Good Morning!
I am feeling surprisingly great this morning! Why so surprisingly? Well, yesterday was my Long Slow Distance run. What? You would like to hear more about it? GLADLY!
I have to admit, it didn’t start off to grand. I started searching for my ifitness belt, but had no luck. After half an hour I finally gave up – and headed out without it. (A 10 mile run with no water.. This should be fun..) Now, It wasn’t as bad as it could be – as it was raining, so that should help a little with the heat, right? Right.. about that.. It stopped half a mile into the run.
But, ever the eternal optimist, I kept running. My goal was to head down to Crofton parkway, do two laps and head home. I figured I could add a little bit extra to move myself from 9.5 miles up to 10 or 11. Due to the dreary nature of the day – there was not the usual numbers of people out and about – it was quite peaceful. In fact, in the first round I only saw 3 other runners and 2 pairs of walkers! On any given Sunday – with nice weather -I could expect 3 or 4 times that many!
But I digress.
I thought this run might be trouble, I had re-taped my feet (YAY KT TAPE!), and it seems that the left one (the worse of the two feet)) hadn’t been done as well as the right. Less than half a mile out (about the time it stopped raining), I could start to feel my plantar fascia become unhappy. Now, any good runner knows what to do when their body starts to let them know there is an injury there.. I ignored it and kept going, after all isn’t that in the runner’s rulebook?
I couldn’t get into the run at first (notice my preoccupation on the first half mile?), but reminded myself that I was out there to enjoy it, not simply to log miles. I kept my head up and smiled.. It made all the difference. i was able to appreciate the now-familiar views, and was able to better watch which houses were for sale (after all, my wife and I don’t plan on renting forever!) I have to admit, there were several that looked nice – but we are a couple of years off from buying. We want to let our daughter finish at her elementary school… ok.. TMI there?
ANY way… So back to the run (I seem a bit scatter-brained today!) I did two loops down around Crofton Parkway. I have to admit I enjoyed seeing the same people 4 times (they were obviously running the other way) and headed back toward home. It was coming off of Crofton Parkway that i really began to appreciate how nice GU and Water is. It was really all I could think of for the last two miles! Well, and for the last mile i also thought about ‘One foot forward.. Now the other one… Now the other one..”
I was super pleased with my pace, and I figure I can expect to be sore for a couple of days for this one!
I did arrive home, safe and sound.. After a LARGE cup of water – I have to say, I really enjoyed the run! My feet feel quite good today, although I do have a little soreness in my right knee. I’m very please/suprised by my lack of pain, although my legs are QUITE tired! I think I am in a good position to be ready to go for the Marine Corps Marathon!
What do you do for hydration? I ask as I am apparently replacing mine!
I run, because I am a runner. Having realized that I have always "been a runner" - even when I went years with out running, I am learning how it has integrated itself in all aspects of my life. When I started running in highschool, my perspective on life changed. Funny that I didn't realize how much it had affected it until just recently.
Once and Future Runner 
Lol, wow you are a lot better than I. I remember the first time I ran without water…and definitely made it my last time. Now, I always carry water with me and use a hydration belt to carry the two 10 oz bottles. The brand I use is from Nathan’s (http://www.nathansports.com/hydration/hydration-belts) and I’ve had mine for about…maybe 2.5 years now with no major issues. It serves well enough on long runs, though when I get to going past 8-10 miles it can be an issue if there aren’t water fountains for me to refill my bottles along the way.
I think the phrase you may be looking for, is that I am a lot dumber than you! I have scoured my house and cannot find this stupid belt. It only has 6 oz water bottles (two), but In NY I would plan my long runs to go by a convenience store to refill it.
I’m currently drooling over the “Quench Retractable Hydration Belt” that Fitletic (formerly called ifitness) offers. They have offered me a belt (As they are bigger/better than they used to be) to write a review on, but I suspect they weren’t meaning their most expensive deluxe model..
NICE! I need to reach out to some places to write a few reviews.