Basket Case

I'm really starting to remember why I didn't want to train for another marathon after my first attempt in 2002 went up in flames at around mile 18 due to a piriformis injury.

Those were the good old days and I've been trying very hard to forget them, especially the long runs, which almost always left me a mess for the rest of the day. Until today that is.

Although I won't start training for the California International Marathon on December 3 until August with Pfitzinger's 18 week/up to 70 miles a week plan, I do want to get use to running longer and have a solid base in place. Hence longer weekend long runs.

So this morning, after having a small slice of homemade bread with peanut butter and honey, I got out the door a little before 7 am. I ran my usual Sunday route of 2.5 miles to the local park and then out and back on a paved, measured trail.

I ran the 5.5 mostly gentle downhill miles all the way to the end and then turned around for the uphill return portion. Averaged roughly 7:30 miles for the out and back and felt OK for most of it. The final few miles home were a bit of a struggle as I tacked on an extra mile to put me at 17.15 miles for the run and a tenth short of 70 miles for the week. It was my longest run in years.

Once I got home, I drank a slimfast to speed recovery with its 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein, and then tried to re-hydrate as best I could. I was pretty much a basket case the rest of the day just going through the motions. My stomach wasn't feeling great, and this gave me flashbacks of previous long runs that wiped me out. Fun.

At this point, it's hard to fathom running an additional 9 miles at a faster pace and the coming months of training will be even more painful. So why am I even considering running a marathon again? Why not is all I can think of for now?