On Friday, I finished my last 20-mile training run. O.K., so it was really closer to 21, but I rounded down. I always round down. That way, when I'm having a lousy run, I can tell myself it's O.K. to cut it short, because I can add those extra fragments back in. Ah, the warped mind of a runner...
This was not the best run, and I think the cause can be summed up in one word: food. I wasn't really paying attention to what I was eating the day/evening before the run, and when I thought back afterward, I realized that I had probably not eaten enough carbohydrates -- or not eaten enough, period. Yep, I actually should have eaten more! And people wonder why I run!
A couple of other problems cropped up during this run as well: My lower back and the inside of my left leg started to ache. I think the back issues stem from the fact that I have been running so many hills, and the "posterior tibial tendon" pain is from not doing what I should have done earlier this week: checked the mileage on my shoes. With the race three weeks out, I will need to switch to a new pair now so that they will be totally "broken in" by race day.
The good news is that this marks my last extremely-long training run before the marathon, and it feels great to have it done. It also caps off my highest-mileage week to date: 43!
I will be spending a lot less time on the roads and trails this coming week, especially since Friday's long run tops out at 13 miles. This is a good thing, since my back and legs have let it be known that they need some rest. And, with our pending move and all of the things I need to get done around here, having that extra time will be invaluable.
I am so glad that the San Francisco Marathon takes place during the summer, because cannot imagine trying to train for this event during the school year. Well, I suppose I could do it, but I'd forfeit my sanity!
Let the taper and the countdown to race day begin!
P.S. I even got two strength/weight workouts in this week -- short but effective ones!
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