Yesterday I completed the final 20 mile run in my training for the Santa Rosa Marathon coming up in three weeks. It was particularly important to me that the run go well, given that I cut my previous 20-miler short at 18 miles due to the heat here in SoCal that day. I am trying to be smart and not overwork my body just to check off the mileage on the training plan. That’s major progress for me because I get a lot of satisfaction from crossing off those workouts!
The weather yesterday did not offer a lot of promise — 75 degrees when I started at 6 a.m., and so humid that it reminded me of running in Hawaii but without the gorgeous views to inspire me. In fact it felt more like I was running through the pool locker room at the YMCA, it was that humid and uninspiring!
I determined to do my best and to fuel properly to avoid bonking. Gatorade is the sports drink offered on the marathon course so I’ve been practicing using that on my long runs. I carried a full two liters of Gatorade in my new Nathan Intensity 2L Women’s Hydration Race Vest:
(Happy early birthday to me! Thanks Mom and Dad!)
I drank every single drop of that two liters of Gatorade by the time I reached home 3 hours and 16 minutes later, and I didn’t bonk! That’s 20 miles with an elevation gain of 1,300 feet, completed at an average pace of 9:50 per minute. To give myself that extra boost of confidence I so desperately needed, I completed the last mile at 8:55, proving that I still had something left in the tank after a solid run. The only bad news was that I sweated so much in the humidity that the sweat pooled in my new shoes, and when I got home, I peeled off my socks and wrung out about a half cup of sweat, much to the amusement and disgust of my 9-year-old!
I celebrated the successful run by having some friends over for a pool party and potluck lunch. One of Mike’s and my high school friends came into town from Ohio and we took the opportunity to gather seven classmates together, 25 years after graduation!
How was your weekend? Did you exercise?
Fit Fun Mom 