Chips + LifeSavers Gummies Collisions + Triple Creme Cheese = Post Run Fail

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Here's a little secret for you all... I've got a really bad sweet tooth.  I have something sweet at every meal.  My newest obsessions are donuts from THE BEST DONUT PLACE EVER.  

And, if you've checked out my Yelp reviews, you will see that I have an undying love for bakeries and pastries (chocolate croissants especially).  I don't discriminate either.  I'll eat it all - cookies, candies, chocolate (dark preferred), pie and the aforementioned donuts.  

It's awful and I'm sure all that sugar isn't good for me.  My love of sweets is why I have a pack of rolls instead of a sick six pack.  Six packs are overrated anyway.  My teeth are probably jacked from copious amounts of sugar and come to think of it, I'll probably get diabetes later in life, but what the hell. Life's too short.  And, I'll take my cakes and eat them too, thank you.

My newest obsessions include the following:

Kettle Brand Potato Chips (Source)

Life Savers Gummies Collisions (Source)

I usually try to be good about not having a lot of salad or high fiber foods two dinners before a long run or a race.  I don't really do a lot of dairy (save for yogurt, gelato and ice cream...), but I'll try to cut that out the day before a long run or race.

Evidently, chips, Life Savers Gummies Collisions and Triple Creme Cheese should also be put on that list.  I just couldn't help myself last night.  I wanted to try the cheese when it was fresh.  The cheese tasted like this.  

I still had my usual dinner of chicken and rice (brown with quinoa).  After dinner, I parked my ass on the couch to catch up on the MasterChef from this week.  I stuffed my face silly with the gummies until I decided that it was probably time to stop eating and go to bed.  The damn things are so addictive!

The morning rolled around and I was able to get my business taken care of before I left for the run.  I really didn't want to have to use the bathroom by where our group runs.  I mean, if you gotta go, you gotta go, but it's better to go in the comforts of your own home, IMO.

The run itself was overall pretty good.  I was originally just going to do 7 since I'm following Hal Higdon's Novice Program.  My theory is this, it offers the least amount of mileage and I didn't even finish it last year so I would not call myself an Intermediate by any means.  But, I got suckered into 9.  It was fine since the weather was cool and rainy.

My Garmin was super wonky in the forest preserve and my pace kept jumping all over the place.  I also forgot to re-start my watch after we stopped for a water break so I don't have the full representation of my splits.  My pace group leader said we ran 9 in 1:33:xx, which works for me.

After the run, my stomach started churning and I made a beeline for the bathroom, but it was a false alarm.  I guess I just didn't want to go there because I went when I got home.  These GI issues are not good.  I'm going to attribute it to the food I ate yesterday and maybe the day before.  I'll have to monitor it more so I don't experience this again.  

I didn't even want to go to Panera with the group afterwards since I didn't want to have tummy trouble there.  I kinda wanted to say: "I'd really love to stay and chat, but I've got to take a crap!" :-/

In other news, marathon training is going well and I'm pleased to report that I've done most of the runs. I have even gotten up early and finished my run before work.  This is HUGE for me.  I work downtown, live in the 'burbs and take the Metra every day.  It wastes two hours of my day.  It sucks, but it is what it is.

Marathon Training Week 1: 15 Miles: I ran 9.1ish and also biked at the gym for an hour for a cross workout.

Marathon Training Week 2: 18 miles:  I was to run 16, but I did a tad more.  I think I'll skip my cross workout and rest tomorrow.  It's my boyfriend's birthday tomorrow.  Or I may go on a long walk or bike at the gym.  The bike hurt my butt the day after so I don't know about that.

Hope everyone had a good running week!  If you are training, how is it going?  How do you control GI issues on and post the run??  Any tips or advice would be most helpful!  Just don't tell me not to eat my sweets... ;-)

MiddleFork Savanna Long Run Recap: The Battle of the Bowels

This week was another epic fail for me.  I failed to get all the weekly runs done this week.  I was supposed to run 17 miles during the week and 12 on Saturday.  I managed to run 4 during the week and 10 on Saturday.  Super epic fail and I'm very disappointed with myself.  How can I go from such an awesome week last week to this?!  Not good whatsoever.

