New Training Run Personal Distance: 22 Miles

When I originally came up with my MARATHON TRAINING program, I toyed around with the idea of adding a 22 mile long run.  I got a lot of mixed reviews.  Some encouraged me to do so if I thought it would help with a mental barrier (it would).  Others said that the extra risk outweighed the added benefit (possibly true for oft broken Jerbear).  Since I was dealing with some IT band issues which led to knee issues, I decided to scrap it and kept my training at 2 20 milers.


After last week's 20 miler I was shocked at how great my legs felt immediately after as well as the next day.  I decided to put 22 back on the table.  When I did Green Bay I s-t-r-uggled after about 3 hours of running because I hadn't gone farther than about 3:10 in my training.  I really wanted to allow my legs to practice a run that was 3+ hours.  I originally had planned to do my long run Saturday, but after checking the weather report Friday afternoon decided that was a no go.  30 degrees, snow flurries, 25+ mph winds.  Pass.......  Of course after sleeping most of the day away (can I just saw how glorious it is to sleep in on a Saturday for once?!?!? wowowowowow.) the weather wasn't nearly as bad as originally forecasted.  Meteorological fail.


Sunday I woke up bright and early and laid in my check reading through old text messages on my phone.  Because...you know.... that really allows for a successful long run.  After putting off just getting out of bed, I realized I didn't have any breakfast to eat.  So of course I just threw on my running shoes, a hooded sweatshirt, and a hat on over my pajamas and called it good.  :)  While walking around the grocery store, I started feeling my hip pop out of place.  Uh.... uh oh.


After dawdling as long as humanly possible, I finally headed out to take on my run.  I texted Aaron to let him know I'd be up for a biking buddy in roughly an hour if he wanted to meet me at my place (I was doing a 7 mile route before circling back to my place and hitting the bike path).  My calves were super tight and tired for some reason but seemed to warm up after a few miles.  Of course I was going in to the wind for the first 3-4 miles on a hilly route, so I got my B.A. award pretty early on in the run.  I brought my little handheld with water and the miles were really flying by.  I took a GU at mile 5 and at mile 7 I was back at my apartment.  I switched out my little empty handheld for my big guy mixed with water and gatorade and more GUs.
1. 9:19 
2. 9:15 
3. 9:29 
4. 9:28 
5. 9:20 
6. 9:21 
7. 9:08 


Shockingly I found Aaron sitting on my patio step bundled up like a little kid ready to bike with me.  I think Aaron can attest to the fact that I've never been so happy to see him.  I immediately handed off my handheld and we were off.  For some reason I do a lot better with a biking partner than a running partner.  Or perhaps Aaron just knows to talk a lot so I can listen and not worry about responding.  We encountered the Nike Cross Heartland Regional Championship going on.  I was half tempted to jump in and show the little tykes what was up, but decided it was best to save my energy for my miles.  I'm nice like that.  I remember shouting out that I only had a half marathon left at the 8.9 mark.  Because I'm insane.  I think Aaron's fingers were going to fall off from cold.  What a friend.  My biking bud took off around mile 13 and I was left to carry my water bottle alone.  That puppy is heavy for my little t-rex arms!
8. 9:22 
9. 9:37 
10. 9:31 
11. 9:22 
12. 9:38 
13. 9:33 


It was around this time that my left hip started hurting.  This is the hip that I injured doing speed work this summer.  And also apparently during breakfast shopping at the grocery store.  Very common.  I had downloaded some sweet new tunes, so I was enjoying Jimmy Eat World's new album, some new Glee tracks, and of course Katy Perry.  I hit the turn around at 14.5 and another 7.5 miles seemed like a long g.d. way to run.  Of course I started thinking about Vegasssssssss, hmmm..... if I was running the marathon I'd still have 11.7 miles left.  Holy hell!  


Fact:  I should not be allowed to think while running.  


After stopping a couple times to stretch my hip it seemed to be doing ok.  Of course then my chest/back started freaking out.  I feel like my back has been out of alignment for awhile now, and it started making me feel nauseous every time I'd try to breathe in.  As if something was pressing on something it shouldn't.  So weird.  Plus I wasn't able to take a normal breath because of the pain, so my breathing was really short and choppy which was causing me to be light-headed.  Gahhhhh.


Eventually I just had to crank up my music and just run.  Oh hey...... don't think, just run.  The last mile was actually somewhat fast, but I think it was just because I was ready to be done.  :)
14. 9:23 
15. 9:24 
16. 9:15 
17. 9:29 
18. 9:25 
19. 9:28 
20. 9:38 
21. 9:42 
22. 9:28


I ended up with 22 miles in 3:27:35 for a pace of 9:27.  Faster than last week's 20 miler.  Hey-o!

And in completely random news:  apparently I have been a little "out of it" while doing my long runs lately.

• On my 22 miler when I was running by my apartment at the 7 mile mark, I was shocked to see a bum sitting on the step of my patio.  Until I looked closer and realized it was Aaron coming to bike with me while I ran.  
• When I started my run, I could've swore I saw a squirrel pull up as if to shoot a jump shot.  Good form squirrel!  
• When we got to a kid's day camp area on the bike path, I suddenly remembered that I had saw a plane across the river at the camp last Saturday on my 20 mile run, and remembered how much I freaked out thinking that a plane had crashed (deathly afraid of planes and crashes if you remember).  I set about finding the plane to point out to Aaron since he was shocked there would be one too, but of course it was gone.  Uh yeah.... where does an airplane go?  Hmmm.....  Perhaps shrooms are not an okay substitute for GUs, mentally noted!  
• When I got home from my run, my back hurt SOOOOOO bad that I just laid on my yoga mat for awhile hoping that it would realign itself.  Well wouldn't you know it, my entire ceiling was moving up and down while I was laying there.

Yeah, I'm a little bit concerned for me too.  :/

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