rain, rain, go away

Last weeks training went very well. Still focusing on the run, my big workout for the week was a 21 mile run. I planned out a course between here and Suwanee and asked Naomi to come pick me up at the far end of the Suwanee greenway - where my 21 mile jaunt would end. I started early Sunday morning and set off with a fuel belt full of water and shot blocks. This run went very well considering what I had done in the two days prior to it. On Friday I had the day off and the weather was just perfect for a ride. I headed out the door with the intention of doing 25 or 30, but ended up going 45 just because I didn't want the ride to end. I followed this up on Friday with 10 miles at marathon race pace, which is supposed to be around 7:50 a mile. I wasn't feeling so hot during this run so I felt like I had to work for that pace - but I ended up working to hard and averaged 7:30's. I've had a hard time nailing down 7:50 on my pace runs, I'm always 10 to 20 seconds to fast! I guess this is an ok problem to have, but I need to learn my pace so I don't go out to hard in Huntsville. So back to the long run, I started out slow - 8:40's or something for the first few miles. Gradually I felt better and by the half way point when I crested the big hill up Old Suwanee to make my left onto North Price, I started feeling down right fantastic. As I looped around Moor road and Suwanee, I was picking it up ever so slightly each mile. I hit the Suwanee Greenway 18 miles in at L'ville-Suwanee Rd. 3.25 miles to go and much to my surprise Naomi and Scout had run 3 miles out to meet me for my last 3. This made for a really easy finish to a very long run. I finished the 21 miles in 2h 59 minutes. Averaging 8:24 per mile when it was said and done.

This was my 4th run of 20 miles or greater since the beginning of October and I am certainly feeling comfortable with the distance. Nutritionally the thing that seems to work the best for me during the run are Cliff ShotBloks in Cola and Margarita flavor. They sit on my stomach just right and don't cause any gastrointestinal distress like gels or a mixed high calorie liquid fuel. They also come in neat tube like packaging so they are easy to manipulate while running. The cola has 1 shot of espresso in it and it seems to really perk me up mentally and helps me focus in the later stages of my long efforts. The Margarita flavor provides some much needed sodium and electrolytes. I eat 3 to 4 packs of these over a 3 hour run - about 600 to 800 calories, so about 250 calories an hour. As far as hydration I've just been sticking with plain water - about 40 ounces per 20 mile run in the fall weather we have been having.
I have the day off work today so I had planned a 5 mile run and also to get on the bike, but just so happens there's a tropical storm moving through the state. If the rain would just slow down a little bit I could get the run in, and then sit on the trainer for an hour later this evening.