102410, 102510, 102610

Goal: long run, weights, recovery run

Results: Sunday- 15 mile run, Monday- Weights, Tuesday- 3 mile recovery run.

Morning weights: 208, 204, 206

Diet: Since being back in town my diet has been very well in the day time. It has gotten rough at night. With muffins, brownies, and Oreo blizzards placed in my way I have not fared very well.

Thoughts: With the last three workouts I have had a chance to learn a good deal.

Sunday was a 15 mile run, not a 10% increase in distance but a 10% increase in my total weeks training volume since the week before me taper. I completed the run in 2:50 and my goal was under 3:00.  I am still my 11 mile lolipop and then over to my 3 mile loop and back home.

Since I have never had a run this long I tried some . When running 10 miles I take my go lite pack hydrosprint. I usually run out of water in mile 9. For this run I took my rei waist pack with me with about 40oz's of drink. One bottle of water and one of half Gu drink. I also took 5oz's of hammer gel in a flask. Since I did not have a second flask I took 4 more Gu singles and some cliff shot blocks to try. In addition was my ipod, cell phone, and a flashing red light in case it got dark.

I took one drink every 15 minutes. After an hour I have an ounce of gel every 15 minutes and a drink. I start the gu drink after my second hour. I typically mix 3/4 an ounce of water in a 5oz gel flask. I have gotten so used to it that I was disgusted by the gu singles. I will have to get a second flask. I tried the cliff shot blocks and they were good but I had a hard time chewing them while running. They take longer to get down than gel from the flask. All of the nutrition seemed to work fine, no stomach problems and no bonk (other than just being tired). I was able to make it until the end of mile 12 without the ipod. After this the run was so incredibly lonely that I had to put it on. Oddly, my next two miles were a minute faster per mile.

As all ways, stopping was rough. My knees hurt a little while I cooled down.. Followed the run with a cold shower and tights. No pain after that, just a little sore like any long run.

Monday, per my training plan was rest/weights. For weights I am following a Mark Allen Strength Training Plan. The first phase was adaptation and I was a week and half into it. The plan says stay in the phase 2-4 weeks or until I no soreness the day after. I have not had soreness since I started so I was considering changing before the two week mark. I got to the gym ready to do the phase 1 and when I opened my book it said to change to phase II. Apparently I had already planned to change phases early. This phase, the endurance phase, keeps the same exercises and weight, but just adds one sets. Finally REAL soreness in my legs and every leg exercise made me break out in sweat (leg curls, lunges, squats, calf raises, etc).

Today I woke up and was finally sore. Every muscle I worked yesterday was sore. Odd how all it took was an extra set. This evening was my 3 mile recovery. This was one of the most labored runs of my life. When I started it felt like I was having to force my leg around on every stride. I FORCED myself to keep it slow and I think it will be worth it in the long run. In the end it was the hardest slow run of my career this far.

In three days I learned about nutrition, mental toughness, physical soreness, and recovery.

Lastly, on a random note tonight's junk food was sponsored by my lil' sis'-in-laws Grace's 11 Birthday party. What a neat little girls is exited to get baseball card and beef jerky got her birthday. Don't worry she also got a Miley Cyrus CD and book and was almost as happy to get those too.