Those pills on the counter were for our dogs, I promise you. |
I'm up early and I've got a little extra time today, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to explain how I prepare for a long run - because, believe me, preparation is involved.
Some people can hop out of bed right into their running shoes and head on out - if you are one of those people, I envy you. On a perfect day, my long run prep time nears the 2 hour mark. What takes so long?! Well ...
First things first: food and drink:
Thirsty much? |
-about 3 cups fresh spinach
-1 banana
-a small handful of fresh raspberries
-a tablespoon of Justin's classic peanut butter (the best $8 you will ever spend - actually, spend a couple more bucks for the maple almond and your life will change forever, trust me)
-a tablespoon of flax seed
-1 cup of milk (Jeff and I are total hippies now and bought our first half gallon of non-homogenized milk produced without growth hormones from a local creamery - ah-mazing!)
Once I've got my liquids down, I begin assessing the situation outdoors. If I haven't yet, I map out my run and have one last check on the weather (STORMS today in the 'nati?! You've got to be kidding me!). I make sure my iPod is charged up and ready to go. I already have my running clothes picked out ("picked out" is a loose term - I always wear a variation of the same thing). When I do get dressed, I'll make sure to Body Glide it up - this is a VITAL step! That stuff needs to go everywhere - the longer the run, the more Body Glide is necessary.
It's about this time that I start getting nervous. I always get nervous before a long run - it never fails. I am in the "sit and wait" portion of prep time. With all of the liquids consumed above, I do not think it is a mystery what I'm waiting for. There is nothing worse than having to "go" during a long run - this applies to #1, too. I usually go pee about 8-10 times during prep time, and I always make "one last stop" before walking out the door. During both Detroit and the Heart Mini half I made the mistake of skipping my "one last stop" and had to stop for a pee break during each race. No fun!
Oh, I didn't even mention last night's prep! I had a delicious pasta dinner that looked a little something like this (without the bacon, of course - this is an old pre-veg pic):
Did I mention that I'm married to the best cook ever? |
So there you have it - how I prepare for a long run. After popping a couple of Tums to ease my anxious stomach, I'll be on my way. See you in four hours!