I realize I should’ve posted this a couple of weeks ago but days have been moving so fast for me and before I know it, one day meshes with the next one and there goes another day that passes without writing up any posts. Whoopsie.
So a couple of Saturdays ago, I made it out to run with the Leggers; my first with the club since the week before RnR LA. It was so nice to get back there and see people I hadn’t seen in awhile…like Wanda. She let me know we were running 7 miles, even though she’s showing us the sign for 5. Take my word for it, it was 7. 🙂
Oops, snapped the photo too fast.
First up though, was the pre-run talk and it was all about the long run. Oooh the much anticipated long run. I’ve had plenty of long runs so things said weren’t entirely foreign to me, but it’s nice to be reminded of how to approach the most important element to training for a marathon.
One thing I don’t need to be reminded of is the anxiety that kicks in once you go beyond your last longest run. Going beyond your comfort level is scary and the mind is ever so powerful in trying to make you freak out about running longer than you’ve ever run before. The important thing to know is to relax. This is all part of training. Nobody is throwing anybody into a ring of fire to fight lions on your very first run. I know I need to remember that because at times I’ve certainly struggled to relax and not freak out so much about the number of miles I need to conquer that day.
So how else should someone approach long runs?
Don’t try something radically new, like running in new shoes on a 20 mile run. Try the “something new” on shorter runs. Try out a different electrolyte beverage, or fuel. If you happen to have trouble with the “something new” at least you’re suffering through only a few miles as opposed to 20 long miles.
Develop long run rituals for: two nights before, the night before, the morning of, during, and after the long run. The reason for this being, if something is working for you, you want to continue with that. You don’t want any surprises. Eat the same meals, lay out your gear, check the weather forecast, etc.
One solid ritual I have is, I always check the forecast! That’s one thing I never leave the house without doing. I honestly think this ritual is kind of a no-brainer. This morning’s run called for rain, because well, it rained the day before and we were expecting more.
Mud run, anyone?
Puddles!!
The few days leading up to the long run is when to make sure you hydrate and fuel properly, and it’s mucho importante to hydrate and fuel properly just before, during, and after the long runs.
When long runs get tough, maybe have a “reward” food, such as Chili Cheese Fritos just like Dan, the speaker says he likes to enjoy. It was this point in the program where we had to take a couple of minutes to settle down from the Ewww-ing. Hey, it works for him and he looks forward to them. I guess don’t knock it til you try it right? Yeah, I probably won’t be trying that one.
A couple of other things to try when long runs get particularly tough. If you’re following a run/walk ratio such as 5:1, and the 5 minutes feels like they’ve gone on for half an hour, try mixing up that ratio until you recover. If you just feel all around lousy, just do whatever you need to do to make you feel a little better. This is just training after all.
And try a mantra! A mantra is something you repeat to yourself over and over again to disengage your head from any discomfort, by actually engaging your head. For instance, try repeating “strong, light, and smooth” as was suggested. You get out of head for a little bit by not thinking about those miles and how tired you’re fastly becoming. Mantras definitely help.
Once the talk was over, it was time to meet up with the group. I saw Gloria all smiles and ready to get these rainy miles out of the way.
Before my group headed out, I saw Alvin! For the first time in a few weeks, I saw him actually running!! It was such a welcomed sight.
Alvin (the only person wearing a yellow shirt in this photo) running
And then, it was our time to venture out.
Those clouds are spelling t-r-o-u-b-l-e.
It did take to raining, but it wasn’t too bad. How could it be bad when I’ve got this to look at:
I love taking in the scenery and seeing the waves crash up.
I also got to talking with Wanda about everything from Kim Kardashian to football. In fact, football was a hot topic because Wanda was upset about the LSU-Alabama football game which happened the weekend before. I was actually rooting for Alabama along with her. She showed me her angry face and then I told her things could’ve been worse. “How?” she asks? I said, “They could be Penn State.”
Wanda looking not so happy about Alabama losing to LSU.
After the run I caught up with mentor and running buddy, Gloria, who appeared to be pointing to that man’s bag. We chatted for awhile since it’s been a long while since we actually ran with each other on the same Saturday morning.
7 miles later: We’re number 1. 🙂
Finished off the morning with some coffee talk with my sis and our friend, Mike, and it was a perfect running day, rain and all.
