Rough day today, but I figured it would be. I had a rare night without Cale and took full advantage of it...unfortunately, that also meant getting home at 2:00. I'm too old to make that work on a regular basis. Anyway, I had set a date to meet Patrick on the Santa Fe this morning. It's a lot harder to weasel out of a run when you're being held accountable to someone else.
Today's plan - 10 out on the Santa Fe at an easy pace, likely in the 8:30 range. Turn it around and come back at mary + 10 effort -
supposedly 6:26's. All the variables, though - how I felt, slight downhill, trail vs. road, southerly wind, and of course, altitude - meant "6:26 effort." Straight up, 6:26 WAS effort this morning.
Long story short - 20 miles is still 20 miles. Not a walk in the park. Patrick's company was much appreciated, as he joined me for miles 2-9 and a couple of the pickup miles on the way back. I wasn't able to push and hold well today - I'm sure it was a combination of sleep, still getting over the cold earlier this week, and having an emptier tank before I stepped out the door this morning. I shut down the pickup a mile early as I just wasn't feeling it. Splits and HR's for the pickup: 6:27/149, 6:29/154, 6:35/152, 6:28/154, 6:36/154, 6:23/156, 6:18/156, 6:26/161. Looking at when I shut it down, it seems my HR confirmed what I felt.
Long runs are opportunities to experiment with hydration, nutrition, etc. Trying things on the short runs don't really give you an idea of what they'll do to you during a race. Today's bright and shiny supplement -
Justin's Peanut Butter. I'm trying to get away from all those Gu/HammerGel calories. Thought being I can get plenty of electrolytes and sugars through sport drink, but PB is loaded with protein and fat. More importantly, it appeals to me and it's a little more natural. Anyway, I had two concerns about the funky little Gu-like packages. #1 - would I be able to get the stuff out easily while holding a steady pace, and #2 would I be able to swallow this stuff? Turns out #1 was more of an issue than #2. I did feel a little better after downing the package, but my pre-run preparations were severely lacking this morning and I felt it.
Got a quick nap in up at my folks when I went to pick up Cale. Sneaked in another few minutes in the theater when I took him to
Gnomeo and Juliet. Kinda cute, I guess. Even kid movies pull at the romantic hidden somewhere in me. I'll sleep well tonight...it was a good week, all things considered.
Saturday was just one race, but it does give me hope that I'm on the right track this season - that I've cleared a hurdle, maybe broken out of a plateau. I would hope so, as I've prepared differently these past few months. One of the biggest changes I've made has been in my diet. More on that in the future, but I've got to think it's had a major impact in my performance. 
