Wednesday Workout Update - With an Apology to GU

My running club had a 9 miler on tap for the half group on Sunday. We met at the later (for us) hour of 7:00 am - it was nice to sleep in a bit! It was still freaking cold, though - 28 degrees. One thing that I struggle with while dressing for these runs is to not overdress. I know that I will warm up really fast once I start running - it's just the time spent before we start running that gets me. Plus, I always start second-guessing my clothing choices as soon as I see anyone wearing more layers than me. But, I got it right on Sunday - never had to strip off any layers, nor did I feel cold once I started running. The gear? From the bottom up (links provided to help you visualize what I wore since for once I didn't think to take a picture):

• Thorlo Experia merino wool socks - running shoes are well-ventilated and these socks have made the difference between my toes being frozen and being comfortable.
• Newtons
• CW-X compression capris - I wanted to try these because my hamstrings and quads have been pretty sore after the long runs. They felt great, but I second-guessed myself when ordering them - I bought the size large when I should have bought a medium - the compression factor plus horror stories of putting them on scared me. They kept me warm enough, though, even though part of my calves were bare. I kept them on for several hours after the run to see if the compression really helped with recovery - I have to say that I think it did.
  
• Underarmour UA Tech t-shirt
  
• Asics Thermopolis hoody
  
• Lucy vest (this was my mom's vest - couldn't find it on any website so it must be pretty old)
  
• Helen's gloves :)
• Mizuno Breath Thermo Cap - with ear flaps. This is new and although Jeff took one look at me and said "I see you've traded fashion for function" it did the trick. My head never felt hot but it kept me warm, and the ear flaps (that you can easily fold up if you need to) were wonderful - not tight, but for the first time in weeks, my ears didn't freeze.

I put all of this out there to show what is working for me - your results may vary. I just know that it's a little confusing with all of the options out there. Runner's World also had a really neat clothing calculator that tells you what to wear in what conditions - check it out here. Because I don't have a running store in my town, I do most of my shopping online. I like runningwarehouse.com because they have free two-day shipping to and from (helpful when things don't fit), and their prices seem to be pretty good. That said, I would pay a few bucks extra to support a local running store if I had that option. And just for the FTC's* benefit, I got nothing for mentioning running warehouse - I just happen to like that company.

I didn't mean for this post to turn into Fashion Friday! So the run...it was cold and I ran fast. Fast being a relative term...fast for me, I should say. Really too fast for a nine miler - I have got to get better at doing my long runs at a slower pace. Next week, I'm going to try pacing a couple of women in my running club who probably run around a 12 minute mile - we'll see if that helps. My splits were:

11:08
11:01
11:02
11:00
11:05
11:54
13:21 - oops, can you tell I did a lot of walking for this mile?
12:42 - and this one?
11:31

Average pace ended up being 11:39, but according to my running guru, my practice long runs should be slower so I will be able to run faster in the half marathons. Still learning, I am.

I also did a tempo run on Tuesday night with four of my hardcore half ladies - Erica, Cheryl, Tiffani, Julia and I all braved the rain to run in the dark on the local middle school track. With the added challenge of hurdles set up along the first straightaway. Fun times! It actually wasn't horrible, and it did give me an idea of what I need to prepare for, should my next race be rainy. And actually, the worst part was all the raindrops covering my glasses - even wearing a cap didn't help with that. Next rainy run, I'll have to bring some Kleenex in a baggie (to stay dry) so I can periodically wipe my glasses down.

And now, my apology to GU. GU is an energy gel that many runners use during long runs. I have steadfastly avoided even trying the stuff - just the thought of eating a sickeningly sweet gel while running grossed me out. Certain textures give me the heebie-jeebies (like cottage cheese ::shudder::) and I was sure that this was equally disgusting. So I dismissed it without ever trying it, or any of the other energy gels on the market. But Santa left some in my stocking, and seeing as how I'd had a hard time chewing my Shot Bloks during the Seawall half, I knew I needed to give these a try. So right around mile 3.5 on Saturday, I bravely tried a Chocolate Outrage flavor.

Y'all.

It was like eating a melted candy bar! What a delicious discovery! GU is good - who knew?!?

Now if I can just convince myself that "running to the grocery store" does not require sucking down a GU, I'll be in great shape. ;)



*Apparently you are supposed to disclose what you receive for free for reviews to the FTC, not the FCC. As I have been doing for the past year. Oops. Best intentions and all. ;)