Last week at work, I had the opportunity to help put on and watch a 6K run/walk--a real change of pace since I've been so focused on the race I'm competing in. This race was the Dow Live Earth Run for Water 6K. It was a corporate sponsored event through Dow Chemical and the organization called Live Earth whose mission is to spread awareness of the worldwide clean drinking water crisis. The 6K distance was symbolic of the distance many women and children have to walk each day to get clean water. On April 18, they held a series of races all across the globe: New York, Los Angeles, Singapore, Mexico City, Buenos Aries to name a few. Local celebrities and musicians even made appearances at each one. (If you google Dow Live Earth, you'll get plenty of videos and pictures.) Our event was on a much smaller scale and was held on Thursday, April 22. We had 128 participants, which actually is a huge number for us. Even though I work at company with over 1200 employees on-site, and we have a large fitness center membership, our health promotion department really struggles for participation in events. Luckily, this one had coporate backing to it and was a dual effort between Public Affairs and Health Services.
Not only was this my first "big" race to help plan and organize, I also got the job of being the timer which put me right at the finish line, able to see what times people were hitting. It was one of the moments that make me so proud to be a trainer. There were 3 people in particular that had either never run this distance before or had run that distance the week prior to the race for the first time. They all finished with incredible times and in some cases even surpassed the goals they had set for themselves. Two out of these three people were personal training clients of mine, so I was especially happy to witness their race and be able to congratulate them immediately.
After the race, we realized the course was only 3.5 miles instead of 3.7, making it a bit shy of a 6K. In the scheme of things, it doesn't matter. I have full confidence all the runners and walkers that day could have gone an extra .2 if they had to. And besides, the 6K distance was symbolic--not a common race amount.
Today, I decided to run the course myself. It was 2 full laps around the buildings on the DAS campus then 1 lap around the pond right outside the fitness center. I had made it a point to work on speed in the few days leading up to the mini, but today I could tell I was running much faster than my normal pace. I didn't allow myself to look at my watch along the way, so imagine my surprise when I crossed the "finish line" and saw 29:43. I calculated my pace (using the true mileage of 3.5): an even 7.0 mph. I could NOT have run this same time/distance combination on a treadmill. 7.0 is the speed I crank the treadimll up to only during the last half mile or less of my run. Weird.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Shorter Runs and Food Introspection
The past 2 weeks since my practice mini have seemed odd...after carefully planning out my long runs for about 8 weeks, we're on the downhill. I'm only doing shorter runs until race day, so it almost seems like I'm slacking off! This past weekend I was in Cincinnati so I didn't do any running until Monday morning. Since, I was over on work hours from the week before, I didn't have to go in until 2pm on Monday afternoon. I slept in and did an 8-mile treadmill run trying to keep my speed higher than normal. Actually, when I say that, I mean I was trying to match my treadmill speed to the pace I've been averaging during all of my outdoor runs. I still can't explain why I run faster outside--it really baffles me and throws off all my old theories about treadmill running being eaiser. I made it a point to keep my speed between 6.3-6.5 mph for the 8 miles. It was a hard one! (P.S. I always wonder what people must think when they come into the gym with me mid-run, get in their own hour or so of a workout, leave, and I'm stillll running. Some people even witness me hit 6 miles, which is around the point where the treadmill cuts you off with time, then see me re-start the treadmill and keep going. I wonder if they are giving me looks of awe and admiration or looks of pure insanity.)
I didn't leave myself much time between finishing my run and the time I had to be at work--basically just enough time for a quick shower and to fill up my gas tank that was on "E". Normally after a hard/long run I come back up to the apartment and just lay on the floor sipping on some Powerade. In the middle of hurriedly rinsing conditioner out of my hair, I got the distinct feeling that I was going to pass out if I didn't do something QUICKLY. I stopped and sat on the edge of the tub, head between my knees. That did the trick, and I was fine for a few minutes, but had to resort to lying down with my feet up, while trying to munch on some pretzels for the carbs and salt replenishment. At the end of all of the cyling classes I lead, I preach about the importance of staying on the bike until you are fully recovered, heart rate is significantly lowered, and breathing is normal before hopping off the bike. Just like with water/dehydration, if anyone should know the importance of adequate cool-down time, it's me!
