My Journey to 50 miles (2nd attempt)... (comments welcome)

[disneygpa]

Since this was probably pushed a bit too hard, be sure to take the next few workouts very very easy.

Will do!!!

I'm looking forward to taking it easy for the next few day!

 

[disneygpa]

Friday's run.



Nice easy run. Nothing unusual. I was trying to keep my paces on the upper end of my EA pace of 12:04. Managed to do that for the most part.
Definitely feeling the run from Thursday. My legs and back were tight and due to family obligations I didn't have time to properly do my stretching. This was definitely a mistake. I should have planned better and gotten the stretching done. Not even one complete set of stretches Friday. Ugh... On the bright side I already have one set completed for Saturday!!

 

[disneygpa]

Saturday's run.

Training plan called for 6 miles @ EB + strides, I titled the run 6 m @ EB + strides, and for some reason I put in 6.5 miles into the Garmin. Ugh... I really need to proofread what I type in better. So of course I ran 6.5 miles instead of 6. I doubt in the big scheme of things this makes a huge difference. But it's probably not a good idea to make the mistake too often.



The run was comfortable for the most part, a nice easy run. I had DW meet me at the middle school to take some video that the trainer and doc requested. I am not planning on watching the videos unless they want to show me something in them that I need to see. One thing to note was some pain in my left shin. Fairly sharp pain in the middle of my shin. Not debilitating but not pleasant. Only making note of it for reference if it continues. Probably should mention it to the doc if it happens again during today's run.

Got 3 full stretching sessions in yesterday. I like the stretching, but it sure does take up some time!!!

 

[disneygpa]

Sunday runday!

9 miles @ LR.
Today I tried something different for nutrition. I tried to drink the Maurten 320 in 17 oz of water pre-run. Encountered one problem. I can't get 17 oz in, in 15 min. @DopeyBadger Billy, how critical is the 15 min window? Can I stretch that to maybe 25 min? I hadn't eaten anything for 2+ hours so I know my stomach was pretty well empty when I started to drink this. I got in probably 13 oz and took the rest to drink along the way at approx 45 min. Also ran into a little problem at 5 miles. After downing that much Maurten/water I needed to relieve myself! Fortunately I found a place to take care of that during mile 6.
Paces were for the most part were within the +/- 10 sec window, so I feel pretty good about that.
Legs are tired this morning. Good news is that the knee is pain free, though still doesn't feel quite right. Go see the doc tonight he and I will discuss this further.
No pain in the shin, so that's good. Looking forward to an easy week!!

 

[DopeyBadger]

I can't get 17 oz in, in 15 min. @DopeyBadger Billy, how critical is the 15 min window? Can I stretch that to maybe 25 min?

I can't remember the research article off-hand. If I remember correctly, the further it gets from race start the less it is treated like in-race nutrition. So I think the valuable part of it is that it's like you're consuming on the run, but your body isn't yet focusing on running. So it's easier to consume a large portion.

I find the inability to drink 17oz of liquid in 15 min or less intriguing though. Have you never slammed a drink of any kind? When I drink the Maurten, I usually consume the whole 17oz in 60 seconds or less.

Also ran into a little problem at 5 miles. After downing that much Maurten/water I needed to relieve myself!

It's a good thing to practice even on non-nutrition days. Just try drinking 17oz of water instead of Maurten on some of your runs to practice finding the right timing for you. I know for me, I don't drink anything within 2 hours of the last time I can use the restroom, and then drink the Maurten within 15 min to start. Drinking that close to the start of running minimizes the chance the liquid makes it to the bladder by race start. So see what you can figure out for your own personal timing.

 

[disneygpa]

I can't remember the research article off-hand. If I remember correctly, the further it gets from race start the less it is treated like in-race nutrition. So I think the valuable part of it is that it's like you're consuming on the run, but your body isn't yet focusing on running. So it's easier to consume a large portion.

I find the inability to drink 17oz of liquid in 15 min or less intriguing though. Have you never slammed a drink of any kind? When I drink the Maurten, I usually consume the whole 17oz in 60 seconds or less.



