i really, really didn't want to do it, but i decided to run my 16 miler today. running 16 miles is tough all by itself, it's even tougher when you're really not into it. so i made a little game out of using this run as a test of my mental fortitude. all things considered it went o.k. the biggest problem was that i ate like crap [ various processed fish parts and some squash ] last night, figuring that i'd just run on sunday. no carbo loading means less stored glycogen in the muscles, which means it's easier to poop out. and given my experience with the goo last week, i decided that i needed a new strategy for replenishing my energy stores during the run.

fig newtons. i love fig newtons. packed with easy to process carbs with just a hint of moist sweetness. yummy. i wolfed down a half a dozen of them at around mile 11 with chaser of gatorade and it seemed to work pretty well.

so things are feeling pretty good. my left knee has started to bother me a little on the longer runs, which i think is due to the fact that my hamstrings are getting quiet a bit stronger and my quads aren't really keeping pace which tends to put stress on my patella. i probably should be cross training on a bike to prevent things from getting out of control.

after 3 weeks of 16 milers, it's time to add a few miles on to the long run. next week, the schedule will be 5, 8, 5 and 18 miles. hooooohaaaaah!

well, i got another 16 miler under my belt and i completed the full suite of mid-week junk miles. today's long run was easier and harder than last week. the good news is that i remembered to bring along some goo and it warded running out of energy. the bad news is that it is doing some horrendous things to my gastrointestinal tract right now. at about mile 14 i started hearing and feeling rumbings of the kind that strike fear into the heart of any runner, for it can only mean one thing - runners trots.

luckily i made it back to the house without having to dive into the bushes. i suppose i can't blame it entirely on the goo, since i ate a serving or two of pasta a half hour before the run, but now i have the rather unfortunate association made in my mind. the only other drag is someone decided that the gatorade and fig newtons that we left for ourselves at mile 7 was actually a gift for themselves. we've had this problem before and started to pick seeminly innocuous locations like churches and the like, but it doesn't seem to have solved the problem completely. i guess we should do a better job of labelling the stuff. a runners gel is hard enough to stomach, but it's even worse when you don't have enough water to properly flush it down the gullet.

next week, i'm going to keep the mileage exactly the same - 5, 8, 5 and 16 miles - so, finger's crossed, next week should give me a bit of a breather from constantly increasing mileage.

uh, huh. that's right. 16 miles. and a gorgeous day it was - probably in the mid fifties, which is quiet a change from the sub zero temperatures i've been getting acclimated to. 16 miles is a long way to run no matter how you look at it. things felt great for around 14.5 miles and then i really started regretting not bringing along some goo or gummy bears to help replenish spent carbohydrates, since fluids like gatorade only take you so far. at about 15 miles i started wondering if i was just going to run out of gas. i wasn't in any pain, just...out...of...energy. usually at this point, particularly when you're running alone, it's difficult to assess whether you're just playing a big headgame with yourself or whether you really will run out of gas. objectively it's only a mile longer than the prior week's long run, but that doesn't mean much when you're in the thick of it.

speaking of headgames, there's a dirty little secret that they don't tell you when you decide that you want to start distance running. you'll lose a toenail. or two. it doesn't matter how much space you have in the toebox of your shoe, a toe will inevitably get bashed enough to bruise it sufficiently to begin the long, slow process of getting a new toenail. it's not painful, but it can give you plenty to ponder as you pile on the miles. after which run will you remove your sock to find an unattached toenail? i thought it might be this run, but my toenail next to by big toe on my right foot is a real fighter. i suspect i'll lose it sometime this week. oh the joys of distance running.

i'm doing the typical post-run ice and nsaids and everything appears to getting back to normal quickly.

next week, i'll add a few miles to the mid-week junk miles and leave the long run the same. for the mathematically inclined it's looking like 5, 8, 5 and 16 miles for a grand total of 34 miles.

i suppose in the interest of full disclosure, i'll add that this was the first week that i missed a run, but it was just a mid-week 4 miler so it's barely worth mentioning :-)

14 miles! that's over half a marathon! and i think this run felt the better than any in recent memory [ which haven't felt that bad ]. my legs are feeling noticeably stronger, which is a big help. i could have easily run another couple of miles today, which is a good sign that i'm not working things too hard [ relatively speaking ]. i seem to be doing a good job of respecting the long runs, by treating myself to a whopping plate of pasta and garlic bread the night before. there's nothing worse than thinking you can go into a long run powered on nachos and cheese [ a personal favorite ]

next week i'll cross the 30 mile mark by adding a mile to the mid week medium distance rund and two miles the long run. if you're keeping track at home, that's 4, 7, 4 and 16 miles for a grand total of 31 miles.

i ran the twelve miler and for good measure i added a mile to the midweek run. i'm getting oh-so-close to the half-marathon milestone for my long run and i nearly ran a whole marathon's distance this week.

my big lesson for the week was that you really shouldn't try to squeeze out the last remaining weeks on a pair of running shoes. nope. your body is far, far more important than getting a couple of extra weeks of life on a pair of shoes. i started getting a few odd aches and pains this week, which i suspected might be due to my shoes wearing out. i put on a new pair for the 12 miler and things were noticeably better, so horray for that.

next week the long run is a 14 miler. i'll keep the mid-week junk miles the same as last week - 4 miles, 6 miles, and 4 miles for a grand total of 28 miles.