i am, slowly, but surely, getting closer to the crazy distance i need to run on sunday, december 11.
this past weekend i made it to 24.5k. previously, i was having a very difficult time adding mileage… by 18k, my legs were started to tell me that moving was no longer a priority. i would become less chatty, and i have a feeling i eminated a bit of a snappy attitude, too. after one of my longer runs i almost got sick, i couldn’t stand and my face went completely pale. i obviously was not doing something right. this is where trial & error comes in. the challenge is that no single body is the same. every single human being needs a slightly different formula of sleep, nutrition, and hydration. there are some guidelines you can use as a starting point – but there are absolutely no rules. so, i started experimenting – and i finally found my magic forumla… on my long runs (over 20k) i need, at a minimum: 1 bagel with some kind of spread (PB or cream cheese), 1 egg, 2 servings of electrolytes while i run (in liquid or solid format), and 1.5litres of water. after being exhausted, sick, irritable, and a little discouraged, i tried my new formula and had my best long run ever this past saturday. i also need to do a mini “carb load” the day before the run, which means a couple extra pieces of fruit, and change the ratio of carbs to protein to fat to about 75:15:10. it also means focusing on hydration, and trying to get proper sleep. the latter has been a complete wash. as i’ve been training harder, it has become more difficult to sleep… i often have nights where I cannot fall asleep until 3am…
but maybe that’s my iphone addiction.
jenbacca 