On another topic, I've been diligent about logging all of my food and exercise lately. I started 4 weeks before the mini, just to monitor everything going into my body and the types/amounts of exercise I was getting in besides my long runs. I wanted to avoid getting burned out in the last few days of being so gung-ho about exercise and health. We've had some special events at work lately that have required hours outside of my normal 9:30-6:30 schedule and also lot of mental planning. Our big thing for April was the Live Earth 6K Run/Walk (which I'll talk about in more detail), then in May we have a large-scale Health Expo that is rapidly approaching. June will be a big push on a corporate blood donation competition and in August we are putting on a full-fledged boot camp. :):) Some work has even already started for Corporate Challenge which is held in September. In other work updates, I am spending 2 days taking a certification to become a CPR instructor. This will allow me to assist our Occupational Health staff in leading CPR classes. I have a new intern starting in 2 weeks, so I've been organizing her projects and schedule. All in all, exciting events to look forward to that make my job enjoyable, but all require work that has to be fit in amongst personal training sessions and teaching group fitness. See where the burn-out comes in?!
The food/exercise log has been a great tool in keeping me on track. Even if I'm eating things that aren't considered healthy, I have a clear picture of what that day's eating entailed, and how my calories in versus calories out are balancing. Although, the fact that I'm doing shorter runs now instead of 10-13 miles at a time might be making me over-critical of my diet. I have to remind myself the runs are shortER, not short in terms of exercise. It's funny...Monday I had a brief freak-out when I realized I was eating non-light yogurt that had a "whopping" 170 calories as opposed to the 80-100 calories in the yogurt I normally eat. Then I said, "Mechelle. You ran 8 miles today and almost passed out afterwards. Who cares about the YOGURT?!" Same thing today: I went to Panda Express for lunch and as I sat there thrilled about the orange chicken and fried rice, I was simultaneously grossed out by the amount of food. I started berating myself for teaching a fun yoga class then heading straight to a big plate of MSG and fat, hoping that nobody I knew from the fitness center walked in to witness this. As I was trying to decide how I was going to compensate for this by eating a smaller dinner, I realized how ridiculous it all was. As of today, I am still weighing in at 3 pounds under what I call my "happy weight." To top it off, my day of exercise wasn't even over yet, since I teach twice on Thursdays. Once I allowed myself to just enjoy the meal, I ate to my content and threw the rest away--normally I would have eaten every last bite even if I was stuffed. But I listened to my body, and isn't that what eating healthfully is all about? I might be onto something here!
By the way, Chad, if you're reading this, my fortune cookie told me to "Be sure to handle financial affairs wisely."
I didn't leave myself much time between finishing my run and the time I had to be at work--basically just enough time for a quick shower and to fill up my gas tank that was on "E". Normally after a hard/long run I come back up to the apartment and just lay on the floor sipping on some Powerade. In the middle of hurriedly rinsing conditioner out of my hair, I got the distinct feeling that I was going to pass out if I didn't do something QUICKLY. I stopped and sat on the edge of the tub, head between my knees. That did the trick, and I was fine for a few minutes, but had to resort to lying down with my feet up, while trying to munch on some pretzels for the carbs and salt replenishment. At the end of all of the cyling classes I lead, I preach about the importance of staying on the bike until you are fully recovered, heart rate is significantly lowered, and breathing is normal before hopping off the bike. Just like with water/dehydration, if anyone should know the importance of adequate cool-down time, it's me!
