September 23, 2010

18 Miles Done and an Ice Bath!

The 18 Miler:
I was supposed to do this run last week, but because I was sick, I decided to rest and get well before tackling it.  I would rather take 5 days off to get better, then run through it and end up getting even more sick.  I did that in January and ended up with nasty bronchitis that would put me in coughing fits lasting over 20 minutes after trying to workout!  It was horrible!  Let's just say I learned my lesson!

I dropped my boys off at school, came back home, got everything loaded into the car, and headed to my favorite place to run long, the Highline Canal.  The weather was in the mid 60s, so it was perfect!  I wore my Nathan Speed 4 belt, which carried ~40oz. of liquid.  When it's warmer out, this is no way enough liquid to get me through 18 miles, but because it was cooler, I didn't know what I would need.  So, my plan was to park in the middle of the trail system and do an out and back to the north, then an out and back to the south.  That way I could stop at my car to refill my bottles if I needed to.

I really wanted to focus on staying at the right pace for this run, around 9:30, especially since it was the longest I have ever run and I was sick last week.  I definitely did not want to push the pace.  In the past I always found it difficult to run "slow" for my long runs.  For some reason, I would always try and run just below the pace I was supposed to.  I think in my mind, I was trying to "beat" myself, which is absurd!  After taking the RRCA class, I really understood the importance of the long, slow run and why we run it at a particular pace.  Having that mindset really helped and I found myself running pretty close to where I needed to be!

The Highline canal was absolutely beautiful.  The majority of the trees were already changing colors and because there was a breeze, leaves were falling from the trees as I ran.  And, it even smelled like fall.  The kind of musty, damp smell associated with leaves and rain.  It was awesome!

My piriformis on my left side was bothering me a little bit over the last month which was leading to some knee pain.  I decided to finally get another sports massage to see if it would help and the lady was AWESOME!  She knew exactly where to push and massage to get it feeling better.  I was really worried about it hurting during my run, but surprisingly, it didn't hurt at all!  I was so happy!

Around mile 13, I started getting kind of bored and it was getting mentally difficult to keep running.  I tried not to focus on how many more miles I had to run, but just to enjoy being outside on such a beautiful day.  That worked for about a mile...ha ha!  The way my route was planned, I passed by my car at the 15.5M mark.  That was tough to run past knowing I still had 2.5 miles to go.  I was so tired and my legs were feeling pretty fatigued.  I could definitely feel the effects of being sick for a week!  I just kept telling myself, "You can do it, you can do it."  I ran until the 17mile mark, then turned around to head back to my car.  That last mile felt sooo slow.  I would look at my Garmin and I would be at 17.3, then I would look again, hoping to be almost done, only for it to show 17.4...ugh!  Finally, I hit the 18M mark!!  I actually put my hands in the air and shouted, "Yay, you did it!"  I'm glad no one else was around, because I'm sure I looked pretty silly!  I finished my 18miles in 2:48 for a 9:20 avg. pace, which is pretty close to the 9:30 I was shooting for!  
  
The Ice Bath:
I came home, and decided it was time to take my first ice bath!  Now, I don't tolerate cold very well, but I was actually excited about it.  I made a cup of hot chocolate milk, put on my tri shorts, a long sleeved sweatshirt, and headed to the bath.
Can I just say, "Brrrrrrrr!"  It was soooo cold!  I was shivering and my teeth were chattering.  Yes, I am still wearing my Smartwool socks, but I thought that if I didn't my toes would freeze off!  If you look closely, you can see the goosebumps on my legs!  In all honesty, the ice bath felt awesome and almost rejuvenating!  I think it will definitely be something I try to do after all of my long runs from this point on.
 My warm, fuzzy sweatshirt and hot chocolate milk were wonderful!  Thank god for the little morsels of warmth they provided! :)

After my bath, I took a quick shower and slipped into these:


I LOVE my Zoot compression tights!!














Then, I feasted on a big bowl of yogurt, fruit, and homemade granola!  YUM!
Overall, I am really happy with how my long run went.  I felt like I kept a pretty steady pace and my nutrition worked perfectly.  I had 3 gels (at 5, 10, & 15M), and drank water and NUUN.  I didn't have any stomach issues at all, which was awesome!  I'm going to have to figure out when to run my last long run, a 20 miler, before starting my taper.  With only 3 weeks before the race, the timing is pretty tricky.  Any suggestions??

34 comments:

Running and living said...

Great job! When is your marathon?
During the last few miles of a long run I make a deal with myself not to look at a Garmin until I get to a certain point in the future. That makes those last miles go by quicker:)
I think ice baths rock! I wearing socks helps. Your piriformis would get more help if you did not wear the tri shorts during the ice bath (I know, it's sooo cold). Also, I make sure I move my legs in the bath bc the water closer to the body warms up due to body heat.
Do you use a foam roller? Those are amazing for tight spots. Just go really slow and when you feel a knot, sit there for a while (it hurts like a mother!) and you'll feel it releasing. Pretty cool stuff! Great job again:)

Caratunk Girl said...

