A couple of Saturdays ago, we had our longest run scheduled; 2 hours, 15 minutes. I wanted to make this day as much like race day as possible. Because of this, I became very nervous for the following reasons:
- The new shoes that I purchased toward the beginning of training started to give me blisters when I ran longer distances. My feet are wide and they ended up swelling larger than these shoes had room for. So I had started wearing my old shoes again. However, one of our running coaches suggested I try some synthetic socks to see if they helped. So my plan on this Saturday was to switch back to my newer shoes with these new socks -- see if that made a difference.
- I bought this little running belt so I could carry some shot blocks, sport beans, GU, etc with me. I've never run with anything around my waist before, so I wondered if it would be really annoying to me.
- I had a personal training session a few days before, and my muscles were REALLY sore and tight.
- What to wear... this is always a challenge. I don't want to pile on too many layers and be too hot with no where to discard my jacket, long-sleeve shirt, etc. Yet I don't want to be shivering and losing energy throughout my run doing so. I don't own any running pants, so I knew I would be wearing my running shorts regardless.
All of this on top of my personal pressure to perform well, left me feeling a bit uneasy. This is how it all played out.....
Immediately, my running belt was a bit annoying. I had it around the waistband of my shorts, but since my hips are so wide and my waist small, the belt naturally shifted up my torso. I had to tighten the belt so that it wouldn't bounce so much. But then it was under my shirts and that was bothersome. Had to maneuver it so it was on the outside of my clothes. After that, it was no big deal. I ended up wearing a long-sleeve bike base jersey over my tank top and gloves. After 3 miles, I got rid of my gloves. The long sleeve jersey turned out to be perfect throughout the entire 2+ hours.
At the first water station stop, I could tell my muscles were still really tight. I had to stretch a bit while I gulped down a shot of water and Cytomax (like Gatorade). After I got going again, I started feeling my feet rubbing against the sides of my shoes. Hmmmm. Not good. However, Sportbeans = Awesome. I really like these. I usually chew gum while I run to give me something to do (turns out I need as many things as possible to distract me from the actual running - I switched to listening to audiobooks for this reason. I needed to focus on a story rather than what I was doing physically), but the gum doesn't last very long. I liked popping these little beans to keep my mouth busy and also give me a yummy flavor. Nevermind the added bonus of extra energy! :) The shot blocks were equally as good, although a bit sticky. My tongue worked overtime to dig the chewy gel out of my teeth. But again, this kept my mouth busy.
At about the 1hr 45min mark, I decided to try the GU. I reached into my handy waist pouch and dug out the packet. I had to open it with my teeth since my hands were sweaty. I squeezed the thick stuff in to my mouth and was immediately sickened. EW! This stuff was gross! And thick. My mouth was coated in this disgustingness. Of course I had *just* passed the water station, so I had nothing to wash it down with. This tasted so gross to me that I really started to feel sick to my stomach. Ugh. BUT! Amazingness -- I realized after a bit, that I actually felt like I was more energized. So I think it really does work.
While I didn't perform physically as well as I wanted, I still felt like it was a successful experience. I know that I will be running in my old shoes with some new socks that my sister sent to me, wearing my running belt on the outside of my clothes around my waist, popping those beans whenever I feel, shot blocks every once in a while, GU only when I'm near a water station and desperate, forget the gloves, and DO NOT schedule a personal training session before-hand. As far as shirts, I'm still iffy on that one. We have our race tanktop that we will wear, and I'm wondering if I should wear my long-sleeve bike jersey under it, or just go with my sports bra. Undecided on that one. I imagine temps will be in the 40's at 6AM.
This past week was Thanksgiving and I traveled out of town. I wondered if I would be able to make myself get up out of my food coma to go running. Luckily my sister-in-law is a runner, so we went out together a few times. The first morning we ran for 5.5 miles in the most frigid weather! I couldn't feel my legs after about 5 minutes -- which wasn't necessarily a BAD thing. :) But we ran on the sidewalk and there was no flat. It was either up a big hill or down a big hill. My body is not used to that kind of route at all, so my right knee was sore and a bit swollen afterward. But I figured if I could run in that cold of weather with shorts, I would be alright in Vegas. No need to go out and buy running pants or capris.
Now it's just all the last-minute preparations. Laundry is done - now just need to refill my suitcase to hop on another plane. The only downer is that I acquired a sore throat this past Sunday so I am feeling really run-down. I hope I can shake it by Sunday! All I want to do is sleep right now.
FUNDRAISING
Yippee skippee HOORAY!!! I have met and even exceeded my $3800 goal for CCFA! I can't believe it. I still get emotional thinking about what generous and willing people have helped me out. I am indeed truly thankful for everyone's support through this sometimes very challenging, but always very rewarding endeavor! THANK YOU. These words don't seem enough.
Next update will be results of RACE DAY!
1 comment:
I am SO excited for you! I'm going to be thinking about you all day. I can't wait to hear about it! Love you!
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