let the tapering begin!

Ten miles hardly seems like a long run any more! I started off in the dark, which is always fun in a spooky kind of way. I ran a few miles and then meet up with Meghan, which was good times, then headed back up the hill towards home. I was just starting to feel really good when I got home. I'm pretty sure that is a good sign!

Ready to go!  

Oh Dark Thirty

Ten miles by 8am.  Not too shabby.

10 miles

2 hrs

12:00 pace

Daily Meh

How was my run today? Meh. I went out at 6am, which was partially the problem. But even after I woke up a bit I still felt very complacent about running today. It happens. But, I ran and that's what counts.

3.25
40:32
12:28

9 days

Count them!
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
NINE days left until race day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is all.

Daily Mile

So, turns out that I messed up my neck with that fall on Sunday.  I have a bunch of little pebble-like knots at the base of my skull and neck.  Fabulous, right?  Luckily they don't hurt too much and I have only lost a little range of motion.  This morning I went for a massage and that helped some.  Then I squeezed in a short run.  What a gorgeous day!!!

2.75 miles
32 minutes
11:38 pace

Fun in the Sun

Having a blast as usual, Katherine and I hit up her neighborhood and part of the Dimple Dell gully we hadn't been in before. The sun was out, it was warm, and I was really enjoying the fabulous spring day. I was feeling particularly great by the end of the run and enjoyed picking up the pace for the last mile.

4.26 miles
53:33
12:34 pace

Race day nutrition

I'm starting to think a lot about fuel on race day. Well, obviously I've been thinking about fuel on all my long runs. I've learned a lot about what works for me during my marathon and 50k training. For breakfast before a long run I start with a banana and a bar (like a Kind or Lara bar.) Then on the run, I start off with my first food intake at around 45 minutes. Then I eat every 30 minutes for the first three hours, and every 20 minutes thereafter.  I really like GU gels until the last couple of hours when I'm wanting real food and also having a hard time with so much sugar. This is when I start preferring almond butter packets, raisins and kind bars. This race will be a whole new realm for me as I will be running longer than five hours for the first time. I'm going to bring plenty of gels, almond butter, raisins, fruit leather, kind bars, plantain chips, and of course, some 5 hr energy for good measure. I also use emergen-c electro mix powder in my water.
I really don't know if there will be anything that I can eat at the aid stations, and cross contamination is always a concern for me (I have celiac disease for those of you who didn't know.) I will assume I cannot eat anything the race provides and bring enough in my pack to fuel my entire race. I love my Nathan pack, by the way!
I'm getting so excited! Only 12 days left until race day!!!!!!

I'm an animal!

Check out my new running sleeves! As I stood in the mirror taking this picture I realized just how much animal print I've got going on. what can I say? I love animal prints! Maybe I'll be more of a beast on race day!