Longest Practice Run

I survived my longest training run last Sunday.  I had too many things to do Saturday so I had to do it on a Sunday by myself.  10K route x 3,  plus 6K route = 36K!  According to the Running Room marathon schedule, their longest run before the marathon is a 32K.  When I did the marathon 10 years ago I did 40K.  So this is somewhere in between. 

I find doing loops makes it go faster.  After the first two 10K loops I thought wow, only one more to go plus a quick 6K, no sweat.  You see its a head thing.  You psych yourself up for it.  After the first 20K though I felt fatigued and my legs felt very crampy and stiff.  I ate a peanut butter granola bar and that helped alot.  Ed says salt helps with cramping so this week Im going to try adding some salt to the peanut butter on the granola bar.  Its better than what Ed did at one race.  He just downed a package of salt!  Yuck! 

The last 6K were brutal plus it was really windy.  I took 2 Ibuprofen.  I wanted to experiment with this and see if it helps or affects my stomach.  It did relieve the pain and stiffness in my legs enough to get me sprinting at the end of my run, but it was still painful, just not limping, stupid painful.  Maybe it will be enough to do those extra 6 K I need to do.  This weekend I am going to try Tylenol Muscle & Joint Pain.  Ed says Tylenol is safer.  Ed has lots of experience.  He's run over 15 marathons!  Anyways I will only take pain killers at the end of the race if needed. 

This weekend Im doing my long run with Ed.  We are doing 32K and then we are supposed to taper.  Which works out good because the week after we are doing the 25K Riverbank Run in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  I cant wait.  I love that run, the spectators are awesome!  At one point in the race you have a football team and cheerleaders cheering for you with poms poms and drums!  Its so cool!  We go with Don's family and everyone gets involved.  We've been doing this for over 10 years! 

The next weekend will be a 16K tempo run and then the next weekend is the marathon!! Yikes!  Well I did 36K and I didnt die.