An accident, blood free long run............................

In retrospect, last week's eighteen miler was one long miserable run. Today's run felt unbelievably wonderful in comparison. Take this as encouragement Kate, the way you felt after your last half will help you to feel great during your next long distance.

The alarm went off at 4:30 and I was out the door, on my way by 5:00. It was refreshingly cool and I felt strong and actually pretty excited. My first twenty miler! My oldest had told me about this cool web site http://www.favoriterun.com/ where you can map out a running route. She had helped me do so, and I can't tell you how much it helped to have a new route to keep me motivated and moving forward.

Last night I had taken my Gatorade out and dropped it along the route, and it was almost like a little treasure hunt to find it along the way this morning.

Speaking of food, let me tell you what I have been learning. This is stuff that is working for me, and not meant to be advice. Most books talk about all the food you need to eat while training, and to carb load the day or two before your long runs. License to eat! What's not to love about that for someone that has been limiting calories long before many of you were born. The first month of increased training I tried to eat as advised, but I have changed my overall diet so much over the past couple of years that I found it near impossible to eat the amounts and types of food they suggested. I haven't had any meat, or dairy except for maybe cheese four times over the past month and a half. My body really likes that! It also likes all the sprouts and salads I have been having. I usually have tuna on my salad, and maybe a boiled egg a couple of days prior to my long run to boost the protein, but don't worry about it the rest of the time. I do make sure and have pasta or rice the evening before a long run, but I don't eat anything before heading out, but have found it is super important for me to eat/drink during my runs. Today was no different, and here is what I had during the run starting about an hour into it:

38 ounces of Gatorade
About twenty-four of my little pumpernickel stick crackers
one raw energy bar
1 (small) box of raisins
36 ounces of water
8 ounces of Boost during the last mile

I didn't feel like eating or drinking, but this is what I need to do to keep feeling good, and more importantly to keep from squatting by the side of the road with stomach cramps and all that follows that. All the times I have been through that with simple 1.5 or 2 hour runs is what I think about as I choke down the food and drink.

I had my youngest meet me for the last three miles of today's run. She will be doing the last six mile leg with me for the marathon, and I wanted to see how she did at keeping me moving when I was tired. I actually picked up my pace when I was running with her. That is another reason I am not too worried about my time. I know that when there are other people around I run faster than I do when I am alone (totally all my spoiled inner child's fault).

I ended up finishing the twenty miles in 4:29. This gives me a whole hour and a half to finish the last six miles before the six hour cut-off time so I don't think I have to worry about that. I think I am in a pretty good place in my training with over two months yet to go.

My favorite part of today's run was after it was finished. As I was sitting in my ice bath I called my oldest and we shared the details of our long runs (she had done hers on Friday). I love that we are sharing this experience, and I love having someone that gets why I keep pushing myself, and why doing this marathon is important to me. Running has helped the two of us transition and expand our relationship to something bigger than simply mother and daughter. I am not one of those moms that felt the need to be friends with their kids while they were growing up, but now that she is close to thirty and making her own way in the world having that friend dimension to our relationship has made it even richer than it has always been. One more bonus I have received from running. I am sooooo blessed!