Long Run

Yesterday I took off for my long run at about 9:00. I should have left earlier (story of my life). It got pretty hot by the end. I did 14 miles again. The biggest challenge was finding somewhere to fill my water bottle. There is a park with a disc golf course that is about 1/2 a mile off the trail that doesn't have a drinking fountain (I thought it did) but did have restrooms with running water. I filled my water bottle, which was originally filled with G2, with warm water from the sink. It was better than nothing. It was hot enough that I eventually took off my shirt and just ran in my sports bra. I don't do that very often, but the shirt was soaked and heavy. I couldn't stand it anymore.

So, I ended up running 14 miles on 20 ounces of G2 and 20 ounces of water. I could have used a little more G2 at about mile 11 or so. All in all, not a bad run. I felt pretty good most of the way. I had thought about continuing to 15 or 16 miles--especially since I feel a need to continue to build my long run--but it just got too hot.

I did discover a few places recently where I could refill my water bottle. They are a little bit off of my typical routes, but that's not a problem. One is at a ballpark around here. I stopped there the other night to get water and these kids were making out. Perfect. There is also a vending machine I found that has water. Of course, I need to remember to carry money for that. In addition, there's a gas station on Ansborough I can buy G2 at if I want. I'd prefer to stay on the trails, but those aren't too far off my route.

I am realizing that I can do these long runs with minimal water and fuel (and have done them without before) but it's really a lot more pleasant if I drink water, Gatorade, eat my Sport Beans, etc. Of course, things are a little hairy if I don't refuel when it's 85 degrees with 95 percent humidity...like it has been lately. I can run 5, 7, 8 miles without water (not that I always should), but 14 is just not do-able.

The thing about races is that it's nice that there are people every mile or so to give you fluids. You don't have to worry about it. It's those long Saturday morning runs where it's harder to stay hydrated. I have to say that there are a lot of things that make races easier than long training runs. No one is there to encourage you to to finish your run on a training run, and there's no live music. Nobody is going to give you free bagels from Panera after you are done. I give myself a lot more credit for getting up every Saturday to run 11-14 miles on my own than I do for finishing a half-marathon. The other thing is that no one really knows if I don't do my long training run....I have to rely on intrinsic motivation.

Here is my race schedule for the rest of the summer:

Aug. 28: Lincoln to Lincoln (8 miles)
Sept. 11: Park to Park 1/2 Marathon
Sept. 18: Promise Run 10k for Cedar Falls Lutheran Home

This week I will taper maybe a little for the Lincoln to Lincoln, but I don't anticipate cutting back my mileage all that much. Then I would have one more long Saturday run before Park to Park (if I don't do a long run additional this weekend to the race). Then I might back off those long runs, or at least not increase my long run anymore, UNLESS I decide to run the Des Moines Marathon or 1/2. I guess I'll decide that for sure after Park to Park.

I often run in Calvary Cemetery, which is at Fletcher and Falls Avenue in Waterloo. It's a nice cemetery, although it doesn't have running water like Waterloo Cemetary on Kimball. Sometimes I do a few laps to make my runs a little longer. Anyway, I've sort of taken some ownership in Calvary Cemetery. As I run, I often pick up trash. This isn't a big deal since I'm there to run anyway. I just grab stuff and run it to the trash can. So, yesterday, I realized that whoever had mowed the cemetery had done a poor job. The open areas were fine, but it was pretty spotty between graves. The interesting thing was how upset it made me. Maybe it was because I have somewhat invested in keeping the cemetery nice by picking up trash, but someone else didn't care--even though they were getting paid to keep it nice. I'm sure, however, mowing a cemetery is not an easy job.

Bill and I have been obsessed with watching the Little League World Series as of late. If you haven't caught any games, check it out. We are predicting Connecticut will win out of the US pool.