar Chews while I was on this run. It was again a subtle change, but I could definitely feel it come on. It really helped me push on that last little bit when I thought I might want to give up. As I spoke with my friend on this run, he told me the long runs in training would help me understand how to properly provide nutrition for my body to give me optimal results on race day. He also explained that the way the body works physiologically, no matter the shape your in, all bodies burn through its fast sugars by 20 miles. After that, the body starts burning through its protiens. This is why runners "hit the wall". It's the point in the race where it has to be all heart. But proper nutrients during the race can assist to ease this transition and it is the work of any good runner to feel out how his/her body reacts to certain nutrients.

Kailan made me model!

I also learned that running becomes kind of an addiction. The men and women I ran with on Saturday
were all, how do I put this...not right in the head. As I listened to them speak, all I heard was, "I do this race this month, this race next month, then I'm going to take a minute break and do this race, this race and this race in the next two weeks." It was insane! But I guess it comes with the territory. I never thought I'd be one to say this, but I really enjoyed running the long run this week and can't wait to do it again.
So now down to the details. I was able to make it 11 miles this week! I meant to only go 10 but we didn't properly assess the 10 mile turn around and ended up going 1/2 a mile too far. The nice things about running with the Capital Striders is that they have water stations throughout the course so it's easy to refuel when needed. They also train for similar races, so I always kow who I'm keeping track with. Since the Dam to Dam is in the middle of my training for the Des Moines Marathon, I plan to do that as well. I'm pretty excited I get to compete in a race half way through my training. It will definitely give me a good feel on what the full Marathon will feel like.

Victory Selfie!

The other nice thing about the run on Saturday, was that I ran through some of the marathon course. I was informed on Saturday that the Des Moines Marathon is a pretty hilly course so it was suggested to ensure I added some speedwork and hillwork into my training. I was given some good tips on what to do for hillwork, and we even hit a good hill on the Water Works bike path that would be great for practicing the hillwork I need.
Oh yeah, I almost completely forgot to mention that I got new gear!!! Thanks to the benefits of membership to the Des Moines Striders and the fact that Fitness Sports was having a sale, I got some excellent gear, including great shoes for a really good price. I took my son with me and he got a good chuckle in seeing me try on my first pair of running tights. (Do we have to call them tights?) But, I have to say, they sure kept me warm. And it felt great to not be weighted down by heavy sweatpants.
Anyway, I was able to finish the run in just under 2 hours and got a new personal record for a 10 minute pace. It was 9:30 most of the run, but the hill at the end slowed me down a bit.

I ate most of the eggs before deciding
to take this picture...I was hungry!

The best part of the run, was the IngerDahls breakfast I was invited to afterwords. And because it was my first run with the group, my breakfast was paid for. Listening to stories of those who have ran many different races and all the trials and training they went through, it was great to just sit and soak it all in. These folks are just plain nuts, but once you get in the groove of things, you really see why they do it. I don't know how often I'll marathon, but I will definitely not stop running. It has helped so much with my stress and even with my Spiritual walk. Something about taking care of my body and pushing it to unknown limits, makes me want to try things that I always wanted to, but never thought I could do. I've said so many times that running is a mental game, but in all honesty, so is life. We are all elephants that have been tied to posts in the dirt all our lives and been told we couldn't do this or that. But when God tells you that you can do all things through Him, you better believe that He is anticipating that you pull that stake up from the ground and get moving! (Sorry, that got a little preachy, but I'm a little pumped with adrenaline now, bear
with me.)
Until next time, Peace OUT!!!

I forgot to mention, I kept pushing the finish button when we were at water breaks instead of the pause button, so I had to do the math later! I really can't wait to actually see the double digit on my watch instead of this crap. :-P