Worst 12 miles ever!

Maybe that's an over statement, but they were not fun!

Ok, since last post.....

Fri 7/31 - 3 miles - 43:18 (just Ethel and I and she needed to walk, I'm not about to leave her behind, especially at 5:30am)

Sun 8/2 - 10 Miles - 2:02:47 (it rained!!!!)
Mon 8/3 - 3 Miles - 36:58 (legs felt like lead from previous 10)
Wed 8/5) - 3 miles - 36:15 (actually ran after work instead of before, mosquitoes ate me up! and it was hot)
Sat 8/8 - 3 miles - 35:58

Sun 8/9 - 12 miles - 2:38:55

Yesterday's 12 miles were the worst miles I've run in a really, really long time (the only thing I can think of that is remotely close would be the Rock N Roll Half in VA Beach in 2006). And no it wasn't the heat! Although it sure didn't help. Both Michelle and my new friend Heather were not at the group run. I was kinda looking forward to running by myself and slightly dreading it. We were to run 3 miles westbound on the trail and come back to the starting point, then run 3 miles eastbound and come back to the starting point, for a total of 12. I ended up running with another lady for the first 2, 2.5 miles (shortly before the first turn around) and that was nice. Then, she pulled back a little and told me to go ahead, so I did. I was drinking water (at water fountains) and watered down G2 (in my camelbak) the whole time because I was worried about dehydration and heat exhaustion (it got into the 90's yesterday with a very high heat index). Between miles 5 and 6 I stopped to walk and eat some sport beans. I also planned to walk 1-2 minutes for every mile after 6 miles. Around mile 7, I started having some serious stomach issues and had to walk a lot more than planned. And of course there are not many bathrooms along the trail. At one point on the trail, I was less than a mile from my house. I really thought about just giving up and going home from there. I'm also having shoe issues. I can't put my finger on it, but my shoes just don't give the same warm and fuzzy they have in the past. These are the newer model of the same shoe I've been wearing for 3-4 years now. I don't know if I'm the wrong size or got a fluke bad pair of shoes or the latest reformulation just isn't for me. The problem is, none of the other neutral, cushion shoes feel as good. (Yes, I've been evaluated for running needs twice, and I need a neutral shoe.)

I don't know how I finished those 12 miles, but I did. I'm actually quite proud of myself for sticking it out an finishing it even when it was really tough.

I've been playing it over in my head, I didn't do anything different than normal. I ate the same thing I normally eat before a long run with about the same amount of time before the run. I ran with G2 last weekend, and Sport Beans have been my go to "food" for quite awhile now. I was talking with a co-worker and fellow runner this morning and she said her doctor wrote an article on this. Now, take this with a grain of salt since it's word of mouth....but, apparently these horrible stomach issues and bathroom needs plague about 20% of runners and it can come on for no reason what-so-ever. My co-worker recently ran a marathon, almost qualified for Boston but had all these stomach issues on the course. She'd never had anything like it in any of her training runs. Go figure. I know I'm sensitive to dairy when I put in high mileage. I definitely can't eat it a few hours post run. I think I'm going to lay off it pre-run too (ie. no pizza that night before for dinner). The other thing it could be....my daughter had a horrible diaper while we were out Saturday. Horrible! If she had a 24 hour stomach bug, she could have (and probably did) share it with me, as she likes to share all her illnesses with me.

Tomorrow morning I'll be meeting Michelle for 6 miles. Hopefully, my legs won't feel like lead. They are still a bit sore from yesterday.