On another topic, I've been diligent about logging all of my food and exercise lately. I started 4 weeks before the mini, just to monitor everything going into my body and the types/amounts of exercise I was getting in besides my long runs. I wanted to avoid getting burned out in the last few days of being so gung-ho about exercise and health. We've had some special events at work lately that have required hours outside of my normal 9:30-6:30 schedule and also lot of mental planning. Our big thing for April was the Live Earth 6K Run/Walk (which I'll talk about in more detail), then in May we have a large-scale Health Expo that is rapidly approaching. June will be a big push on a corporate blood donation competition and in August we are putting on a full-fledged boot camp. :):) Some work has even already started for Corporate Challenge which is held in September. In other work updates, I am spending 2 days taking a certification to become a CPR instructor. This will allow me to assist our Occupational Health staff in leading CPR classes. I have a new intern starting in 2 weeks, so I've been organizing her projects and schedule. All in all, exciting events to look forward to that make my job enjoyable, but all require work that has to be fit in amongst personal training sessions and teaching group fitness. See where the burn-out comes in?!
The food/exercise log has been a great tool in keeping me on track. Even if I'm eating things that aren't considered healthy, I have a clear picture of what that day's eating entailed, and how my calories in versus calories out are balancing. Although, the fact that I'm doing shorter runs now instead of 10-13 miles at a time might be making me over-critical of my diet. I have to remind myself the runs are shortER, not short in terms of exercise. It's funny...Monday I had a brief freak-out when I realized I was eating non-light yogurt that had a "whopping" 170 calories as opposed to the 80-100 calories in the yogurt I normally eat. Then I said, "Mechelle. You ran 8 miles today and almost passed out afterwards. Who cares about the YOGURT?!" Same thing today: I went to Panda Express for lunch and as I sat there thrilled about the orange chicken and fried rice, I was simultaneously grossed out by the amount of food. I started berating myself for teaching a fun yoga class then heading straight to a big plate of MSG and fat, hoping that nobody I knew from the fitness center walked in to witness this. As I was trying to decide how I was going to compensate for this by eating a smaller dinner, I realized how ridiculous it all was. As of today, I am still weighing in at 3 pounds under what I call my "happy weight." To top it off, my day of exercise wasn't even over yet, since I teach twice on Thursdays. Once I allowed myself to just enjoy the meal, I ate to my content and threw the rest away--normally I would have eaten every last bite even if I was stuffed. But I listened to my body, and isn't that what eating healthfully is all about? I might be onto something here!
By the way, Chad, if you're reading this, my fortune cookie told me to "Be sure to handle financial affairs wisely."
Monday, April 19, 2010
Mini Practice Run
Well, Sunday 4/18 was the "big day." The day I was scheduled to do my practice mini. I had originally planned on doing the practice 13.1 on 4/24 but we made plans to go to Cincinnati to celebrate my Dad's birthday and make the first official trip on the boat for this season. Plus, I thought it might be good to have 3 weeks to rest from the long runs before the mini, instead of only 2. Especially since most race training schedules will never take you to the full mileage until the day of.
Learning from my past mistakes, I only drank a small amount of coffee on Sunday morning and drank plenty of water all afternoon. For lunch, we went to Olive Garden so I had a carb-heavy meal with pasta and breadsticks. I even held myself back from eating too much salad even though I love it :)
I don't have much to say about this run, mostly because it went exactly as planned. For once. I felt great the whole run, minus aching knees and getting ever so slightly dizzy on the last 2 miles. I stationed Chad out with Powerade in regular increments, 3 times total (It was supposed to be 4, but we got our timing mixed up a little). I didn't even run a new route; I ran the same one I did last weekend for the 11-miler, I just extended it one mile farther to make 13 out and back. (See map.)
My finish time was 2:05:25. Ten whole minutes faster than my Mini time last May!! I was really excited about that, but at the same time, it was completely anti-climactic. Out of all the cars driving by me and people outside at our apartment complex, I was the only one who knew that I had just finished a mini-marathon run, and not just a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood. There wasn't a big crowd cheering me on, there weren't other runners around me, there wasn't a medal waiting, and Eminem "Lose Yourself" wasn't playing like it was the last time I ran 13.1 miles. I was quietly proud.
