The Last Long Run

Detroit Zoo
Originally uploaded by Auberon.

September 16th, 2007 19.4 miles before 9:30AM
Executive Summary
10.1 mile warm up
5K "race", last mile was 5:40 to put me at 20:28 (14 seconds slower than when I actually raced it last year.)
10K fun run, Greg B and I ran together starting from the back of the entire pack, picking people off the entire time. We started off with a 9:00 mile, and finished with a sub 7 mile, to finish in 45:07 overall (7:17 pace)

The boring details:
In order to reclaim the majority of my day, I had to rise out of bed by 5:30 AM and go through my usual routine of over-analyzing every detail of my run for the day, down to feel of the stitching inside of my socks. How much fluid do I take in before I start running? How much and when do I eat before the run? I've currently found that I feel the best if I consume as much water as possible the day before I have a long run, and then the morning of the run distribute two bottles of an electrolyte-based beverage into my running belt, with any excess fluids remaining consumed 20 minutes before the run. Breakfast consists of two small homemade waffles containing chocolate chips consumed approximately 45 minutes before running. Just before running, a handful of "sports jelly beans" and water. The running belt also has a front pocket which holds another packet of the jelly beans, and a back pocket for another just in case.

Needless to say, my main concerns going into Chicago are the following:

1. Following proper pace (6:51.8 to 7:15 range assumption)
I've trained slightly faster than 6:51.8 so that when the time comes, 6:51 doesn't feel like maximum controlled effort, rather it feels more like a stroll through the park. 7:15 per mile merely represents the upper limit of my crash and burn yet still qualify for Boston pace.

2. Am I ready for 6:51 over the course of 26 miles? Just this past weekend I easily hit 6:33 pace for 10 on Saturday, and then averaged 7:19 for just over 19 miles and am completely recovered (no signs of fatigue that I can feel) as of Monday night. Do these runs and the fast recovery afterwards translate into a faster pace over a longer distance? I hope so.

3. Proper hydration: Do I go with the belt? Prior to switching to the belt all my long runs left me feeling exhausted and sore, and recovery took longer. Once I switched to the belt those problems went away. The problem with the belt is that it feels like it weighs 10 pounds.

4. Proper Attire :my shorts keep pulling UP.....way way up. I think it might have something to do with the aforementioned running belt. If I don't reach back about every half mile, it looks like I'm a female triathlete just out of the water. When the shorts aren't being pulled up, they're rubbing my inner thighs in a weird way, creating some major friction. I'm currently sporting an abrasion that looks like purple cabbage. Thanks to the good folks over at Dermoplast, I have no feeling of said abrasion. I won't be sporting any personal tunes (against the rules I guess), so I won't have to worry about creating ANOTHER friction point on my right lat. Do I go with the longsleeve Runderwear top? I barely noticed I was wearing it when it got warm out, but thank god I was wearing it for the first run of the day. I left the house prior to sunrise, when the temp was still 40 degrees. I'm just afraid of overexhaustion and dehydration during 26 miles. 7:20 pace in 40 degree weather is a lot different than 6:50 pace in 60 degree weather. I guess I'll just go and be prepared for any and all weather conditions.

Racing flats: I'm on the lower threshold of needing to change my racing flats. Do I change them now, or wait until after the marathon? If I don't make it to the carpet when we're crossing the Chicago river, I know I'm going to wish I had.

1st Half: I'm supposed to come through at about 1:29:57 or slightly slower. What do I do if I'm barrelling through at 1:27:30 or something even faster? Is there a way to make some of the middle miles recovery miles without sacrificing good form and proper pacing? If I'm in a groove do I go with it and then fight off any impending fatigue near the 20 mile mark? I think sticking to these early splits will be the most important factor in successfully running negative splits

5K: 21:20
10K : 42:40
15K: 1:04:00
20K: 1:25:30


Good Luck to everyone running Chicago this year.