It's a good thing to practice even on non-nutrition days. Just try drinking 17oz of water instead of Maurten on some of your runs to practice finding the right timing for you. I know for me, I don't drink anything within 2 hours of the last time I can use the restroom, and then drink the Maurten within 15 min to start. Drinking that close to the start of running minimizes the chance the liquid makes it to the bladder by race start. So see what you can figure out for your own personal timing.

Before I had my bariatric sleeve procedure 2.5 years ago, guzzling 17 oz would have been a piece of cake. I can't slam any kind of drink now. It's one of the things I've learned to live with. I drink constantly, just not a lot at one time. Hydration is one of the things they stress prior to surgery. They make it clear that it's difficult to "catch up" if you fall behind on hydration because you just can't put things in that quickly. I'm better now than right after surgery however, I'll probably have to make sure I am completely on empty to accomplish this. 17 oz is about the max I can put in(that's about the size of my stomach now) but if I tried to guzzle it, it would come right back out. I'll work on the 15 min timing... Maybe I can manage it with practice and better food timing.

I know for the race days, the restroom issue is somewhat mitigated by the sani-cans along the route. It's really only an issue on my training runs because of the lack of public restrooms/businesses along my run route. I'll give the no liquids 2 hours before a try and drinking as much as I can right before a run.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Before I had my bariatric sleeve procedure 2.5 years ago, guzzling 17 oz would have been a piece of cake. I can't slam any kind of drink now. It's one of the things I've learned to live with. I drink constantly, just not a lot at one time. Hydration is one of the things they stress prior to surgery. They make it clear that it's difficult to "catch up" if you fall behind on hydration because you just can't put things in that quickly. I'm better now than right after surgery however, I'll probably have to make sure I am completely on empty to accomplish this. 17 oz is about the max I can put in(that's about the size of my stomach now) but if I tried to guzzle it, it would come right back out. I'll work on the 15 min timing... Maybe I can manage it with practice and better food timing.

I know for the race days, the restroom issue is somewhat mitigated by the sani-cans along the route. It's really only an issue on my training runs because of the lack of public restrooms/businesses along my run route. I'll give the no liquids 2 hours before a try and drinking as much as I can right before a run.

Well that would explain it for sure. I'd say test out different timings and dosing methodologies to find what works best for you. The beauty of starting now is you've still got 11 weeks to figure it out.

 

[disneygpa]

Well that would explain it for sure. I'd say test out different timings and dosing methodologies to find what works best for you. The beauty of starting now is you've still got 11 weeks to figure it out.

One thing for sure is I'm going to have to give up my afternoon snack when I get home. I've been having a piece of toast with peanut butter 30 min or so before my normal runs. Last night was a little different because I ran later in the evening.

Goal will be to not have the snack and try and get in 17 oz of fluid 15 min prior to leaving the house for a run. I really think the key is going to be, making sure my tummy is completely empty.

As always! Thanks for the help along this journey!!

 

[DopeyBadger]

One thing for sure is I'm going to have to give up my afternoon snack when I get home. I've been having a piece of toast with peanut butter 30 min or so before my normal runs. Last night was a little different because I ran later in the evening.

Goal will be to not have the snack and try and get in 17 oz of fluid 15 min prior to leaving the house for a run. I really think the key is going to be, making sure my tummy is completely empty.

And you don't have to practice the liquid intake before every run. Just every so often until you get the timing figured out. And I know personally that the urge to use the bathroom is different at easy, LR, or tempo pacing. So keep that in mind as well.

 

[disneygpa]

Monday, no run day. Doc update.

Went to see the Doc and trainer Monday and got some pretty good results. I explained to them that the knee wasn't painful anymore but it didn't feel "right" either. Both are confident that there is no structural problems with the knee and that with continued stretching exercises I'll be in good shape.

