Long Run Diary: June 9, 2024
Every few weeks I’ll share a long run diary, detailing my nutrition and hydration for the run, what I was thinking about while running, and my overall feelings on the run.
I’ve linked some of the products I used during my run. I DO NOT earn a commission, but wanted to share in case you are interested.
On Sunday, I went on my longest long run of training so far. 7.5 miles, after a weekend of traipsing around Washington DC and definitely not drinking enough water. I’m not sure why I thought running 7.5 miles after all that in the evening heat wouldn’t be a big deal, but alas. I ran it anyway.
Preparing hydration & nutrition
Before the run, Kimberly helped me figure out a fueling plan based on the fact I hadn’t eaten much that day (a nasty yogurt at the airport, large Wendy’s fry, cookies & cream z-bar, and strawberry poptarts) and had only maybe drank 40 ounces of water. The lead up to the run was a recipe for disaster.
Using her intimate knowledge of fueling because of several 5+ hour bike rides last summer, we decided I would hydrate with 16-20 oz fluid per hour, using a combination of water and Tailwind Endurance Fuel (lemon), and my nutrition would be one Huma gel (strawberry) and one HoneyStinger gel (gold), mostly because those were the only two gels I had.
We decided against a salt chew (a chewy electrolyte thing) because I had never used one before and the Tailwind was a new addition to my run fueling plan.
I filled two 14 oz flasks, one with water and one with the Tailwind. I also prepped water and Tailwind to refill my supply halfway through my run.
With hydration and nutrition set, I put on my running clothes and put my left earbud in my ear (I only wear one so I can hear traffic).
The Run
Before I dive into the run, I should note that I am training on the Galloway method, also known as the Run-Walk-Run method. During my training, I run for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of walking. Typically this shakes out to covering 0.03-0.04 miles during my run segments and 0.02-0.03 segments during my walk segments. One of the major benefits of the Galloway methods is how it reduces the physical load on the body, leading to less fatigue. A 7.5-mile run consists of about ~125 run segments and ~125 walk segments.
I started the run around 6:20 PM, which was twenty minutes later than I intended. As soon as I stepped outside, I could only think about how hot it was. At about 90 degrees, Sunday’s run was definitely the hottest of the year.
10 minutes into the run, already dripping with sweat, I texted Kimberly to set out a salt chew for me so I could take it on my refuel stop halfway through my run.
Somewhere between mile one and mile two, I listened to Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO!” three times in a row, and then a smattering of Sabrina Carpenter songs, including “Espresso,” “Feather,” and “Read Your Mind.” The pop girlies really got me through the unforgiving heat.
At 2.5 miles, I took the first gel: Huma! Last summer, when I was training for the half marathon, I tried Huma gels because they had a thinner consistency than some of the other gels. Many of them also contain chia seeds, and as a chia seed fan myself, this is a bonus. The strawberry flavor tastes like strawberry jam. Yum!
After I took the gel, I put my trash back in the front pocket of my vest with the HoneyStinger gel.
Shortly after this, I ran past a pile of bricks. One of them fell out of place. I jumped. I think the adrenaline helped me make it to my pit stop, especially since I ran out of hydration around 3.25 miles.
Halfway through my run (3.75 miles), I stopped at home to refill my hydration. Before leaving on the run, I prepped Tailwind and put it in the fridge so it’d be nice and cold for me. Entering my house shocked my system; the air conditioning was a bit too much. I used a funnel to dump the refills into my Nathan soft flasks so I wouldn’t spill liquid everywhere.
I headed back out. The sun closed in on the horizon and since I didn’t leave my sunglasses at home like I meant to, I shoved them in the vest pocket with my water flask, but they kept inching their way out. Throughout the rest of the run, I had to shove them back in the vest.
At 4.4 miles, I ran past an older couple. The woman said, “It’s a little warm, isn’t it?” I mumbled out a response like, “Yeah, ha! I got started a little late tonight, I guess!” and ran away. I’m not sure if she was concerned for my well being because I can only imagine how red my face was at that point or if she was trying to make a joke about the weather.
I ran past the same couple at 4.75 miles, at which point the woman said, “You running all the way around the block?” and again I out-of-breath responded with, “ha! Seven-and-a-half miles tonight!” and she said, “Good lord,” and then I didn’t see her again after that.
The fun didn’t stop there. Around the 5.25 mile mark, I came into contact with two preteen boys and their parents. The boys rode their bikes in big swerving motions, and everytime I thought I’d get away from them, they appeared again. A loud pop! filled the air. I jumped, my body filled with adrenaline before I realized the little explosion noise was poppers. Each of the boys had a bag of them in one hand and had been riding around the neighborhood and throwing them at the ground.
As I ran past the parents, the dad apologized to me. I said it was fine, and then he proceeded to yell at the boys, so I guess it wasn’t fine.
Regardless, I think the boost of adrenaline helped me get through the last two miles.
As I neared the end of the run — my longest yet — a serene sense of accomplishment washed over me. I queued up “Selfless” by The Strokes, received a spam phone call, declined it, and then my earbuds died with 0.30 miles left in the run.
I made it home.
Your journey is so inspiring to me!! ❤️
I love your detailed description Syd! Especially the funny encounters with folks out and about--always seems to happen! How do the gels work?