You think I would have learned from my mistakes on Sunday but NOOOOO. Laura had to go and eat 3 chocolate chip cookies last night (they were home-made, a new recipe, and AMAZING...can you blame me???) Buuut wow did my stomach hurt this morning. I felt awful coming into the city for the gym. I did 5 miles...it was alright. It's pouring out today so I was back on the treadmill, which I kind of loathe now, running outside in beautiful spring weather is so much more fun! But it's supposed to be sunny and 60 tomorrow and gorgeous the rest of the week so I'm excited to get back out and running in central park!! My quads still really hurt from Sunday's run. BUT I do have to say that my stomach feels much better now that the run is over. I think I would have felt fat and bloated all day if I didn't work out this morning. Sooo I
MUST limit my cookie intake tonight. This is a lesson to me!

Miles Run today: 5
Total Miles Run for 2010: 198.25


Sunday, March 27, 2010:
3 words: Worst.Run.Ever. and I was so mad because it was my first time running with my half-marathon partner-in-crime Mal! I had been reading on running message boards that if you run for longer than an hour, you should eat something before the run to help sustain you throughout the entire thing. Well...it didn't work out so well for me last week when I ran..I had a cramp for the first half and it ESPECIALLY didn't work out for me this week. I had a piece of toast with peanut butter on it as soon as I woke up on Sunday, which was 45 minutes before I actually started running. I got a stomach cramp almost immediately after I started running and burped up peanut butter for 6 of the 10 miles. My body can't digest its food while running at the same time...it's just not that smart. It's like patting your head while rubbing your stomach...some people can do it..some can't. My body clearly can't do two things at one time. Finally by mile 2, I just told Mal to go ahead and I was gonna try and walk it off. The next 8 miles I did on my own (with Mal not even a speck in front of me, she eventually got a mile ahead of me!). From mile 2-5.5 I jogged at a pretty easy pace, just keeping my side sticker at bay and pacing myself. When I got to 5.5 I took a short1 to 2 minute break...I had to stretch out my right knee, which always starts killing me halfway through a run, and I drank half a bottle of Gatorade (I had forgotten my gu!). Then, with 5 miles left, I put on my 5 miles running podcast that I've pretty much been listening to for every run I do because it starts at a great 6mph pace and works up to a 7mph pace. The second half of my run was MUCH better for me. I think I "breaked" a total of 3 or 4 times during the 10 miles for various reasons: knee hurting, stomach cramp, various other pains. But every time I broke..I walked in a circle around the same spot I stopped...because I wanted to actually run a full 10 miles...not run/walk it. I got to the end..but holy cow that was a rough one. My legs are still killing me today and it's 2 days later! I met up with Mal at the end, who had a nice long time to rest due to my slow tempo, but it was still nice to begin with her and drive home with her....I forget how solitary running can be sometimes. We'll prob. run together 1 or 2 more times before the big day!

Things I learned due to this run:
1. I CANNOT share a plate of nachos and drink a glass of beer at 10:00 at night the night before a big run. I think this was a HUGE factor in my overall performance. aaaa duh!
2. I was really excited to run with Mal, but I've never had to talk while running before, and I wasn't very good at it. I think I kind of need to stay quiet and get in my zone while running. BUT I should get better at talking while running so I can at least run with friends SOMETIMES.
3. I can't eat anything before a run. period. I may try eating some electrolyte jelly beans before my run this weekend. I did eat those last year before the half marathon and didn't have a problem with that. But peanut butter/orange juice (Gives me heartburn)/ hard boiled egg/toast are OUT.

Miles Run today: 10
Total Miles Run for 2010: 193.25