(Under)fueling on Long Runs

This weekend flew by – lots of packed into it!  John and I took it easy Friday night. I got all my things ready for the next day’s long run and he got all his things ready for a 10K he was running. Tights, socks, Vibrams, gloves, ear band (I ended up wearing a beanie), Flip Belt, banana baby food (for fuel), water (in a travel size shampoo bottle that fits in my Flip Belt), long sleeve shirt, + jacket. It was 30 degrees when we started the next morning. brrr! 

On Saturday, my friend Anna and I headed out to run. We ran about an 8:20 pace for 10 miles. Running with someone else is soooo nice; the time flies by. After we split at mile 10, my heart rate was still up a bit so I decided to add on an extra mile to cool down and ended up doing two extra miles (and I definitely didn’t lower my heart rate because I ended up doing a hilly loop that was longer than I planned and my pace increased).

I was a bit flustered by the time I finished because I was absolutely starving. I ran 12 miles without any fuel or water; I had packed it but didn’t feel like I needed it on the run. I definitely paid for it after I finish because I was a bit shaky, jittery and felt like I was in a fog. Once I got some food in me, I felt much better and was quite pleased with the run! (John took 4th in his 10K with a 38:50 time!)

After the run, I quickly cleaned up and headed out for an eyebrow threading appointment before meeting up with a previous co-worker for coffee and girl talk. And that night, John and I met up with a new couple who recently moved to town and wanted to meet some like-minded folks. Bethany is also a blogger so we talked shop a bit and we all talked a lot about health, Winston-Salem and wine. 

The rest of the weekend was filled with cleaning, running errands, yard work and one more run. John and I headed out for 5 miles on Sunday afternoon. I wore my new kicks; I’ve always wanted the hot pink and orange Vibrams and finally found them for a good price on eBay! I love them! It takes a bit for me to break in new Vibrams since I have such high arches and the tops feel really tight across the top of my foot but they’re starting to feel better. 

I was a bit whiney on the run. (John is probably saying, “A bit??”) My knees have really been aching lately – not hurting exactly – but just kind of sore. And the muscles around my knee – below and above – have been hurting. I’m not sure what’s going on so I’ve been icing and taking some anti-inflammatories. And my stomach was kinda queasy while running. But, I was all smiles about the gorgeous weather! It was 65 degrees today!!! 

But it’s supposed to be 18 degrees tomorrow with snow. I can’t even deal with this winter anymore. Ugh. 

And, now, I’m winding down, getting ready for bed and a new week. I think I might take an epsom salt bath to sooth my achy muscles. Good night! Have a great week!

At what distance do you fuel on long runs? I used to be religious about fueling with anything longer than 6. Then it was anything longer than 8. So I’m pretty baffled that I ran 12 miles and didn’t feel like I needed fuel. I think I probably did need fuel but was distracted chatting. 🙂

P.S. The winner of the Douglas Coffee Roasters giveaway is Michelle!! Congrats girl! I’ll shoot you an email.