10 Miles Scheduled – Did I Do It? And What Happened to the Fuel for my Run?

I have not even attempted 10 miles since training (and running) the Chicago Marathon in 2017. So, I was a little nervous about the scheduled 10-mile run today. I also have never been the best about fueling for a run. Many of my runs have been just running with maybe a little bit of an energy drink mix and some gummy bears. But, things have changed (I am older and I don’t bounce back as quickly as I use to) and I need to try to find something that helps get me through the run and also aids in recovery after. And that is all a part of training, right? Finding what works. Trial and error. Every runner is different, so you truly do have to find what works best for you.

But first, I needed a water bottle for my energy drinks, so I bought a Nathan hand-held type. Hydration belts and vests annoy me so I thought I would try this out. And I filled it with Liquid IV which I have tried before and I really like it.

So for the energy gel, I chose something from a Stride Box gift that I had received from Sonja (it was a monthly gift box so I combined some of the contents). Looking through this box, I found the perfect one to try – can you guess which one? I have never been a big fan of energy gels but so many things seem to change as we get older so I thought I would try them again.

Of course, I have to try the Cola…

I packed up the fuel for the run and some dry clothes (raining hard today) and water for after. I drove into Anchorage to run some flatter trails so as to not strain my Achilles tendon too much. But when I got there, I did not have my fuel! I was so irritated! What happened to it? Now, I should have just driven to a local store and bought something; at the very least, a bottle of water (the water that I did have was in a big water mug that would be too much to carry on the run). But, I didn’t. 10 miles? I’ll be okay. (eye roll)

Initially, I was worried that I wasn’t dressed warm enough for the run. We have had nothing but rain for the last 24 hours and it was raining when I started. And the temperatures were in the mid-50s. Got to get this training run in though, so I headed out onto the trails. I was plenty warm and the rain didn’t really bother me at all. What did bother me a little was the rolling hills in the middle of my run that I had forgotten about. It’s been a few years since I have run this part of the trail.

The hills do not look so bad in the photos but some of them were fairly steep.

I felt really good until about 7.5 miles. This is where some fueling would have helped matters. But, I just slowed my pace and kept moving. And I did get that 10-mile run done!! So, at the end of the run during my cool-down walk, I found some Smarties in my coat pocket, ha! I love these candies and tend to have them around all of the time. That one little roll at the end of my 10-mile run was sooooo good, haha. I needed sugar!

Interestingly enough, at the end of the run, my Garmin said that I needed three days to recover. That seems a bit much so I will just try to fuel and eat well to aid in recovery. I, obviously, didn’t get off to a good start since I didn’t have anything with me.

And where did I find that fuel that was supposed to be in my backpack…

Right outside of my garage door along with the plastic bag for my iPhone. Oh well, I still have plenty of time to try out some fueling options. Next time I will make sure I have everything. before I leave the driveway,

The rest of my running week:

• Monday Run 3 miles easy
• Tuesday Run 3.75 miles easy
• Wednesday PT exercises and Strengthening
• Thursday Track – Fartleks 5 min easy run warm-up then 1 min hard/2 min easy x 21 minutes
• Friday Run 4 miles easy
• Saturday Rest
• Sunday Long slow distance run 10 miles

I continue with PT exercises most every day.

I have not spent any time with my kiddos because they have been sick with covid but hopefully, they will be feeling better soon. Tylor is still in Kentucky visiting family.

And the wildlife picture of the week…

These young moose were crossing the road as I approached (I was driving not running) so of course, I stopped my truck and waited. They just stood there for quite some time. Sorry about the picture quality. There was a lot of smoke in the air from the 500 fires in Alaska. We just got a lot of rain so hopefully, that has helped clear the air and put out some fires.

Have a great week!

Happy Running