Today's Lesson: Fuel

Things had been going a little too well lately. So the running Gods decided it was time to set me back a notch and maybe learn a lesson.

Saturday's plan was 16 miles, with the last ten near marathon pace. I rested Friday and felt pretty good going in. Maybe a little cocky. It was sunny so I got out by 8AM before it got too warm. I realized too late that I was out of GU in the house, so I just decided to go without (instead of the two I would have brought). I figured it would be a good test for my body to run on empty. Well, that's exactly what it was!

I also skipped breakfast, because I still felt kind of full from a big dinner. So all I had in the AM was a cup of coffee, and out the door I went.

I felt pretty good at the start. Cruising along at easy pace on my wood chip trail. I felt like it would be a good day. But by the time I got to mile 7 it wasn't feeling so easy. I was out of the shade, into the full sun at the beach, and starting to feel tired. My water stop after 8 is where I would have had a GU, and I was feeling pretty toasted already. Pace was right about where I wanted it, but during miles 9 and 10 it really became a struggle and I started to fade and I just wanted to quit.

At that point I gave up on the marathon pace, and just focused on getting home. I took long water breaks every 1.5 miles and went as slow as I could, trotting along. By the last few miles I really wanted to walk. I barely managed to make it to each water fountain. It reminded me of the last part of a marathon, and I was asking myself why the hell I wanted to do this marathon thing again. They suck and what's the point? I was ready to drop the Erie plan and just back off and save it for NYC.

The splits tell the tale.
 
Mile 16 really sucked.

I made it home and drank a whole bottle of Gatorade. I found I lost 3 more pounds from last week's low. Down to 152. Still not real hungry but I ate something and felt better. Not sure if two GUs would have made a difference. Breakfast probably would have helped. Anyway, I got the 16 in, so I'll just move on and hope for better luck next weekend with 17.

On a happier note, my lifetime mileage number went to 24,912 on this run, which is more than one trip around the equator (24,901 miles). So I have now run around the world. And that's pretty cool.