I have good news and bad news about this week’s long run.

The bad news is it did not go super well.

The good news is I think I know why.

Reflecting on the week, everything was a little off with all the runs. Here’s what I did…and I’ll tell you a little more below:

Monday: 6 miles, 10:16/mi

Tuesday: 30 minute strength for runners Peloton class

Wednesday: 7.81 miles Intervals workout - 10 x 0.25 miles in 2:20 w/0.13 miles recovery

Thursday: 30 minute strength for runners Peloton class

Friday: 4 miles, 11:39/mi

Saturday: 18 miles, 12:02/mi

First of all, Monday’s run was 6 miles, which is unusual thus far in training. It’s usually been 3-to-4 miles. Since there was no way I could get 6 miles in before the dentist appointment and be at all productive on Monday, I figured I should run after work, so I joined the run club’s weekly Monday night run, which I’ve never done before because I just don’t love running in the evening.

A little before the halfway mark of this run I got hungry and I was going to cut it short and then I kind of got a second wind and got through 6 miles.

But that was almost like life foreshadowing for me.

Wednesday evening I did my intervals - that was the best run of the week. But it’s been really humid and it was also a little bit rainy - nothing more than a mist or a drizzle, but I was pretty soaked by the time the run was done. There was some chafing. So the run went well, but it was not comfortable.

And then on Friday I did manage to run before work…but the dog puked early in the morning and taking care of her before I left took my time away from other morning activities and everything felt rushed and it was a long day of work with an event Friday night and I ate dinner late and did not do a good job of drinking water like I usually do. (It was still humid.)

So all of that brings us to Saturday’s long run. I knew immediately I probably should have eaten something before I left - and then before mile 9 I got pretty tired. It just started to feel hard to go. My legs felt fine…but it was hot and sticky, I was tired, and definitely low on fuel.

I almost didn’t realize how sweaty I was until my phone started to go on the fritz because it was getting soaked through the waistband I carry it in…and then when I realized I was sweating a lot of salty sweat I started to piece together the dehydration aspect. I walked more often in the final few miles because I didn’t want to do anything dangerous - I feel like I read somewhere that that kind of sweat comes before you don’t sweat at all and that’s bad news.

There was a moral victory in that I made it through all 18 miles - but the last three miles were very slow, and the previous three miles to those were not great either.

So I’ve learned my lesson.

I will make sure I eat a bagel before the marathon - maybe even two since we’ll be hanging around for a while before the race starts.

I can also eat better (and drink lots of water) the night before - Friday night I did not eat as well as I could have.

One other note - I think programming the run into the watch went well. Obviously at the end it was a little screwy but I think I’ll be trying to use it on marathon day.

So, sometimes you learn because the run goes well…sometimes you learn because it was like this one.

I’ve said this before in different contexts - back when I was teaching and the students were putting on a play, if they didn’t have at least one terrible rehearsal the show was never as good as it could have been.

I like to think the same thing about my running.

This was a terrible rehearsal.

I look forward to show time in just two weeks.

Total Miles for Week 13: 35.81

Total Miles Overall: 314.27