Hittin’ Ya with 18 Bullets for 18 Miles

I can’t believe the 18-miler is done. On to the next! I have no doubt that 20 will be just as great as 18. I can see myself running it and I look strong. It’s not until May 1st, so I still have some time to get nervous. Zoe and I joked about just making the 18-miler a 20-miler on Sunday. I know we could’ve, but that would’ve been even dumber than my Caddyshack joke.

Here are my thoughts on some things now that the 18 is run and done:

The Run-Walk Method

• I did not do the run-walk method for the 16-miler, but Zoë and I did it for the 18-miler. We definitely had more energy at the end of the 18. So…I am 99% sure I will be using the run-walk method on race day, June 25.
• Jeff Galloway actually suggests a 4-1 ratio and we have been doing a 5-1 ratio.
• What are the pros of the run-walk method?
• Enough energy left toward the end of the mileage for a boost of speed. Hello, 8:55 pace on Mile 18.
• Less chance of injury. Huge plus for me!
• Calculating the “run 5 minutes, walk 1 minute” ratio while running keeps your mind busy and off of how far you have left to go.
• The long run is broken into little bite-sized pieces making it more manageable.
• What are the cons of the run-walk method?
• At first, you feel a little wimpy because you are walking, but that goes away. I’m sure I will feel self-conscious during the beginning of the race when I stop and walk five minutes into it, but I bet there will be others.
• If I wanted to shoot for a goal pace, it is a tad difficult to figure out what my pace should be while running. I combed through Jeff’s site last night, though, and found this tidbit: walking fast during the walking parts only takes 15 seconds off your pace; walking slow takes away only 20. So, I think that means if, just for example, I wanted to run a 10-minute per mile pace, I would have to run a 9:45 and then walk fast during the walking parts. Right? Mostly curious, but if I’m being perfectly honest with myself (and you), I admit that there is a goal time floating around in my head. I can’t help it!

Soreness

• I’ve never had sore hamstrings, and the fact that it came on during the first half of the run leads me to believe it was from pulling weeds and ripping out overgrown rosemary bushes, not running.
• I have soreness in my inner thighs. Not sure what that’s about, but whatever works to make ‘em smaller, right?
• My left shin is still sore. This is the scary one, people. This is the one that I fractured around this time last year. I wore my compression socks under my jeans at work today and my running shoes with the custom orthotics. I had exciting plans to go running with my Tall Running Buddy at lunch, but I had to drive home from work and back this morning because I forgot to leave the spare car seat with Mr. T for T Junior. So I had to make up the hour of work during lunch. I was bummed, buuuuut it was nice to see my boys, and also an extra rest day is probably a good idea.

Testing, Testing

• My playlist was about five minutes too short. I hadn’t factored in our halfway point stretch-and-eat session. Duh! I also didn’t factor in time for the slug photo shoot. Go figure.
• I ran in my Wigwam socks. They are thinner than the Thorlos that I have, but I still got blisters. Not terrible ones, though. During the run, I told Zoë that I wished I’d worn my Swift Socks from RunningSkirts. Definitely wearing my compression socks on the 20-miler.
• I’m hoping the weather warms up a little for the 20-miler so that I can get a taste of what race day will be like at the end of June. Just a little, though, Mother Nature. Don’t get too crazy on us. I’m thinking 60-65 might be nice. This would help with testing a running skirt on a long run, too.
• I need to rethink fuel and hydration. My belt only has two 16-ounce bottles. I ran out of NUUN around Mile 16ish. I think it will be fine during the race because there will be plenty of water stops, but I may need the 20-mile training route to pass by the car for refills or something. Also, I took a gel just about every 45 minutes and was still hungry. Is it okay to be a little hungry? Suggestions?

Weight

• I believe my weight loss has a ton to do with how much easier running is coming to me. I am at my lowest weight in a long time – like since high school. In fact, I had to have my wedding ring resized from a 7.5 to a 6. Who knew you lost so much weight in your fingers? Haha! Also…and this is a big one for me…I bought Size 6 jeans over the weekend. Considering I was a 16 when I started running in 2009, this is huge. I can’t even remember the last time I wore a 6. Ever. I think it might’ve been during high school cross country. But, honestly, I cannot remember.