Then, I started to get nervous, only because 10 minutes isn't a lot of room for give and take the day of the race. I started remembering how slow the first mile is since the runners are all packed like sardines, and initially it's a big chore to get around the slightly slower participants. Also, there will be more water stops at the mini that I will take advantage of. On the flip side, I won't have to wait to cross busy roads like Allisonville. And for the water breaks, yes there will be more, but I won't linger as long--my shortest Powerade break on Sunday was at least 30 seconds. Chad said that maybe with adrenaline's help, I'll even break 2 hours at the mini. I don't even want to let my mind go there. I set a goal of beating 2:15, so if my time is 2:14, that will still be something to show.
Really, why let a documented finish time at a huge race determine how proud I am? I already won. I beat my goal on Sunday, again let me remind myself, by TEN minutes. I remember back to last year's mini at how fast my pace was to me at that time--5.8 mph--and how I couldn't believe I kept that speed for so long. This time around, my average pace was 6.3 mph. So if I can't recreate that time in 3 weeks, who cares? I have the satisfaction that I did it once--my watch times just as accurately as the mini shoe tag!
Ok. Who am I kidding? The official mini time is all that matters!!!
Songs of the run:
In My Head -Jason DeRulo
Break Your Heart -Taio Cruz ft. Ludacris
(those first two I downloaded just for this run--needed some new, motivating tunes!)
Pencil-Thin Mustache -Jimmy Buffett (just a good song I don't ever listen to, except when it comes on ipod shuffle!)
Taking Care of Business -BTO (because I WAS taking care of business)
Love Generation -Bob Sinclair (came on during my last 5 minutes of the run!)
Learning from my past mistakes, I only drank a small amount of coffee on Sunday morning and drank plenty of water all afternoon. For lunch, we went to Olive Garden so I had a carb-heavy meal with pasta and breadsticks. I even held myself back from eating too much salad even though I love it :)
I don't have much to say about this run, mostly because it went exactly as planned. For once. I felt great the whole run, minus aching knees and getting ever so slightly dizzy on the last 2 miles. I stationed Chad out with Powerade in regular increments, 3 times total (It was supposed to be 4, but we got our timing mixed up a little). I didn't even run a new route; I ran the same one I did last weekend for the 11-miler, I just extended it one mile farther to make 13 out and back. (See map.)
My finish time was 2:05:25. Ten whole minutes faster than my Mini time last May!! I was really excited about that, but at the same time, it was completely anti-climactic. Out of all the cars driving by me and people outside at our apartment complex, I was the only one who knew that I had just finished a mini-marathon run, and not just a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood. There wasn't a big crowd cheering me on, there weren't other runners around me, there wasn't a medal waiting, and Eminem "Lose Yourself" wasn't playing like it was the last time I ran 13.1 miles. I was quietly proud.
Then, I started to get nervous, only because 10 minutes isn't a lot of room for give and take the day of the race. I started remembering how slow the first mile is since the runners are all packed like sardines, and initially it's a big chore to get around the slightly slower participants. Also, there will be more water stops at the mini that I will take advantage of. On the flip side, I won't have to wait to cross busy roads like Allisonville. And for the water breaks, yes there will be more, but I won't linger as long--my shortest Powerade break on Sunday was at least 30 seconds. Chad said that maybe with adrenaline's help, I'll even break 2 hours at the mini. I don't even want to let my mind go there. I set a goal of beating 2:15, so if my time is 2:14, that will still be something to show.
Really, why let a documented finish time at a huge race determine how proud I am? I already won. I beat my goal on Sunday, again let me remind myself, by TEN minutes. I remember back to last year's mini at how fast my pace was to me at that time--5.8 mph--and how I couldn't believe I kept that speed for so long. This time around, my average pace was 6.3 mph. So if I can't recreate that time in 3 weeks, who cares? I have the satisfaction that I did it once--my watch times just as accurately as the mini shoe tag!
