In Medias Race

Two weeks ago, I had 18 daunting miles to cover on our long run. This was my longest to date. For the first time in a long time, I actually felt good after I finished my long run. I started with a full pack, and I refilled at every water stop to make sure I did not run out like the week before. Every time I started to feel the hint of genuine fatigue in my muscles, I ate a Goo or apple sauce pack. Rather than waiting for a specific mile or time to eat, I just fueled when my needed it. I ended up eating more on the route than I anticipated, but I felt good for the entire run. Wouldn’t you know, listening to your body actually works? 

The worst part of the run was the last mile. We ran up to what felt like the highest point in the city. There was no shade to be found and the sun seemed angled directly on our bodies. I am not sure what the humidity percentage was by that point, but it was ridiculously high. It was close to 90% when we started at 5:00 and it had not gone down much. Our group looked and smelled like we had gone for a swim in a putrid, salty pond.

Earlier in the week I went back to the yin yoga class I attended last spring. Yin yoga is low impact, deep stretching that works your fascia and other connective tissue. It is slow, easy movements that relaxes the body and targets those harder to reach muscles I did it every week during half marathon training, but it had fallen out of my routine. I absolutely needed it. Due to my delightfully anxious and workaholic personality, in the best of times I am pretty tightly wound. Add a high impact sport and all of my muscles feel like stones. I am going to have to step up my yoga and stretching if I am going to make it through the next few weeks without an injury. If you have never tried a yin yoga class, I highly recommend it. There are a number of good, free videos on You Tube if you are avoiding studios and gyms. My yoga studio also offers online and on demand classes for a very reasonable rate.

Overall, it was a good training week. The group I am is fun and the members are inspiring. It makes those long, painful, sweaty miles bearable.