February 9, 2009

14 Rocks

Sunday was a 14-rock day. That's one rock for each 2.5-mile lap over at the Eastern Mennonite University campus. So that's 35 miles total. In 6:58:45. From 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. A little gravel, some asphalt, about half of it concrete.

I figured I'd lose track as the mind has a tendency to wander on a loop, so I gathered 10 rocks from beside my driveway and put them in the bed of the Millennium Falcon. After each loop, I moved a rock. Once I got to 10, I piled all the rocks up again and started over. Very cool watching the line grow each time. Amazing how that kept me so scary focused. I almost even missed the hot chica in the black top who blew my doors off. Well, missed her the first time, anyway. ;-)

Nutrition lab: I knocked down 70 ozs. of green tea and 8 ozs. of Hammer Gel. It was warmish (50F at the start, 63F at the end), but a steady breeze kept me cool. Energy was steady. Brain was strong. Legs were just slightly pounded by the 3/4s mark, but rallied by the end. All in all, ranks right up there with the best really long training runs I have done. Period.

Only nutritional holes: No electrolytes. And no salt. Fixable. Easily fixable. Why focus on the holes? Um, maybe because of the little fainting spell about an hour or so after I finished. Yeah. Bit the living room carpet big time. No, nobody was home. Yeah, I woulda gotten a total a**-kickin' if they had been. Much less so when I confessed later. :)

Today, legs were fine. A gentle 20-minute run/walk got rid of any residual. Remarkable, these bodies of ours.

Hammer. A++. Green tea? Um, nice with dinner. On the run? Not so much maybe.

Changes: Gatorade Endurance. Lots of it during the waking hours. And any long run gets at least 20 ozs. of GE, the high-sodium one. And I'm hitting CVS before the week's out to score its OTC electrolyte tab that I once swore by back before I thought I was tough and knew everything.

Seven hours. 5 mph average. 14 rocks. One to remember.

2 comments:

Sophie Speidel said...

What a diff good nutrition can make, eh?

At the risk of sounding like a know-it-all..."I told you so"

Yes, green tea is best post-run. I learned that a few Hellgates ago.

GE sounds good though I am a Nuun fan, as you know. Works like a charm for me.

Keep up the good work! Good nutrition is your friend...

Fur maid said...

You forgot the part about Happy Gentry licking your forehead while you were still eating carpet!