Ok. Who am I kidding? The official mini time is all that matters!!!
Songs of the run:
In My Head -Jason DeRulo
Break Your Heart -Taio Cruz ft. Ludacris
(those first two I downloaded just for this run--needed some new, motivating tunes!)
Pencil-Thin Mustache -Jimmy Buffett (just a good song I don't ever listen to, except when it comes on ipod shuffle!)
Taking Care of Business -BTO (because I WAS taking care of business)
Love Generation -Bob Sinclair (came on during my last 5 minutes of the run!)
Monday, April 12, 2010
Always Learning Lessons
It feels like it's been ages since I blogged about running, when in reality, it's only been a week and a half. Where were we? In case you're wondering if the Oliver Winery trip was worth shifting around my running schedule and doing a shorter run than planned, the answer is a definite YES. It was one of my favorite Oliver trips ever. Great weather, 13 samples of wine, tons of good picnic food, and truly letting myself enjoy a day off work. To think that I even considered NOT going!!
The weekend of April 3-4 was Easter weekend, so we went to see Chad's parents up by Chicago. With those two days and the Friday before of the Oliver trip, I had 3 full days off of working out. I can't remember the last time that happened! These days it feels like a stretch to get 2 days off consecutively.
This past week, April 5-9, was a busy one at work. A few group fitness instructors were out on vacation, which left me covering their classes. It was also my first week of picking up a cycle class on Tuesdays since my co-worker is 7 months pregnant and teaching cycle has become uncomfortable for her to say the least. When all was said and done, by Thursday of last week I had taught 7 classes! And thrown in 2 other workouts of my own. Friday I only taught the 10-minute abs class, and Chad and I played tennis after work. Finally, on Sunday I was scheduled for the 11 mile traning run.
We had gone out to eat at Nickel Plate for lunch on Sunday. One of my favorite menu items there is the strawberry chicken salad: a HUGE bowl of salad with grilled chicken, strawberries, mandarin oranges, walnuts, blue cheese crumbles and balsamic viniagrette--all of which I love. I ate the whole salad thinking it was a better pre-run meal than the fish and chips or the buffalo burger that I also like there.
About two hours later I set out on my 11 miles. (See map below.) I was feeling great initially. I ran through downtown Fishers along 116th which was new scenery for me. By the time I had crossed Allisonville Road, I felt like I could throw up if I tried, but wasn't too worried about it yet. Normally when I get side stitches during running, I can make them go away by focusing on deep breathing and pulling in my abs, but I was getting some stomach cramps that weren't subsiding. I reached 131st and Hazel Dell which was my designated turn-around point and headed towards home. Here my stomach was totally cramping up and aching, top to bottom. My chest had a little bit of a burn in it that felt like acid-reflux. I saw Chad coming up the hill on his bike with my bottle of Powerade Zero. I took a few swigs of that hoping it would revive me, but instead, as soon as I stopped running to take a drink I realized how awful my stomach was actually hurting and knew I probably couldn't take off running again. I started thinking back to that giant salad as well as my breakfast which included scrambled eggs with tons of chopped bell peppers. Basically, not enough high-carb grains and too much fiber and roughage, which is a bad feeling especially when you're running...if you know what I mean. (From a previous experience, I also don't recommend grapes before a run!)
I tried to run for a few minutes, but by the time I reached the corner of Hazel Dell and 116th, I absolutely could not continue. I was so frustrated and on the verge of tears because my legs felt geat, my heart rate seemed on the low end for running, and I still had plenty of stamina left cardio speaking. It seemed like my good intentions were always foiled somehow. Chad was planning on booking it back to the apartment on his bike, then getting his car and picking me up.
