Friday, July 24, 2009

Aliens are scratching their heads...

{Multiplicity}

No, your eyes are not fooling you. That's the course I ran last night. 1.25 miles each way, 2.5 miles out and back. I did that four times to complete my first ever double digit run. 10 miles, done!

The aliens from way up there are not the only ones thinking I'm crazy for running the same route four times. There were also a couple high school boys at one of the intersections chatting away and must have wondered what the heck was wrong with me as I passed by them EIGHT times! Haha. It does not really bother me at all. Hey, I even do my stretches and weird moves outside. Cooling down outdoors with the fresh air and the gentle evening wind is awesome.

+ Amazed that whenever the wind blew, water trapped on the trees' leaves would fall on me in large drops. I love it when that happens! Such simple and natural beauty.
+ Savored a relatively large dinner. I was hungry after the run. That never happened to me before.
+ Enjoyed an alternating cold/hot shower. Have you ever tried doing this? Some say it's bad; others say it works wonders for the health.
+ Slept like a baby. Hmmm.
+ Feeling no soreness today since I remembered to ice my knees and to keep my legs elevated.

- Underestimated that 10 miles was a long run and ate only 1/4 banana and 1/4 rye bread thus felt a little hungry by mile 8. Any pre-long run fuel suggestions? Thanks!
Yeah, that's it. Otherwise, everything else was great.

Now why on earth would I run the same out and back four times? Hydration. See, I still don't own a hydration belt so what I do is to go back to my start point. That's where my bike (with the water bottle) is parked. It allows me three walking and re-hydration breaks. Plus, 10 miles seems like forever so I decided to break it up into four short runs. Good strategy? Or should I just go on and get myself a single belt bottle? Karena shared some great info here.

14 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh!!!!! I am sooo proud of you!!! 10 miles is a LOT and I feel like you worked up your mileage super fast!

    So was it a good run??? You must be so excited. That is pretty hilarious that you ran the same route 4 times haha but I bet it probably helped to make it "feel shorter". Plus as you said, hydration is key!

    I don't care for my hydration belt, and have never actually worn it on a long run, but I may try it this Saturday, I'm trying to decide.

    Post-fuel it is just important to replenish your protein supplies, but it's not necessary to go crazy and OD on meat or anything like that. Just eat a balanced meal and you will be fine :-)

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  2. oh my goodness, I would go crazy doing the same route four times! I HATE repetition on my runs - even one out and back drives me crazy! I like loops!

    Pre-run I will usually have 1/2 a banana with 1/2 tbsp PB and a slice of toast OR if it's a shorter run just the banana and PB!

    Good job on doing 10 miles! You should get a hydration belt, they are fabulous!

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  3. Now that is motivation and stamina! I say invest in some sort of belt or handheld bottle so you can start exploring 10 mile loops! :) I'm more of a multi-bottle girl, but I've been seeing a lot of folks running with single bottle belts these days...

    I'd say for anything beyond 10 miles, pack a gel or those sport beans Val's a fan of. You're looking at a quick 100 calories of energy mid run.

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  4. congratulations!! what a huge accomplishment!

    i would definitely look into a hydration belt - or at least plan a route that passes a shop you can stop in for some water. and yeah, 10 miles is loooong - eat the whole bread and banana next time. :)

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  5. Congrats on 10 miles! I think you can survive without a hydration belt for now but if you ever do a race that long you may need one :)

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  6. I find that anything over 60 minutes of running, I need some sort of energy food to keep me going. Whether that means sport beans, energy gels, or even a handful of raisins for those "not a marathon but not a 5k either" runs. It really helps a lot. And hydration is very important, but I hate the water belts!! Usually I take a spin on my bike and stash a water bottle at the half-way point somewhere. :)

    Love how you described the simple beauties of running and nature...so true!! :) Congrats on the 10 miles! That's incredible!

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  7. Congratulations on running 10 miles! That is super awesome! My longest run to date is 8 miles so I haven't had to struggle with water/food breaks. I don't really think about re-hydrating mid-run but as I up my mileage I guess I'm gonna have to! I don't like the sound of water belts though...hmm maybe I'll check back here for more advice from your readers!!

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  8. awesome 10 miles!! That is super impressive!

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  9. i think your strategy was smart. rock on girl.

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  10. Wow, congrats on an amazing run! I think your strategy of running back and forth to stay hydrated is great, as long as you don't get bored with it. If you do, then maybe invest in a hydration belt.

    I love the fact that you don't care what people who see you think about you. I'm the same way. Sometimes I get funny looks (especially when I'm running in pouring rain, from people huddling under their umbrellas), but I just think "hey, look all you want, I'm doing this for my health and because it makes me feel FANTASTIC!".

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  11. Just to let you know I gave you the Lovely Blog Award, check out my blog to see it :)

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  12. PB-naner-oats always work best for me before a run- as long as I eat them at least 1.5 hours before the run. That was my pre-race meal before both half marathons!

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