Trainer gave me a new set of stretches. Kept some of the old ones, and gave me some new ones. Some of the new ones are going to be a bit of a challenge to start. List of stretches if you are interested.
Knee pulls
Golf ball roll
Standing ankle mobility
Plantar Fascia Stretch-calf stair raise
Great toe extension
Piriformis/Gluteal stretch aka figure 4
IT Band stretch
Pectoralis massage
Foam roller along spine and chest stretch
Corner/doorway press stretch
Back Breathing
Threading the needle (bird dog)
Short foot
Sit to stand Squat

I'm to do most of these when I wake up, before/after each run and before bed.

We also talked about my form. DW took some video last Saturday and the trainer had a look. He said I need to lean forward a little more, swing my arms a little more, work on foot placement, stand up tall and try to remember to relax my shoulders.

My feet are not coming down under me. I'm a little out front with my feet. Not bad, but he said I'd benefit if I can get that foot strike a little further back. This video was of my EB pace and I feel like maybe I need to take some video of my half/full pace. I always feel as though my form is terrible when I run slow.

I know I need to increase the arm swing, I run with a really tight upper body.

Doc said to try not to make all the changes at once. Concentrate on one thing for 10 seconds at a time and pretty soon it'll become normal.

Things are coming along. I have another appointment Dec 9th.... hopefully by then I'll be feeling 100% and they'll be happy with my progress!!

 

[disneygpa]

Tuesday's run.

Spent the night at a friends house, so had to find a route that was 3.5 miles or so. Google maps makes that so easy!
Run itself was nice and easy. Stretching was a bit more difficult. I forgot some of the stuff I needed for the stretches so I did what I could and then went for a run.



Pacing was a little fast, but not completely horrible. Weird running in places you haven't run before. Sights, sounds and even the smells are different. Lots more traffic in his area, so I had to be a lot more aware when crossing streets!! And people in his neighborhood aren't nearly as friendly. Not a single one waved or said hi..... interesting. I've been told that I look grumpy all the time.... maybe I looked very grumpy last night!

 

[disneygpa]

Wednesday's run.

So, I'm working on improving my form when I run. Bigger arm swing, slightly leaning more forward, foot placement.... I know this is only the second day of working on this, but I'm finding it a bit of a struggle to keep the paces slower. Everything was fast yesterday. I felt fine, but when I tried to slow down, I found myself not leaning forward and keeping my arms tight.... Guess I'm going to be a work in progress forever...



Tonight is a CV run. Faster paces. I'll see if the form feels better when running at these faster paces.

The new stretching routine takes longer. Couldn't quite get to all of them this morning before I had to leave for work. I'm going to have to get up 10 min earlier to get all of them done! I'll be spending roughly an hour and 45 minutes stretching everyday... might end up closer to 2 hours. I'm seeing the benefits of all the stretching, even though it's time consuming it's worth it!!

 

[disneygpa]

Thursday's CV run.

Phew... I am feeling last nights run this morning!! Don't know if it's the new emphasis on my form or if it was just running faster... But I was actually a little sore this morning(a good sore).. Got up 10 min earlier than normal to do my stretches and still couldn't squeeze in the last couple. Looks like I gotta add 5 more min. Nothing quite like crawling out of bed at 3:25 to stretch! I did manage to get in almost 2 sets of stretching yesterday. Gonna do a full set as soon as I get home tonight and time myself.... I really thought 30 min was going to be enough.

The run itself was great! I love running the faster paces! Apparently a little too much because most of my paces are a little too fast. Why can't I just allow myself to slow down a touch!? Even when I can look and see that I'm going too fast I can't seem to slow down just a couple seconds... Work in progress...



Have you ever had one of those days that were terrible for your eating.... yesterday was that day for me. Didn't start off too bad. Had an apple with some pb and a cup of coffee. Well, it was all down hill from there. Someone brought in donuts and I can't resist a good bismark. Then a couple hours later I grabbed a bag of frito's out of the vending machine. Next was a retirement party where I had an oatmeal raisin cookie and a slice of pumpkin cheesecake roll. Then I followed that up with a snickers bar on my way out the door to head home. Well... all those wasted carbs came back during the 200m runs and I needed to get home NOW!! So, I ended up cutting my cool down short :-(

Otherwise it was a fun run! Working on the new form is a challenge. I've developed some bad habits and they are hard to break! Another work in progress.