I started walking on 116th back east, frustrated the whole time. Even walking at a fast pace made my stomach double over in pain, so I just took it slow, waiting to see Chad's blue Blazer there to save me. Finally I made it back to Allisonville, crossed over, and thought that I would try running again. This time there was still some cramping but it was bearable. The fact that I COULD physically run was a step up from where I was moments earlier. I was able to get up to a pretty quick pace, and shortly after, saw Chad pull up beside me. He must have been able to tell I was going to make it, because he gave me a fist pump out through the sun roof, and I yelled "See you at home!" I made it back pretty much just in time as the stomach aches/cramps/rumbling were coming back.
I peeled off my sweaty clothes and jumped on the computer to mapmyrun.com to see how much of that 11 miles I actually ran versus walked. I was quite surprised to find I actually ran 9.05 miles between my 2 spurts of running. I was already just passed 6 miles when I started walking, and I couldn't have been walking for more than 30 minutes even though it felt torturous. So I felt satisfied. Almost.
Sitting there watching Phil Mickelson clinch his Masters victory, I decided it was bugging me that I didn't RUN the full 11. Here's where most normal people, not mini-training, would think that running 9 miles and walking 2 was a crazy amount of exercise for one day. But what did I do? Put back on my same sweaty clothes and headed to the apartment gym to knock out 2 more miles on the treadmill. Although we were getting ready to head to the grocery, Chad didn't even protest. He knew it was just a mental goal I had to complete. I was back in no time at all, having ran the 2 miles at a speed anywhere between 6.2-7.0 mph. Being a perfectionist, it still bothered me that I couldn't complete the 11 continuously, but three combined efforts was as good as it was going to get that day, so I was happy, mentally settled, and physically exhausted, but not sick or in pain.
The lesson of the run here was, just like I underestimated the importance of hydrating during a run, I underestimated the energy that comes from carb-loading before a distance run. I don't mean a crazy amount of carb-eating; just grains and sugars that are easily and quickly digestable, fueling your muscles and glycogen stores. Protein is slowly digested--great for post-workout replenishment and muscle repair/growth; not great for immediate energy. Fruits are vegetables are great for keeping your stomach fuller for longer with their high fiber, but like any plant, they all have certain elements that are undigestible. When you are doing high motion activites like running, you want all the blood moving to your limbs, and not a lot of activity going on in your digestive system.
It's coming down to a science of running. Even though running is not new for me, running this amount is. There are certain criteria of what to do and what not to do that best prepare my body for a long run and enable good results. Beyond standard rules and common runner knowledge, every person's body is unique and will react differently to foods/drinks.
The weekend of April 3-4 was Easter weekend, so we went to see Chad's parents up by Chicago. With those two days and the Friday before of the Oliver trip, I had 3 full days off of working out. I can't remember the last time that happened! These days it feels like a stretch to get 2 days off consecutively.
This past week, April 5-9, was a busy one at work. A few group fitness instructors were out on vacation, which left me covering their classes. It was also my first week of picking up a cycle class on Tuesdays since my co-worker is 7 months pregnant and teaching cycle has become uncomfortable for her to say the least. When all was said and done, by Thursday of last week I had taught 7 classes! And thrown in 2 other workouts of my own. Friday I only taught the 10-minute abs class, and Chad and I played tennis after work. Finally, on Sunday I was scheduled for the 11 mile traning run.
We had gone out to eat at Nickel Plate for lunch on Sunday. One of my favorite menu items there is the strawberry chicken salad: a HUGE bowl of salad with grilled chicken, strawberries, mandarin oranges, walnuts, blue cheese crumbles and balsamic viniagrette--all of which I love. I ate the whole salad thinking it was a better pre-run meal than the fish and chips or the buffalo burger that I also like there.
