HALP. Advice please.

It's not my first time around the marathon block.  Madison will be marathon #6 for me.  However, that doesn't mean I have everything figured out.  In fact, I would say the opposite is true.  The marathon is so interesting to me because I can't seem to perform to my potential for 26.2 miles.  Insert the cheesy, "if it was easy, everyone would do it" quote here please.  But seriously.  There are so many stinking variables that go in to a successful marathon to performance, and not all are under your control.

With that being said, I have questions regarding two marathon related things.  First, how many of you do your long runs and marathons wearing compression socks?

I've been a devoted compression sock wearing runner for recovery almost since I started running marathons.  I think that they help significantly with recovery.  When I initially started wearing them, I had read articles proving their effectiveness during recovery, but not WHILE running.  Not that they weren't good, just that there wasn't statistical evidence that they provided any assistance while actually running.

Since switching my running form, I have some tight calves.  I foam roll them and wear my compression socks pretty religiously, but am contemplating wearing my compression socks for race day.  For one, the race is in November so while I'm normally all "WEAR NONE OF THE CLOTHES, IT'S TOO HOT FOR E'ERYTHING!" it might actually be ok to have some extra cloth covering me on race day. Especially because I'm planning to wear shorts and a tank even if it's 32*.  Mama likes it cold.

If I go this route, I'll definitely spend at least half of my long runs running in the compression socks, but I probably need to start that, um... this weekend.  Also, I would need green compression socks STAT for race day.  (Dear Pro compression, please make green and yellow argyle socks immediately.  My race day depends on it.  Thanks, Jerbear)

Next up:  salt.  When I first started training for marathons, an experienced runner, Glenn recommended that I take salt tablets on my run given the amount that I sweat, and the amount of salt I sweat out when I run (see:  every race photo ever).  This information was relayed to me 3+ years ago, so clearly I can't find it, nor do I remember his sage advice.  Le sigh.

For those that take salt, or salt supplements of any kind, what do you use?  What's your strategy for when you take them/how often/etc?  Clearly these are things I need to be figuring out ASAP as well so I can be practicing them on long runs.  Yikes.

Any other suggestions?  I'm super stubborn so I may not take them.  But they may just fester in the back of my brain for the next three years until I finally give in, so that would be helpful eventually then, right?  ;)

I Love 16 Miles

After a pleasant evening in being a Twihard and culinary goddess, I was more than ready for my 16 miler.  I woke up incredibly early to eat a breakfast that would hold me over and then...just...chilled.  It was a brisk morning out, and I was determined to wait until the weather was to my liking.  Not like I had big Saturday plans anyway. :p  But seriously.....


Finally 11:30am hit and I was out the door in *literally* the most beautiful weather evah.  Low to mid 50's.  Sunny but cool and slightly breezy but not windy.  Pure bliss.  Since I've been focusing on my pace more than I would like to during my LRs I decided I would let this one be whatever my legs wanted it to be.  No pushing.  No reigning.  Just finding out what my comfortable 16 mile pace is.


The first few miles were...uh....fast.  I figured the worst that would happen is that I would crash and burn the latter half of the run, which is fine.  Only a 16 miler, right?  I took a GU at 3.5 miles and realized around this point that the water fountains were turned on.  HALLELUJAH!  Too bad I didn't know this before I left my place with handheld in...well...my hand...obvs.  I thought about hiding it in a bush/tree, but knew how PISSED I would be if someone jacked it, so I kept holding on to it.  I also took drags out of it ~every mile vs. gulp fulls every 3-4 miles like normal.  That was nice knowing I didn't have to ration my water.


1. 9:23
2. 9:13
3. 9:17
4. 9:13


Around the 6 mile point I saw what appeared to be a large festival of sorts.  At first I thought, oooh!  A race.  But then I saw a dock in the river...with no boats.  And kids dressed up like cavemen.  I still have no idea what was going on down there, but it sure was entertaining.  At mile 8 ish I stopped to refill my water and use the facilities at a cafe at the Falls.  I also took my 2nd and last GU.

5. 9:19
6. 9:24
7. 9:17
8. 9:13


I really don't remember too terribly much about the run, to be honest.  It was one of those runs where you're in such a zone mentally that the minutes and miles are passing by without much thought from you.  I did do a lot of race goal planning complete with pace times and what they computed out to in finish times.  What can I say?  Math keeps my mind occupied.  Also, mile 9 was uphill and it wasn't fun.


9. 9:26
10. 9:15
11. 9:15
12. 9:14


The last 4 miles were uh...fast....as well.  I kept thinking to myself, wow, if my legs feel like this on race day I will be so. stinkin'. happy.  I think I will shoot for a 9:10-9:20 pace for the first 20 miles and then if I have something (dear God please ANYTHING) left in the tank for the last 10k I'll see if I can pick up the pace at all.  This distance is just mind boggling to me, because I typically only race 5ks and half marathons.  5k = run as fast as you can for 22-25 minutes.  Half marathon = run hard for 10 miles than run as fast as you can for 25 minutes.  Marathon = don't die.  Have fun strategizing that one.  I guess you just don't know how your body is going to respond, especially on your first one.  Definitely fun to imagine it on your LRs though.

13. 9:09
14. 9:20
15. 9:17
16. 8:26

I finished the 16 miles in 2:27:48 for a pace of 9:15.  Yeah, 16 miles is *easily* my new fave long run distance.  Enough to kick some butt, but doesn't psych me out mentally.  Conveniently my other fave training run distance is 10 miles.  I won't be running a marathon in less than a month (EEK!) I'll be rocking a 16 miler and a 10 miler.  And perhaps tack on a little .2 just for s&g.

When I got home I was shocked at how salty I was.  I will be honest (and have been many times before) I am a sweaty sweaty girl.  Sweat is sexy, whatever.  I am also a very salty runner.  Case in point, when I first started running, could not understand why I would crave dominoes cheesy bread, green olives, tortilla chips, etc. the Mondays after my LRs.  Well now looking back on that, uh duh.  Whenever I'm done running I always wash my face before I stretch because it hurts from all the salt built up on it.  Usually, however, I can only feel it's crusty awesomeness, but Saturday, I could see it in all its glory.  Of course I decided to document this for you all to be disgusted by as well.

Also, I just recently realized (like Saturday) that I have a very pointy nose.  Please no mean comments. :(

Be impressed, unlike my face which is sooooo over the salt. :p

And apparently the flash is too potent for you to see the salt patches on my neck, but they're pretty nast there as well.

Also wanted to show you how I've even managed to get little tan lines from the slats (slats?) of my Garmin.  That's impressive kids.  [Also check out my sweet ink!]

And the obligatory post LR garmin tan line shot with Polly Sunshine as a backdrop.