Weekend Workouts

Yesterday's long run at Shelley Lake with the Galloway group was an eye opener! I continue to learn lots about my body and what I can do. I'm also learning more about what my body (and mind) need for me to push it to the limit.

16 miles was on the schedule for those of us doing Oct./Nov. marathons. I knew this was on the schedule, and I tried to be ready, but I wasn't as fresh as I would've liked. With group leader Kathy's company again, I ended up walking the last new miles, ending up with about 15.5 miles in a little under 5 hours. Can you say slow?!

Following last weekend's busy vacation (which included hiking), I had a busy work week getting ready for our move. One day I even moved a bunch of boxes and books around, which was a good workout but ended up being physically draining. And then there was the Thurdsay evening run at Bond Park, which was fun, but maybe not restful (especially after working out at the gym that morning!).

Yesterday morning I slept in a tad, so I skimped on breakfast, and ended up sucking down a couple of GU gels--can you believe that?! I need to work on breakfast before a long run, a banana at least!

I drank more water during yesterday's run, which helped a lot. I was glad to have the water bottle with me! We also had a snack stop (with fruit, fig newtons, etc) for the first time, so I enjoyed getting replenished. (The orange slices were especially awesome!)

When I got home, I showered and took a big ole nap! I felt tired for the rest of the day, but my legs started feeling better last night.

Today I've continued to feel tired. Last weekend's run plus hiking aside, this seems to be the longest I remember feeling this tired from a run. I need to figure out how to recover better. Maybe it's a matter of my body getting used to the extra exertion, plus extra rest and water--and good nutrition.

This morning I was planning to go to the gym and ride the recumbent bike, but I didn't feel like getting into my car. I put on my Garmin and went for a 40-minute walk, but the plantar fasciitis in my left foot, which reappeared yesterday, still gave me problems this morning.

I'm glad to have my second 20-mile running week of the month, but this was a hard-fought 20 miles! I'm off to take a nap!