About two hours later I set out on my 11 miles. (See map below.) I was feeling great initially. I ran through downtown Fishers along 116th which was new scenery for me. By the time I had crossed Allisonville Road, I felt like I could throw up if I tried, but wasn't too worried about it yet. Normally when I get side stitches during running, I can make them go away by focusing on deep breathing and pulling in my abs, but I was getting some stomach cramps that weren't subsiding. I reached 131st and Hazel Dell which was my designated turn-around point and headed towards home. Here my stomach was totally cramping up and aching, top to bottom. My chest had a little bit of a burn in it that felt like acid-reflux. I saw Chad coming up the hill on his bike with my bottle of Powerade Zero. I took a few swigs of that hoping it would revive me, but instead, as soon as I stopped running to take a drink I realized how awful my stomach was actually hurting and knew I probably couldn't take off running again. I started thinking back to that giant salad as well as my breakfast which included scrambled eggs with tons of chopped bell peppers. Basically, not enough high-carb grains and too much fiber and roughage, which is a bad feeling especially when you're running...if you know what I mean. (From a previous experience, I also don't recommend grapes before a run!)
I tried to run for a few minutes, but by the time I reached the corner of Hazel Dell and 116th, I absolutely could not continue. I was so frustrated and on the verge of tears because my legs felt geat, my heart rate seemed on the low end for running, and I still had plenty of stamina left cardio speaking. It seemed like my good intentions were always foiled somehow. Chad was planning on booking it back to the apartment on his bike, then getting his car and picking me up.
I started walking on 116th back east, frustrated the whole time. Even walking at a fast pace made my stomach double over in pain, so I just took it slow, waiting to see Chad's blue Blazer there to save me. Finally I made it back to Allisonville, crossed over, and thought that I would try running again. This time there was still some cramping but it was bearable. The fact that I COULD physically run was a step up from where I was moments earlier. I was able to get up to a pretty quick pace, and shortly after, saw Chad pull up beside me. He must have been able to tell I was going to make it, because he gave me a fist pump out through the sun roof, and I yelled "See you at home!" I made it back pretty much just in time as the stomach aches/cramps/rumbling were coming back.
I peeled off my sweaty clothes and jumped on the computer to mapmyrun.com to see how much of that 11 miles I actually ran versus walked. I was quite surprised to find I actually ran 9.05 miles between my 2 spurts of running. I was already just passed 6 miles when I started walking, and I couldn't have been walking for more than 30 minutes even though it felt torturous. So I felt satisfied. Almost.
Sitting there watching Phil Mickelson clinch his Masters victory, I decided it was bugging me that I didn't RUN the full 11. Here's where most normal people, not mini-training, would think that running 9 miles and walking 2 was a crazy amount of exercise for one day. But what did I do? Put back on my same sweaty clothes and headed to the apartment gym to knock out 2 more miles on the treadmill. Although we were getting ready to head to the grocery, Chad didn't even protest. He knew it was just a mental goal I had to complete. I was back in no time at all, having ran the 2 miles at a speed anywhere between 6.2-7.0 mph. Being a perfectionist, it still bothered me that I couldn't complete the 11 continuously, but three combined efforts was as good as it was going to get that day, so I was happy, mentally settled, and physically exhausted, but not sick or in pain.
The lesson of the run here was, just like I underestimated the importance of hydrating during a run, I underestimated the energy that comes from carb-loading before a distance run. I don't mean a crazy amount of carb-eating; just grains and sugars that are easily and quickly digestable, fueling your muscles and glycogen stores. Protein is slowly digested--great for post-workout replenishment and muscle repair/growth; not great for immediate energy. Fruits are vegetables are great for keeping your stomach fuller for longer with their high fiber, but like any plant, they all have certain elements that are undigestible. When you are doing high motion activites like running, you want all the blood moving to your limbs, and not a lot of activity going on in your digestive system.
It's coming down to a science of running. Even though running is not new for me, running this amount is. There are certain criteria of what to do and what not to do that best prepare my body for a long run and enable good results. Beyond standard rules and common runner knowledge, every person's body is unique and will react differently to foods/drinks.
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