 

[disneygpa]

Weekend update.

Saturday and Sunday's runs were both nice!! I've really been eating like crap the past week and it's been showing. Stomach was not feeling great during the Saturday run so I only did 3 strides... Sunday felt much better, but with the time change I nearly ran out of daylight and didn't have my night time running stuff with me. Certainly need to plan better than that. A small portion of my run is on the shoulder of a fairly busy road. It's a wide shoulder, but I still want to make sure people can see me!!

Legs felt a little tired when I took off on Sunday. Felt better after a mile or so.
Did my stretches twice on Saturday and Thrice on Sunday. Those are going well. I really enjoy them, but DANG they are time consuming. I've managed to get them down to 35 min. I believe that's about the most I can trim on wasted time between stretches.



This coming week, I believe will be my highest mileage week ever! I'm feeling pretty good about it and confident that I'll survive!

I find it interesting how I panic a little every time I go up in miles. Then when I complete the new distance, it's like no big deal. With a couple of 40+ mile weeks coming up I have already started to question my ability. But then I remind myself I felt the same way before I ran past 5, then 6 and 7 miles.... and at some point those have become routine now and they aren't a big deal! Just gotta stick with the plan, stretch, run stretch, repeat!!

 

[disneygpa]

Tuesday's run.

4 miles at EA. Nice and easy. Stayed pretty close to my paces. Still a little intimidated by the upcoming week. Happens anytime I go further than I have.
Heard the unmistakable sound of cars crashing last night. Looked like someone ran a red light and BAM... That brought back some bad memories.... funny how car crashes actually sound nothing like they do in the movies. Just a giant SMACK and it's over... no squealing tires, no theme music, just smash and silence. Hope everyone was ok. Sheriff was one car back from the intersection. Guessing she'll be a good witness!



On a more personal note. I've been given a lead position over the electricians at work. Seems like I spend all day babysitting or putting out little fires(not real flames). I'm feeling like I don't actually accomplish anything! I find myself dropping the f bomb far more than I'd like. Not sure I'm going to keep the position. Though the extra money will more than pay for another Disney run.... Just gotta decide if it's worth it or not.

 

[disneygpa]

Wednesday run.

5 miles @ EB + strides.

Overall a good run. Paces were close and fairly consistent minus that first mile that I always seem to run too fast.
Legs felt a little heavy last night. Not sure why but it took some time to feel good during the run.
Also, something VERY unusual for me this morning. I was actually a little sore. Not terrible, not like OUCH sore, just a little bit. Got up and did my stretches and felt much better. Managed to get three sets of stretches in yesterday. That may have contributed to the soreness.

@DopeyBadger Billy, I was going to save this for my trainer but I'll probably forget by then. How long is stretching effective for? For example, if I finish stretching at 4pm but don't start my run until 5pm is the stretching doing any good? I'm just wondering how it'll work for the races? I'm sure that laying down in the corral's is probably frowned upon, and I'm not sure using my foam roller in the corrals would be any better. So, If I stretch at 4am for a 5:30am start, does it really do any good? What do you do for stretching when you have long waits in the corrals? Thanks!!



Tonight is my last blind progression run. Must remember to keep my paces reasonable!

 

[DopeyBadger]

@DopeyBadger Billy, I was going to save this for my trainer but I'll probably forget by then. How long is stretching effective for? For example, if I finish stretching at 4pm but don't start my run until 5pm is the stretching doing any good? I'm just wondering how it'll work for the races? I'm sure that laying down in the corral's is probably frowned upon, and I'm not sure using my foam roller in the corrals would be any better. So, If I stretch at 4am for a 5:30am start, does it really do any good? What do you do for stretching when you have long waits in the corrals? Thanks!!

