Revenge Upon Myself!
In only the sweetest manner possible.
Yesterday was a rest day and I spent it moping around the house, thanks to Sunday’s MP run. I had started questioning everything I’ve been doing and my marathon goal and laughing (derisively) at my previous “I’m going to be all circumspect about it all” since I clearly was being anything but.
Then today comes and it’s the weather I’ve been wanting for months now, a luscious 65 degrees. Haven’t seen that temperature since my Yellowstone vacation. Pfitz calls for a GA run, which couldn’t have come at a better time because I wanted to just run, no strings attached, no speed stuff or percentage-induced brakes, just run the way you run when it feels good.
I knew I’d likely be pushing it to make up for Sunday because I’m childish like that, so I strapped on my HR monitor to keep me honest. All I can say is YIPPEEE!!! I’m not the slug I imagined myself to be.
Splits were: 9:11, 8:50, 8:39, 8:35, 8:28, 8:26, 8:19, 8:00 for an average of 8:34. I wasn’t even trying to make it a progression run, it just happened! Lol, I can, and will, relax now.
What else is on the agenda for the week? Well, this is a cutback week, so it’s a bit less mileage but tomorrow is my first VO2max workout on this plan and I’m excited! Haven’t done intervals since April and these are my favorites, 600s (long enough to test you but short enough to enjoy it). The difference with these, as usual with “keep ‘em movin’” Pfitzinger, is he’s couched it between some extra miles, so the workout is 8 miles with 5×600 at 5K race pace w/90 sec. rest.
Besides that, I’ve got a 5 mile recovery the next day, then a day off, then 8 w/strides and then supposed to be 14 on Sunday, but I’m bumping it to 20, which’ll make it my third 20 so far.
Other than that, time to put my creative thinking hat on again, it’s time to work on new designs for Fish Pie and maybe now that I’m not moping I could actually come up with a couple cute ideas. We shall see.
Oh, and I wanted to mention some positive things about what I learned on my MP run this Sunday. I learned that I will be using the gel flask for the marathon, even though I’ve been using the foil packets for most of my runs these days. It’s much easier to deal with than packets and the dilution aspect will surely be appreciated as the hours tick by and my tummy wants less sweetness. The only downside is the little extra weight thanks to the added water and that it’s localized in one spot, but that’s a fair trade-off.
Another observation: I drank less on the MP run than I usually do. I carried my handheld, which I’ve been considering taking to Steamtown, because I do love being able to drink when I choose, but now I’m thinking that since my gels will have a bit of water added to them in the flask, it’s less critical that I have liquids on me and when I’m concentrated on pace, I don’t sip so much anyway.
Thank god I have PDR beforehand is all I can say, because I usually get all nervous around water stops, to the point where I’ll skip a stop I should use to avoid dealing with it, so it’ll be important to have another practice session before the big day. But who knows, I love my handheld, maybe we’ll do the big race together. Lol, it’s something to ruminate over for the next couple months, anyway, and we all know how I love to ruminate…
Tags: hydration, pfitz 18/55
August 12th, 2008 at 11:52 am
ok, I just realized what the PDR is…I always just call it the Philly Half.
Man, your 8 went so much better than mine today, mine really really sucked but I”m just gonna let it go.
August 12th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Aw pooh, DP, your MP run was so stellar, we just switched for a day. The next one will be way better, and I’m not just talking out my ass.
Yeah, PDR = Philly Distance Run (in case anyone else doesn’t know).
August 12th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Good to hear you’re back on track Flo. Told ya so!
My approach to aid stations is not to stress about taking an extra second or two. Just don’t spill half the water when you grab it. And skip the first aid station, assuming it’s within 3-4 miles of the start. Hopefully they’ll have signs so you can pick out the water tables. The sports drink tables seem to get more crowded. If the water is three tables along, so much the better.
Comparing notes after the S.F. marathon, we were all surprised that we were not lighter/thirstier at the end. Turned out that cool overcast conditions reduced our need for water quite a bit. They gave me a water bottle at the finish, and I didn’t even drink it all.
August 12th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Very cool about the S.F. hydration situation! Wow, if I can have just a tiny bit of your race, I’ll be in heaven.
Great tip about the sports drinks tables, makes me even happier that I’ll be doing water only. Also, I just realized that the stops should be much easier at Steamtown than PDR or the Philly Marathon (where I did the Half) because there’ll be just a fraction of the participants. Hmm…leaning toward leaving my little yellow plastic friend at home.
August 12th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Practice is good, too. The first time I tried drinking from a paper cup while running, it went up my nose and nearly choked me. :-)
August 12th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
The key to not having the water go up your nose is to crimp the cup first so it forms a bit of a funnel. If you can, grab for a cup that’s not totally full (’cuz you’ll end up spilling some when crimping). It takes a bit of practice, but I’ve found I can run through water stops by doing this. I do slow somewhat, but don’t have to walk.
August 12th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
I actually had the pleasure of learning the crimped cup trick at the FE for PDR last year. I was so clueless, I had to make someone show me.
For those non-running-forum readers/posters, FE stands for Forum Encounter…an occasion (race or pre-race dinner usually) where you meet other forumites in the flesh.