It smells like marathon season--since we're increasing our mileage now on Saturdays!
We had a great run today in Kearns. Our crew consisted of Coach, Craig, Andrea, Johnny, Murphy, Jasro, T2, T4, Marie, Jennifer, Renae, Natles, and Scott. T1 did her run yesterday, since she was unable to come today. T2 said he was having T1 withdrawls--he really enjoys seeing her at runs and texting her all the time about how nervous he is before a race!
We met at the Smiths and carpooled to Copperton High School for six downhill tempo miles. I clocked my miles at 7:26, 7:18, 7:26, 6:49, 7:16, and 6:47. I took some sudafed this morning to clear my sinuses and I think it gave me a boost! Maybe an unfair advantage, but since we're not in the Olympics, I don't think a little extra drug-induced high is such a bad thing ;-)
We then took it easy for the last 11 miles. Coach stressed the importance of consuming gu before and during runs. He said a lot of women hesitate to take it since it can be high in calories, but it is essential for stamina in long runs. Speaking mostly to the women about weight loss, he said, "Now is the time to put your scales away and just focus on getting enough fuel for marathon training." Less calories equals loss of muscle mass, which is not conducive to strong running performance. When Coach was in college, he consumed 7800 calories a day, and still had a hard time keeping weight on. Good advice from Coach. I don't run enough miles to consume that many calories, but I like the thought of eating more.
All in all, it was a great run. I ask myself how I got to be so lucky to train with such a wonderful Coach and the best running pals a person could ask for. | 