by ·Comments Off on Long Runs and the Call of Nature

Last Sunday I did my long run—about 18 miles worth.  Whew!!!  That was a long run.

Anyway, I am not really a fast runner, and from the time I left the house—about 7 am—to the time I finished, hours passed.  And on this particular run, I felt the call of nature.

Specifically, I ran this in about 3 hours and 10 minutes (3:10).  Here’s the kicker—at mile 6.5, I felt the call of nature—of type #1.  Since I typically clear myself before such a long run, I decided to just let this ride.  I knew that this was just a feeling, and I just had to hang in there.

So all the way through the run I had the urge to pee.  Unfortunately there were no convenient place to do this for the running route that I took.  On at least one occasion, I seriously thought about going into a bush and just doing it there.

But, I hung on to the finish.  Here’s the funny thing.  When I finished the run, I no longer had the urge to pee!

The moral of the story…

Sometimes when you feel like going, it probably doesn’t mean you have to go.  If you can hold it, just wait until the finish.  If, however, you feel like you are bursting at the seams, by all means find a convenient spot to deliver.

by ·Comments Off on Long runs: What not to do

Last week was an easy week for me from the perspective of running.  From my last long run last week to this weekend’s long run, I didn’t run at all.  And guess what happened?

I basically took a week off, not because I really wanted to, but it was a necessity.  Remember, in order for me to get runs in, I have to wake up early.  Last week, I’ve been sleeping late which make it extremely difficult to wake up early.

So, in order to get enough sleep, I had to forgo running for a few days.

Then last Sunday, I did a long run—about 16 miles.  It wasn’t a bad run, until I got to around 12 miles.  At around that point, I started feeling soreness on my left calf.

I continued running through the pain to completion of the run.  A few hours after the run, my left calf was really sore, to the point that I dare not put pressure on it.

Anyway, I decided to rest my legs for a couple of days.  This morning, I did my interval training, and I was OK for a bit, but I could still feel the soreness on my left calf…not good.

The moral of the story are…

  1. On long runs, gradually build up distance again, after a one week or greater break.  Rushing to longer distance faster than recommended can actually slow your progress as a result of injury.
  2. Make sure to get enough sleep.  It is hard to get motivated when you are sleepy.

by ·Comments Off on Long Runs–Things to Consider

I just finished running my long run for the week.  The run spanned over 13.5 miles, and my legs and feet are tired—no, sore to be more exact.  As I type this, I am rolling my feet over a narrow cylindrical bottle of frozen water to help reduce soreness under my feet; and it feels good.

Anyway, when doing long runs (anything in the 10 plus miles range) , you need to take into account the following:

  1. Hydration:  For my long runs, I use a hydration belt with two 8-10 oz. canisters.  This seemed to be just enough for my 13.5 mile run.
  2. Energy Gel:  At my 12.5 mile mark, I started to get that weird feeling of weakness.  Generally this can happen if your body’s glycogen (stored energy) is depleted.  Most runners hit this at around the 18-20 mile mark.  I probably hit it early because I haven’t eaten anything since last night.  An alternative to using energy gel is just to use fluids that provide some calories for the run.  I generally use Powerade for that.   It has 80 calories per 12 fl. oz., and so every sip introduces some calories into the run.
  3. Proper Socks:  When you run long distance, it is best to make sure you have comfortable socks—the type that doesn’t cause pressure points between your feet and your shoes.  When you run long distance, any minor irritant, can become an injury—blister to be more exact.
  4. Audio:  Long runs can last for as much as two and a half hours.  I typically listen to the news, an eBook, or a podcast so that I can learn something at the same time.  Some say you shouldn’t distract yourself with such things, and to just listen to your body; but everyone is different, so do what works for you.  This definitely works for me.

That is it.  Hopefully this is useful for anyone wishing to conquer a half-marathon or full marathon someday.