Notes from Mile 5

113 Days left until our Marathon.  We ran 13 miles this week, with 5 miles on Saturday.
I feel like I"ve learned so much even at this early point in our training.  Here are some notes from mile 5:

1.  So much depends on what works for you.  I keep wanting someone to tell me what to eat, how much to drink, what to wear.  Much to my dismay, no one will because running is such an individual thing.  Drink, eat, wear whatever feels best for you when you're training.  I haven't figured out what is best for me on everything yet and I'm sure it will change as we do longer distances.  I have found that eating a piece of bread or some crackers before long runs works well for me.  Too much food on my stomach and I feel sick while running, but a little carbs and a little protein is good.  Other people like coffee, protein shakes, bananas, etc...

2.  Drink a lot of water, but make sure you're replacing electrolytes.  As you drink more water, the more it flushes out the electrolytes.  I drink about 5 24oz glasses of water each day, but I've started supplementing things that replace electrolytes as well.  Pomegranted juice was something I tried this week because it's high in potassium.  I thought it was gross and too expensive - $10 for a bottle!  But I'll keep trying things.  Coconut water is great for electrolyte replacement and I really enjoy it.

3.  Get lots of vitamins.  I've added a veggie shake into my diet.  I combine spinach, lettuce, 1/2 an apple, 1/2 a banana, Mila and water in my Magic Bullet and it makes a delish shake.  It's packed with all sorts of healthy vitamins and I know exactly what's going into it.  However you do it, I think it is very important to have a lot of veggies in your diet.  The Magic Bullet is a fantastic addition to our kitchen, I use it every day becase it makes a single serving, is so simple to clean up and blends pretty much anything.

4.  Get your miles in.  Running during the week has been really important for me in order to get the long run done on Saturdays.  Doing the shorter miles during the week helps build your endurance for the long runs.

5.  Lay low on the alcohol. Last week I drank 2 glasses of red wine on Friday night and I've done it the night before running a few times.  It does not feel good.  Even though I'm only having a little, it is not worth the extra lag I feel the next day.

6.  Having friends to keep you accountable makes a Huge difference.  If I weren't running with Michelle and Kate, I think I may have quit by this point.  Knowing that they're doing their miles, not drinking, eating healthier and working hard is encredibly motivating.

7.  An amazing coach is just as valuable as having friends to run with.  Dinah is an incredible woman. Not only has she done Iron Woman, is training for the Nations Tri, has children and a job, but she is out with us two days a week, emailing, encouraging us and has a great attitude about all of it.  Having such a positive and involved coach has really helped all 3 of us to continue working hard.

It was tough, but I got all of my miles in this week.  I ran at lunch on Monday.  Doing 3 miles and getting back to work in 1 hour is impossible.  Tuesday, my boyfriend ran with me, which was nice of him.  I'd really like to get faster so it's at least a challenge for him, I hope I can.  I find it is very hard to take encouragement from your significant other.  I am trying to learn how to communicate what I need better, because he tries very hard to keep me going.  I used the rain on Wednesday as an excuse to skip my run and did fundraising stuff instead.  It wasn't until Friday that I made up the miles at lunch and worked late to make up the time.  The 4 donuts I ate before running was a bad idea.  Getting the miles in seems to make a big difference.  I want to make sure I start doing Yoga more too.  It's great for stretching.

Today we ran 5 miles.  I thought I was ready to walk after mile 1 and was certain I couldn't do all 5.  I kept pace just fast enough to where Michelle and Kate didn't get too far ahead of me, but the humidity made it difficult to breathe and tougher to run.  When the girls stopped for the bathroom, I kept going by myself to finish 2.5 miles.  About that time, Dinah came to run with me.  I thought I was done at 2.5 miles, no more running, I couldn't do it.  Running with someone that I know can out pace and out distance me was so motivating.  I finished the entire 5 miles non-stop!!  I did not want to run today, was certain I couldn't do 5 miles, but I was wrong.  With the right amount of encouragement and drive, you can push yourself harder and longer than you think you can.