How NOT to Execute a Long Run

Bemidji will be the 7th marathon I attempt, and seventh marathon cycle. I've learned a few things about what to do and what NOT to do. But occasionally laziness/cockiness/don't give a poop-ness comes in to play and I throw all that knowledge out of the window.

So take some tips on "what not to do" courtesy of my suck-fest long run on Sunday.

• Fail to hydrate the day and night before, especially in the summer. When it's hot as hades out.
• Even better, have a couple of beers with dinner. That'll help the hydration process. They're wet, right??
• Stay up really late (ok 11pm is really late for this girl, sue me) with your honey bunny hanging out watching TV.
• Decide to set your alarm for 6:30am instead of 5am.
• Finally get out out of bed at 6:45, eat breakfast, and then crawl back into bed for just 5 minutes of snuggling before your long run starts. 
• Bonus failure points if your loved one and pug sandwich you in a snuggling cocoon, forcing you to fall back asleep.
• Finally FINALLY get out of bed at 8:30am. Don't bother eating breakfast again.
• Quickly drink a bunch of water, because UH OH it's warm out. 
• Extra points for sloshy stomach.
• Leave for your ~3 hour summer long run at 9:45am.
• Forget to apply sunscreen (it would've sweated right off, let's be serious).
• Bike 30 miles, fairly vigorously 2 days before. Fail to do any sort of shakeout run between the long ride and long run.
• Don't foam roll either.
• Only bring the minimum amount of GUs along.

I think that about covers it. Luckily I started off the run at a casual 10:30-10:40 pace, so I was smart there. But as the temps increased, and the shade disappeared my pace crept up to the 11-11:15 pace. During the last two miles my heart was beating so erratically, I was forced to walk/jog to let it calm down, which really slowed my pace down.

Ollie has been instructed to punch me in the nose with her paw next time I try to delay my long run. We'll see how that goes.