This weekend’s long run was supposed to be 12 miles.
Sometimes scheduled runs don’t go as planned. With all the traveling and weddings this summer has involved, I’m actually surprised that this is the first long run hiccup I’ve had.
I managed 10.25 miles in 1:34:30 for a 9:13 average mile. I ran along the Chicago lakefront, which was hot and sunny and almost completely flat.
This run felt surprisingly good most of the way, but I didn’t hit 12 for a few reasons. One was that this was our vacation day. This trip to Chicago was a working trip for both me and Daniel, so every minute I was running on the weekend sort of felt like I was stealing our one day to actually see the city together. So when I found myself back at our friends’ apartment having not reached my full 12 miles, I bagged the rest of the run in favor of some fun in Chicago.
With two weeks til the Bronx Half Marathon, this was supposed to be my longest run. Am I worried that I didn’t get that last 1.75 in? No. Here’s why:
- The night before this run involved a ton of super cheesy Mexican food and Tecate-n-hot sauce cocktails. And perhaps a cup of water for the whole day.
- The night before this run I slept roughly six hours on a pull-out couch, waking up pretty much twice an hour.
- My breakfast before this run consisted of a hamburger bun, plain.
- My mid-run fuel was two prunes, roughly 40 calories. Not enough.
I figure, if I can keep up a 9:13 pace for over 10 miles when I’m tired, sore, dehydrated, and have not been treating my tummy nicely, then I can definitely pull out 13.1 when I’m rested, watered, and properly fueled. No regrets.
Once I got cleaned up, we set out to do some fun Chicago things. We started with lunch at a lovely Armenian restaurant called Sayat Nova. (This was a Yelp find. Love it when the Yelp app comes through for me.)
Beers were had.
We split a mezza platter of hummus, babaganoush, and cucumbers in yogurt and dill.
Followed by a vegetarian entree that included rice, salad, spinach spanakopita, and plaki (white beans stewed in tomatoes).
With a side of tabbouleh.
This is my favorite kind of food. I would surely request it as my last meal. Or much needed replenishment after a long, hot run.
After lunch, we hopped on Chicago’s First Lady for the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s seriously cool boat tour.
I’ve been on this tour once before, along with a few walking tours put on by the Architecture Foundation, and I have never been disappointed. Their volunteer docents are extremely knowledgable, and I’m always impressed at how much information they can pack into an hour and a half. Plus, the view from the Chicago River is the best.
Could not recommend this tour more highly, especially if you’re interested in 20th century schools of design (or literature or music, for that matter). Daniel freaking loved it.
Between work and weddings, we managed to sneak in a few other fun Chicago things this week.
We tried to see a night game with my dad at Wrigley Field on Monday, but it got rained out.
We were pretty bummed to miss out on this, but then (hooray!) my dad drove us in for the rescheduled afternoon game on Thursday.
The weather was spectacular, our seats were the best I’ve ever had, and the Cubs won. Could not have been a more perfect game.
Anyway, here’s how my last two weeks of training measure up to what I’d planned.
Intended:
Actual:
Should I have so many rest days in there? Nope. I would have liked to do a lot more running and cross-training. But traveling, especially when you’re staying with friends, requires flexibility. Thankfully, now it’s back to New York and to routine and normalcy.
So here’s my question for you seasoned (or not) runners out there: do you rigidly stick to your training plan when traveling, or do you go with the flow and trust that your best is good enough?
don’t worry about that extra 15 minutes/1.75 mi of running – you are more than prepared for the BX 1/2. i think you made the right decision – running and training is important, but spending time with the ones you love (esp. in a city as cool as Chicago!) should take precedence.
Love the blog! I think I would literally die in that heat :) ! (From Ireland) , great running time wow! how long are you running ?
I started running 7 weeks ago , I set myself a challenge to train for a half marathon with only 12 weeks :) , On week 7 , so far im up to 8.5 miles :) …. I can so relate with you about the alcohol :) I find a run is the best hangover cure :)
www.12weeks12miles.wordpress.com < that's my crazy challenge :) – never run before :)
I’d agree with Megan. You’re in good physical fitness to run and do extremely well in the 1/2.
A few tips for the actual race. Getting a good night’s rest two days before the race is actually more important than getting a good night’s rest the evening prior to the race. Both are important, but one a little more so. Another tip, and I think you’ve been figuring this out for yourself, but running, and especially racing, is predominantly mental. When you are hurting the most during your race, remember that you put in the training you needed and that you actually can do it! Know, absolutely know, you can do it, then focus on smooth breathing, getting a good stride, and using your arms to your advantage.
Thanks for the tip about two nights before! I hadn’t really thought about it, but now I’ll be sure to get enough sleep the whole week before, just for good measure…
What a fun time it looks like you had! I definitely don’t stick to my plans exactly, especially when in different cities for work or vacation. I think you’ll be more than fine for the 1/2, and the fact that you had extra time to have fun on vacation is what’s important! You never regret stuff like that.
P.S. I made your chocolate chip zucchini bread and it is SO GOOD! :)
The first time I trained for a half, I was obsessive about getting in my runs; fortunately, it didn’t mess up any vacation plans (my sister was just sleeping in anyway!). The second time around, I figured I’ve been able to do it once, so yes, I trusted that my best was good enough.
You guys are awesome. Thanks for the wise comments. Sadye, that’s exactly what I was thinking: I’ve done this before and I know I can do it again. I’ve trained smarter this time than for any other long race I’ve done, so I’m feeling good, even without those 15 minutes.
i love that you made this decision. time with your loved ones is always the most important thing, and while i have no experience to draw on, i can’t imagine that an extra 15ish minutes of running on one day will make or break your race. you’re in good shape, and you’ll be more than fine! the beauty of traveling (at least for me) is that it’s an opportunity to forgo all routine and live in a bit of a different way. looks like you did that very well!
hopefully see you soon!!
I LOVE Chicago. We went there for our honeymoon, it was our first time there and I have wanted to go back ever since. Love it. I would cut short a run to go enjoy the city too :)
i think we are on the exact same running page! your weekly schedules look a lot like mine! i’m doing the bronx 1/2 AND im traveling to chicago this coming weekend…one of SO many summer trips/weddings/events thats filling up the calendar! training while traveling is so hard, so kudos for any little bit you can knock out!
Shayne, glad you and Daniel had a great time in Chicago,….we got rained out but came back to sunshine and a win …. Go Cubbies…..you bring the sunshine to my world ……love Dad