So, during the week, I scheduled a lot of personal appointments, which I think hindered me from running at night.  Plus, I didn't home until relatively late in the evening so I didn't get enough sleep and chose sleep over a morning run.  I did run Tuesday morning and rolled my ankle on an acorn about a mile into my four mile run.  I powered through and finished.  However, I was so exhausted for the rest of the day since I had gotten up a 4am to do the long run.  Needless to say, I was tired and did not run the 8 miles on Wednesday.  I had another appointment Wednesday night and didn't get back until late in the evening so Thursday's morning run did not happen.  And, I figured that it'd be better to rest on Friday then try to make up for the 13 miles I failed to run Wednesday and Thursday.

Our long run this week was 12 miles and I've done 12 miles on numerous occasions so I figured that I would survive it for sure especially since I survived 18.5 with minimal issue last weekend.  Ha, little did I know.

To be honest, I almost did not run this morning.  I really did not feel like it at all and my dad wasn't coming either so that made it even more tempting to skip it.  I was out late at my sister's birthday dinner and again, failed to get enough sleep.  And, I didn't get ready until really late this morning so I didn't have time to properly eat or warm up before the long run.

This morning, we ran along the Middlefork Savanna, which is near Lake Forest.  The trail itself was OK, but there were parts that were really tight and I just was uncomfortable running so close to the other runners today.  I have a hard time staying in a straight line and I was worried about bumping into people or being bumped into.  Also, I rolled my ankles 3 times on various dips and grooves in the trail.  That definitely threw off my focus so I had to spend some time looking down at the ground to make sure I didn't stumble over anything.  Not fun.

I was feeling pretty good for the first half of the run.  We took a little break at Mile 6 and I had a Vanilla Bean GU Energy Gel, which is had caffeine in it.  This was a mistake.  Also, I didn't wash it down with water since I had some Nuun (electrolyte tablets) in my water bottle instead.  This was another mistake.

I started to lose it between Miles 7.5 and 8.  We reached a hydration station and I really just felt like shit.  Mentally, I was out of focus, my right ITB was pulling (nothing severe enough to throw off my gait but still annoying nonetheless) and my hips felt tight.  I just really wanted to stop, but we still had another 4 miles to go.

Also, my stomach decided to start churning at this point thanks to the stupid GU with caffeine.  I figured that I could still finish the run since we only had 4 left to go.  I've finished runs having to go to the bathroom before and I've managed to hold it in long enough to make it.  

Unfortunately, this was not the case for me and I really lost it at the 10 mile mark.  One woman in our group had already started to walk so our group leader went back to walk with her.  My running friend, E. had fallen a little back to and she was walking by me.  She decided to run and our group leader went with her.  I tried to keep up and I ran for a little bit, but then I really had to walk since my stupid stomach had developed a mind of its own.  And, it only wanted to do that one thing and that one thing only.  Running just make it worse.  So, I figured that I would just start walking before I had an accident.

The woman that started walking earlier caught up to me and we walked the last 2 miles together.  I felt like shit (literally and figuratively) and I almost pulled off into the woods to do it there and get it over with.  Also, I spotted a porta-potty on the highway by this construction area and I almost ran there to get it done, but I decided to try to hold it as best as I could.  

Once we got back to Old School I knew that we were close to I just held on for dear life and made it safely back to the bathroom.

I bumped into other runners for my group who asked me how I was and I told them that quite frankly I felt like shit and just was out of it.  Another runner from another pace group told me that it is better that I felt like shit on a cut back week as opposed to feeling like this on a longer run.

We have to run 18 next week and to be honest, I am terrified.  I failed to finish the 12.  What if I can't finish the 18 next week?  Also, the intermediate runners are supposed to run 20.  There is no way in hell I am going to run 20 especially if we have an organized 20 miler scheduled a few weeks from that time.  That's just too damn much.

Right now, I feel like shit about my training and I know damn well that I'm not doing enough and right now, I really doubt if my ass is even going to get to that starting line (let alone finish the fucking thing) since it's having such a hard time now.  

I need to re-group and get it together.  I still have time and I can get this done.  I know that I would be so disappointed in myself if I didn't at least show up to the marathon and give it my best shot.  I've learned so much with my training and I've met some great people.  I don't want to give up on myself right now just because I had a bad week and a bad long run.  I know that I can do this.  I just have to find it within myself to keep pushing and get back on the boat in terms of the weekly runs.  I felt so much better last week and I know that it was because I ran during the week.

So, the adventure continues next week.  Hopefully I'll have better things to report!