It’s Friday night.
While many people are out sipping cocktails and toasting to the end of a stressful week I am in my normal spot. July through October I am home on the couch most Friday nights in preparation for Saturday morning.
Some people can do it all and go out the night before and still rock out a long run but I am not one of those people. In all honesty I think I’ve come to enjoy the relaxation. I look forward to walking through the door, lighting a few scented candles, changing into pajamas and compression sleeves, and relax on the couch for a few hours reading or watching television. Sometimes Bo is with me and other nights, like tonight, he’s finishing up at the office until closer to 9pm.
Now that the marathon is officially 7 weeks away, this is the perfect time to do any last minute experimenting. There are five long runs between me and the taper.
18 miles
16 miles (in Vermont)
22 miles (part of NY Flyers 3 Bridges Training Run)
12 miles
10 miles
There is definitely a bit of flexibility left in the schedule for Gia to alter as she feels needed depending on how these next 3 runs go. I love that I have the option to squeeze in one last 16-20 miler in case I want it or feel I need it before the marathon.
After last week’s reflection I decided to give a few things a try during this week’s long run:
- Breakfast: I really need to eat breakfast 45 minutes to an hour before I start. I did this in Vermont and in Seattle and felt a significant difference. Since the weather has cooled a bit I’ll just start a bit later than normal.
- Fuel: After reading through a few old blog posts I realize that some of my most successful long runs have been fueled by GU. While I’m not a huge fan, I’m going to give it a try tomorrow. In addition, after doing some reading and talking to a few folks this week I’m going to try taking 1/2 a Gu ever 45 minutes to keep my body fueled.
- Compression: I’ve had my eye on a pair of CW-X shorts or pants for a while and finally bit the bullet today on a pair of long shorts. These are long enough that they’ll massage my muscles and keep the blood flowing but short enough that I won’t be too warm and I can still wear my calf sleeves. I wore CW-X for my first marathon and really loved them.
In honor of tomorrow’s run, I thought I’d reach out to a few of my Twitter friends to see what their tips and tricks are for solo long runs. Here are their tips and tricks:
-Audiobooks @runningbun
-Podcasts @rskamel
-Daydreaming @abby_nyc
-Taking time to snap a unique picture to remember @mburton0214
-Good music @yurteaga @Rxbethontherun @kas459
-New route @healthyhappier (ME!)
What are your favorite ways to pass the time and stay sane during a long solo run?
So…you tweeted back at yourself? 🙂
Looks like a good plan to me!! Just remember to end strong, save yourself just a little bot of gas so that you can ROCK the last few miles. It will do wonders for your confidence 🙂
Oh yes and my fav solo long run tip … spend the first few miles quiet. No music, audiobooks or podcasts. That way when you finally turn on sound you will feel a sense of renew in the middle of your run!
Ah Slatkin pumpkin candles are my favorite!
Good luck with your long run! The long runs were definitely my favorite part of marathon training, though many times I felt like a dork passing up nights out with my friends.
When I was marathon training, I would always carry Gu with me. I was a fan of the Espresso Blend because it had caffeine. Don’t underestimate the power of a shot of caffeine to get you through those last few miles!
I love relaxing Friday nights… and I’m not training for a marathon! Good luck with your run today!
I love my quiet, relaxing Friday nights too! (Just wrote about this a couple weeks ago actually!) I’m so inspired everytime I see your positive tweets about your awesome long runs. Keep it up!! 🙂
When I’m running solo for longer runs I always like to run in a brand new place…and I actually just discovered podcasts and I’m obsessed! I love the running/health/fitness ones…keeps me motivated!
I enjoy my time during my solo long runs. Since I am a mom of four, it gives me peace and time to think and process what I have done during the week. I have tried using headphones but would rather run without anything. I usually take 1/2 a Gu as well.
Long run or not, I really enjoy quiet Friday nights as well. Lately, I’ve enjoyed heading over to Brooklyn to volunteer at an animal shelter – giving the pups some much-needed attention by walking them around McCarren Park. Afterward, I check out a restaurant in the area (which feels like exploring since I never venture out to Brooklyn!), and then head to bed early. Come join sometime 🙂