I learned a few things on this run.I had a banana for breakfast at around 5:30 before I drove downtown to meet my running buddies to carpool down to Sausalito.
We began our run at 7:30 at the beginning of the Golden Gate Bridge and to be honest with you, the banana wasn't all that filling.
By the time we reached the Ferry Building, we were nearing the 8 mile mark. We turned around to head back and I started to feel pain in my hips. Not badly, but enough for me to hobble. I decided this was a good time to chew my single Clif Shot Blok.
I accidently brought the wrong lid to my water bottle so I was waterless until one of the kind-hearted runners in the group offered me a 12-oz water bottle. I was terrified of drinking it all early in my run, so I didn't drink a sip until Mile 9. And I even left half the bottle filled with water just in case I needed it toward the end of the run.
This might have been another mistake.
Please do not run a 15-1/2 mile run only eating a banana and one clif shot blok and waiting to sip water until Mile 9. Because if you're a lot like me, and you probably are.... it'll hurt by the time you reach Mile 11.
But.. it was FUN!
I kept promising myself, "I can do this! I can do this! I can do this!" And I did.
But to be honest, I felt as though I hit a wall around mile 8-9... and then another wall just before the Golden Gate Bridge on the return trip back.
But it didn't stop me. I kept on running. And it felt GREAT to finish.
The following day I still felt great. But I can't help but wonder what would I have felt if I hadda better breakfast and had more water and more gels?
Only two more weeks for the race and now it's time to experiment!!!
5 comments:
That's pretty fascinating Shawn! it confirms the notion that 'food is fuel'...like eating a good breakfast before getting out there and working all day. One time during a football game, Jerry Rice hadn't eaten anything and said he felt tired and listless, then at halftime he ate a hotdog and said he felt like a million bucks in the second half!
Although some people do run on very little food on purpose, they usually work up to it. I think you'll feel so much better the next time you run!
Hey! Thanks for visiting my blog! I loved reading your race report! How fun that we both finished in 2:13?! :D
As soon as I saw you write "banana at 5:30 am" and "running at 7:30 am" I knew where this was going.
I used to get up and go to 6 am spin classes without having eaten anything and when it came out somehow in a discussion with my friend who is also an instructor, personal trainer, and amazing athlete, she stopped dead in her tracks and looked at me with shock. Then promptly scolded--well... educated me on the importance of properly fueling yourself for various types of workouts. It is especially important to fuel your body when working out first thing in the morning because your muscles have been depleted of ketones during sleep and fasting. So now I always have a mini power bar before my 6 am workouts OR before any workout if I haven't had a meal within an hour before the workout. I think she recommends another power snack after every hour of the workout, but I don't usually workout for more than 60-90 minutes, so I just wait until the workout is over to refuel. I never appreciated the power of properly fueling my body for exercise until the last year or so. It's very important.
I am so impressed with your running and your illustration and your blog! Thanks for visiting my blog. I'm bookmarking yours for sure.
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