On Running Alone and Running Talk Down.

Last night ended with the usual Garmin-charging, outfit-laying-out ritual that I've been keeping up with for the last 8 Saturdays now. 

As I've mentioned before, I've done 99.9% of my training completely on my own, and the long runs are getting long enough now that I do feel a little lonely and like I wish there was someone there beside me for at least a bit of it. 

All this got me thinking about my post from earlier this week about running with partners and I thought it might be beneficial to write about running alone! Here are my best tips for running solo :

-Safety comes first. Particularly if you are going on a longer run, make SURE to tell someone your route and approximately when you'll be back. I wear my Road ID on every run and can't recommend it more. If you're on a truly long run, it might be a good idea to bring a cell phone with you just in case anything unplanned happens.

-Play some tunes. I know I mentioned my iPod shuffle a few weeks ago, and playing music (if I'm in a safe running environment) really helps. I make sure not to play it too loud so I can hear traffic and other things, but this has really helped keep me from feeling too lonely.

-Ask someone to do a couple miles with you. If you're training for something and doing long runs week after week, maybe someone will do a few miles next to you on their bike, or maybe they'll even run a couple miles with you!

-Stay focused on your goals. One of the biggest benefits (for me) of running alone is that it allows me to spend a good amount of time focusing and zoning in on my running goals. I envision the race, think about the potential things that could go run, think about the things that will go right, and imagine myself completing the marathon. My runs alone allow for the majority of my mental training and preparation.

-Enjoy the time to think. Lose yourself for a few miles. Get lost in your thoughts, or don't think at all! Meditate. Honestly, for most of my runs, I come back unable to remember what I thought about the whole time. Sometimes, those 2+ hours on long runs are my favorite quiet times. A lot of people I know don't like to run because they get bored without any stimulation other than their thoughts and surroundings. Embrace it. Appreciate it.

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Running Talk Down 08/11-08/16 (Week 8):

Monday : General Strength & Mobility, 8-minute abs

Tuesday : 1 mile warm-up, 16x400m @ 10k pace, 1 mile cool-down 8-minute abs

Wednesday : 4.6 miles easy, GSM, 8-minute abs

Thursday : 1 mile warm up, 6 miles @ 7:45 pace, 1 mile cool-down, 8-minute abs

Friday : Off

Saturday : 6 miles easy

Sunday : 16.1 miles @ 7:54 average pace

Total miles this week : 42.2 

Today's long run felt pretty great :) I did another "simulation" run, which I thing is one of the most beneficial ways to train for a marathon time goal. I did my last simulation run a few weeks ago when I ran 13.1 miles for my long run. One of the biggest perks of this type of training run for me is the added confidence. In other words, I have tangible proof that I can look at and say to myself "yes, I can do hard things!" It's not healthy to do this every week because running so hard so often would really increase risk of injury/overuse, but I think it's good for me to do this every 3 weeks or so. I'll do another 1-2 more of these before the big day.

Even if things went pretty well today it's tough to imagine doing that for 10 more miles in 2 ish months... yeesh! 

Today was my first time using GU (instead of shot blocks). My shorts have little pockets, and GU fits in perfectly and doesn't fall out or move around. This flavor truly does taste like real, melted caramel and I will definitely be stocking up on this and using this for the rest of training and on race day. This work really well and my body processed it and put it right to work very quickly as I was running. 

I was supposed to have a running buddy for the end of my run today but they had to cancel, so my parents were more than happy to join me on their bikes AND provide h2o and Gatorade. They are the best - I was glad to have their company one last time before heading to Oxford this week! I'll sure miss them on my long runs for the next few weeks. They truly have been the best support system through this first half of training. Love you guys :)