So, after my initial panic, what I have figured out is that I should be okay if I skip two weeks of my training run. This is because I hav already ran 6 miles twice for my long runs, and recently did almost a 4 miler on one of my shorter training runs, so I know that I can handle that distance. I've also decided that I can cut out my last "set back" run of 8 miles during my taper week to allow a few extra rest days/buffer zone. Also, if something were to happen, I can adjust the mileage for other "set back" runs as well. I know that ideally, I should get all of my runs in, but I really do want to allow for some buffer space, since I'm no longer going to have the initial extra weeks off as I had originally hoped. At least this way, I can still allow myself a short shake out run or two a few days before the marathon, but mostly use about a week and half as my rest period before the race day. Plus, I would still be getting in all the miles on the main long runs as a whole.
So, since I skipped ahead two weeks for my long run, and that long run ended up being "set back" run of 5 miles. That run ended up being harder than I would have liked. I think it was partially due to me doing my 3 mile training run the day before, so I may not have been fully recovered from it yet. I wanted to go at a 5.0 speed, or maybe a bit higher, but it felt very fast, so I was mostly running in the 4's. I did vary the speed some, just a little bit, and was able to kick up the last .25 miles closer to my 5k speed, but as a whole, that range in the 4s was what my body could handle.
During the run, I tried using "Skratch" for fueling. I had the lemon-lime flavor, and I was able to get a sample through www.TheFeed.com, which sells a lot of samples of various fuels for a buck or two. Scratch is a low sugar electrolyte drink mix, which you can pour directly and mix directly into your water. One package is good for 16oz of water. I used my handheld bottle, and it ended up tasting a bit strong. However, I think that may have been due to my handheld bottle being a bit less than 16oz. I think it's maybe 14 oz. Overall, I liked the taste, but think I might try a bit less next time. If I end up using this in the race, I can always just have a bit of it in the morning with some water, just to "top up" my energy stores before the race.
For my next long run, I want to try some unsweetened apple sauce that I found at our local Aldi. I have heard of runners using squeeable fruit/veggies for fuel for their runs, and the squeezable applesauce would also be a very cheap option. I bought the kid sized pouches, which should work well in my flipbelt. I'm curious to try this and see how it goes.
Speaking of my 9 mile long run....that distance seems like a huge jump from a 5 mile "set back" run. Even from 6 miles, it seems like a really big jump, and honestly, I don't know if my body is ready for that quite yet. I know that the general rule of thumb is to not increase the mileage more than about 10%, and so that leaves me a bit concerned, especially since I've skipped the 7 mile run to try and get my training schedule sorted out. Then, the week after calls for 10 miles...eeek! So, what I'm thinking for this coming weekend is shoot for maybe 7.5-8 miles instead. Then, the following week, shoot for 10 miles. That way, I'm closer to the 10% margin for increasing mileage. Of course, a lot of this will depends on how I feel, too. Either way, I hope to be on track with getting in all of the long run miles soon.
To sort of piggy back onto the long runs, especially with being on a treadmill, I've been finding myself starting to play little mind games to keep myself going. This is going to be essential, especially with hitting the longer runs. Yes, having some good tunes is helpful, but on the screen I find it helpful to find something to picture myself running towards, especially if it's more in the background. If you watch something go by quickly, such as someone running away from the police, picture yourself chase after that person. I even caught a bit of a virtual reality type of game that was being shown in which guys were flying these miniture airplanes through this obsticle course through a virtual reality headset. At times, the show had a "point of view" viewing of the obsticle course, and so I pictured myself being on that course, and "running" through the obsticles, although there were a few views of flipping over and crashing into walls. :) Mind games like this will help me not focus so much on the distance on the treadmill, and actually enjoy the run more.
That is all for this week. Happy Running!
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