Wednesday Weigh In / Long Run

     Despite my post last night about my eating habits, I did pull through this week with a loss, so I am happy and thankful for that.  I feel like I am getting a free pass if you will because of all the miles, so I am going to try and not let it bother me to much.  I will need to work on my "cheating" to keep it under control, because I can't be doing this when I am done with marathon training.  It just can't happen! 

     It was so great to see the 170s for the first time since I was a Freshman in high school!  Officially because I round to the nearest half pound that put my official weigh in at 180 pounds.  Not to shabby if I do say so myself!

 

8/20/14 official weigh in

180 lbs

Change: -1.5 lbs

Total loss from heaviest: 137 lbs

Current BMI: 28.2 (overweight)

Change: -.2

Thought I would show my estimated calories burned for today's run.

     Wow what a run, long and hot it was (#).  I took a new modified route that I mapped out last night using a lot of the bike path.  It was rather comfortable when I left but as the time progressed with the sun beating down on me, the heat really got to me.  My initial goal was just not to drop below a 10 min per mile avg on each mile.  I started out a little quicker then I would have liked or thought I would and once I saw how a 9:45ish pace was quickly becoming the norm I tried to keep it close to that as much as possible.  The first 4 miles was mostly shaded from the trees on the bike path but after that, it was all sun baking down on me.  Then I hit the path again at mile 14 and had a couple more miles of shade before the sun was back.

     Today's run not only was a training run but turned into a animal adventure run as well.  First I came across what I believed to be a fox or a very small coyote.  I got about 25 feet from it before it realized I was there and took off.  A little later a very large bullmastiff came out just to say hello to me, thank God.  After that not much happened till the last few miles when I came across a tiny praying mantis, a tiny lizard, wild turkeys and a couple of large white ducks. 

   
     On today's run I felt like my pace was pretty steady throughout but I had an issue on mile 10 as you can see from the chart.  To be honest I almost had to walk to get my pace on my watch to slow down.  All I can think of was I was running next to a cell tower, and when I mean next to, I mean I could have thrown a rock and hit it.  I am guessing that might have played a small part of it.  At one point my watch said I was running an 8:45 pace, not a freaking chance.

     Nutrition worked well again, no GI issues of any kind, the biggest problem I had was when I ate the second granola bar.  I had quite the cotton mouth going on and it made it a little hard to eat.  I may have to rethink that idea, but I wasn't feeling hungry during my run like I did on my 17 miler.  I also changed up my pre run meal.  I had two slices of white bread with a little bit of smart balance butter sprinkled with cinnamon and Truvia, 3 Tricuits, one bottle of water and my pills. 

     My legs were pretty freaking tired when I got done.  Despite what my pace shows, my legs were felt like jello at mile 16 for some reason.  I think I was hitting a mental barrier and once I switched up my songs and told myself that 4 more miles is nothing, I seemed to loosen up a little and was able to push though to the end.  I am assuming this fatigue is solely based on my training and while I understand the marathon will be long and grueling process I am sure I will feel the way I did at mile 22 or 24 instead of at 16. 

     Again it was nice to see my pace quicken for the last mile.  I sure my body is leaving something in the tank for me to be able to do that, but I also think its me saying this is the last mile let's just get this over with.  I always throw on a faster paced set of songs for the last mile so I am sure that aided in my rebound as well.

     Now with my first of three 20 milers done that means including my cut back weeks I have 4 more weeks till I start my taper for Columbus.  It feels like October will never get here, but at the same time this summer is just cruising by, isn't it.