Congrats on the 18 miler and the ice bath!! I have done that once, it is so cold but works well. I will do more next season for sure.

I think you should ask Miss Zippy your 20 mile question. That is who I would ask! :)

Running and living said...

I just saw we are both marathoning on the same day!

Q said...

I've been seeing a lot of ice baths lately, I'm going to have to try this!

Sorry no advice for the long run, I'm not up to that distance yet

Patrick Mahoney said...

I can't believe I'm saying this because I've spent a good number of years being a sloth, but that's like a perfect morning. Except the bananas, just because I don't like them.

More importantly congrats on your new long run record....that is awesome.

Regina said...

Great post. I cannot ever get the water cold enough in my tub even with a full bucket of ice from the ice maker.... that granola looks yummy!

DRog said...

Good call on resting last week when not feeling well. great run!
-Derek

KovasP said...

Great run and way to keep the pace where it was supposed to be - I can't do that yet, still race my long runs. Compression tights, cocoa, bath (maybe not an ice bath), sounds like a good way to round out the morning.

Unknown said...

awesome run! i am doing my first 18 miler sunday. eek! You did a great job! Love the ice bath pics. I will totally have a sweatshirt and hot chocolate with mine too.

Emz said...

YOU've got this down.

Love it.
Run.
Ice
Compress
coffee
food.

Awesome job!!

64 CLASSIC said...

I love ice baths. When you get to the point of taking one, its usually after rocking a long run.

Great job taking time off. I've ruined a couple of training programs running while sick. WISE decision.

18 sounds awesome. Will join you in that area soon. Thinking about a spring MARATHON. Great job!!

Diana Tries-A-Tri! said...

Nice Run! And way to go on keeping up the positive self talk and nailing your nutrition! Sounds like a run to be proud of. Oh and gotta love those ice bath pics!

Anonymous said...

congrat on a new mileage record!!!!

I love a good ice bath!

Christi said...

Great job on your run!

Runners Fuel said...

You are awesome!! Way to go! Good job braving the ice bath!

Julie said...

You are going to rock the R'n'R!!!! Way to go on a great run! Love that your slow runs are 9:20!
:)

Big Daddy Diesel said...

Nice run!!

I hate ice baths, they hurt, yet I still do them.

Jon said...

Nice job! You are going about the marathon training perfectly!

track coach and adorable wife said...

Wow, you almost make that ice bath look inviting! Good job rocking the 18-miler!

Anonymous said...

Awesome job! I can't believe u only eat 3 gels on an 18 mile run! I need much more to keep me going.

AM! said...

i love my zoot compression tights. they rock.

and i've never done an ice bath. haven't had the cajones to do one immediately post workout. can't bring myself too!;-)

Velma said...

I love ice baths and compression - I swear it makes a difference.

I am doing Chicago a week before your race. I am doing 20 miles, 16, 10, and race.

I am not sure if this helps

funderson said...

Well done! I agree w/ Velma up there...perfecto taper plan, Velma!

Julie said...

Hi Aimee,
Awesome job on the 18 miler...you kept up a great pace too! You are so lucky that you didn't get the leg cramps:) I would say that you are ready for your marathon!

Unknown said...

Congrats on toughing out the 18miler! I always use my car as a transition stop too ...lol. Works perfect!

As my volume has increased recently so has the frequency of ice baths -- they totally rock... except when you are in them! Very cool you got to experience the pain/joy that is an ice bath!

Julie D. said...

looks like you had the perfect recovery set-up! nice job!

Jennifer Harrison said...

Awesome job! GOOD luck with your 20 miler- just do it prior to 18 days+ before the marathon! And the hot chocolate/milk made me want some! :)

ShutUpandRun said...

NICE going!! What a gorgeous day you had to be out there and glad you're feeling better. Not many people can say they drop their kids off and go run 18 miles!!

Sage said...

Good distance! You should be starting the taper pretty soon.

Kathleen said...

Like Julie, I had to smile while reading about your slow run pace :) I bet it felt like a long time to you going at that speed! Great Job! You really can't beat the High Line Canal.

Krista said...

Great job! I think a cup of hot chocolate is just the motivation I need to climb into an ice bath after my next long run. I know they are good for you but I hate them - the cold is just painful!

Anonymous said...

Woohoo! Great job on having a fairly smooth 18-miler.
I HAAATE ice baths, so I don't do them nearly as often as I should...but they really do work!

jojo88 said...

Great job on rocking the long run and your first ice bath.

After a half marathon last month I didn't do an ice bath and I was sore for 3 days. This past weekend I finished a marathon and took an ice bath and no soreness. I was even up and around later that day for sightseeing hikes. Major major difference. I am now a firm believer in ice baths.

Anne-Marie said...

Great job on the 18 miler!

I am a firm believer in ice baths... I do the same thing (hot tea or hot chocolate, hoodie sweatshirt) to make it more bearable.