When I do a warm-up run, I usually like for it to occur between 60-15 min to race start. The dynamic stretching usually occurs prior to that. I think you'll find that you have more room in the corrals than you think. In my experience, if you get there early, then there's usually plenty of time. At about 75 min prior to race start is when they've walked us to the corrals (new placement this year so don't know the timing for sure now). But I think for about 60-30 min to race start time there's always been a decent amount of room in the corrals to run around, lay down, or do whatever you want. Once you get inside 30 min to race start is when things start to get more packed. I usually just dance around in place once we get within that 5-0 min to start mark. Then just expect the first mile or so to feel tight as you ease into everything.

 

[disneygpa]

Thursday's run.

I was a little worried about this run. Last time I did the blind progression I definitely ran the last 5 min too hard. This time the goal was to manage my paces better so I didn't feel dead at the end. I feel much better about this run. Even though I ran basically the same distance as the last progression, I felt better when I was finished. I ran a little slower for the first 20 min. I tried to do that on purpose, knowing that I had farther to run. Second 15 min was a little faster, but still a pretty comfortable pace. Last 5 min, was WAYYYYY slower than the last time, and was definitely a good pace. One that I'm confident I could keep going for 5 more min.

Got 2.5 stretching sessions done. I didn't do all my stretches after the run. I know, I know.... I gotta make time for the stretching!!





A friend of mine has invited me to join him at "9 round" tonight. It's a kickboxing fitness gym. I told him I gotta run but I'll go give it a shot and just take it easy. I figure it'll be okay since tonight is a short EA run. I'm just hoping it doesn't hurt my longer weekend runs. I'll take it easy.... I say that now, but I probably won't.

Ugh.. I probably should have just said no...

 

[disneygpa]

Weekend update!

Whew! Ended up not going to my buddy's gym. Just didn't work out time wise. Which was probably a good thing. From the way he talks it is quite the workout and I didn't really want to expend the extra energy before the long runs this weekend.

Friday was 3 miles at EA. Nothing to note about the run. Nice and easy. Quite relaxing.

Pacing was pretty good. Should have been around 12:04.

Went for an evening walk with my grandson. He has been wanting to walk down to a graveyard near the house and go thru it in the dark. He finally got brave enough to do it!! But boy was he a bundle of nerves! Good time though. Next time he wants to take a voice recorder down and see if there are any ghosts!

Saturday was 6.5 miles + strides.



Another comfortable run. Wasn't sure I was up for strides by the end but, after the first stride the others felt good!! Didn't do my post run stretches after this run and I paid for it the next morning. Had dinner with a friend who is coming with us to DW. It will be her first trip ever to the Magic Kingdom and she's very excited and really into all the planning that goes into it.

Sunday RUNDAY!!

10 miles at LR pace.

I gotta say I'm really happy with this run!! I went back to the same place I did my first 10 miler and when my fitbit failed to give me credit for the full distance. (stupid fitbit) The Garmin did a much better job of tracking the distance and staying connected to GPS. Pace was supposed to be 10:58 and I think I nailed it for the most part.
Legs felt heavy but good at the end. Feel like I could have gone further if needed.

Run nutrition today was 17oz Muarten (sp) pre run. I was able to get it all in within 15 min by drinking a little every few min. I followed that up with Tailwind at 45 min and 75 min. No GI issues and as far as I could tell I felt pretty good at the end. Probably need to make more effort to stay hydrated pre run. As in maybe I need to drink more H2O all day!!



I am trying to be aware of how I feel the next day after these longer runs.
Could I go out today and run another 10 miles? I think I could. I got all my stretching in yesterday and got a good nights rest.
This ends my longest mileage week as of yet at 34.2 miles. I know there are more miles to come and longer runs to come. But as of now I feel pretty good!!


Left knee still feels a little weak but doesn't have the intense pain that I had after the half marathon. So hopefully the stretching is helping and it won't be an issue come Dopey.

 

[disneygpa]

@rteetz Ryan, I've searched and can't find an exact answer so I'm hoping you can help. Do you need a park ticket to get into MK if you pay for the ChEAR squad?