The thing about long runs….

…is you find the mile where the chafing starts.

Today I took advantage of a short work day and the most beautiful weather the city has seen so far this spring and did one of my favorite things-  running home from work. The only catch was I desperately needed to get in a training/distance run for my upcoming May marathon. So instead of cutting up the east side of the park for an easy 6 home, I looped around the park 2 1/2 times not unlike someone stuck on a hamster wheel.

It was awesome. I ran the first six miles with no music to break up the run a little. I switched over to my old school i-pod nano. Unfortunately, despite a night of charging, it completely kicked the bucket on me by mile 13. Wont wont wahhh.  I switched it up with a little Spotify, but I missed out on some of my favorite running song reserves which I was really hankering for at that point.

I also feel like I missed the mark with fueling, but I’m still in the early stages of nailing it down for runs longer than 13+. I had a ton of carbs yesterday, and all weekend for that matter. This morning I had a cream cheese bagel, a banana, and an espresso at 11,  and a cliff bar about an hour before my run. I took in 4 shot block gummies at mile 4, and 3 more around mile 10. However, today all the gummies and water seemed to be bouncing around in my stomach at various points. And since a full marathon is on the docket in less than five weeks, I need to nail this down and it is becoming apparent that shot blocks and water is not going to cut it for me.

Most notable moments of the run:

1. A squirrel ran across my path and as it approached I saw it was carrying something. Something that looked small, fury, and dead. What kind of squirrel does that? Carnivorous squirrels? What! By the time it was near me I decided it was probably a baby squirrel. Doesn’t this crafty carnivorous-and/or-mama squirrel stop right in front of me- like one foot away. And I eeked, loud enough for the two folks on bikes passing to laugh at me.

2. In the harlem hills, there was a woman struggling up one of the longer steeper hills in a hand-peddled wheelchair thing (I’ve seen the super low ones, but never one like this). And this guy running just a head of me ran over to her, asked if she wanted help, and ran/pushed her up the entire hill. 

Boom. But that’s not all.

Not quarter of a mile later, as we are going up the next decent hill, he realizes this hill is going to suck too and he goes back, asks her if she’ll accept another hand, and pushes her up the second hill. 

Wow. Coolest thing I’ve seen in a long time.

Total miles for the day: 17. My longest run ever! I might just survive Bear Mountain yet.

Might 😉