Going Long

One thing that's been different in Ironman training is that I have not put in the number of miles I'm used to for marathon training. I think that's just a necessity, as there aren't enough hours in the day, nor could your body stand up to all that pounding PLUS two other sports.

Yesterday was my longest run so far. I had to run 18 miles, with a good portion of it at race pace, and then a couple miles faster than race pace! I mapped out a route, got my batman utility belt (okay, fuel belt), and took off.

The first mile was just around our neighborhood, which was a good thing, because I forgot my salt tabs. I was assigned to wear long sleeves (it was 65 and drizzly), so I knew I'd be sweating a lot and needed them. A quick stop back home, and then it was off again. I decided to just run one of my short bike routes, since there was a sidewalk most of the way and it wouldn't require any looping. Plus, it takes me by the high school where there's a water fountain for refills.

I got warmed up for a while, and then it was time to kick it into race pace gear. My legs were a little sluggish, but once I kept reminding myself to keep the turnover high, they settled into a good place. The last few miles of the out on this course are a long gradual uphill, so it took a little effort to keep it up, but once I turned around I was glad to get some downhill! I kept every mile in there between 9:15 and 9:45, which is my zone for race day on a "perfect" day.

But then I had to run below that pace, and my legs didn't want any of it. I managed to knock out the next two miles around 8:50, but I was putting in a lot of effort! Never saw my heart rate, but I'm sure it was sky high. When those miles finally ended, I walked a few steps to get the heart rate down and get in some water. And that was it for my legs. They cramped up and never let go for the rest of the run. So my cool down was more of a shuffle/walk combo.

When I finally got home, I wasn't feeling very well. My legs were tight, my stomach didn't feel good, and I was TIRED! And after sitting to stretch for a bit, I had to hop in my assigned ice bath!


Let me tell you, that was loads of fun. The picture is about 7 minutes into the 10 minute bath, so there was a lot more ice when it started! I'm promised that it will help with recovery though, and the science behind it seems reasonable. Today, I'm still sore...just telling myself I would have been more sore!

All in all, it wasn't easy, but it was a confidence builder that I got through it. Good to see you again, long run!