Run Report

Maybe I should subtitle my blog with "and Two Feet" or change it to "Jillann Tris" or something. I may have mentioned that I want to be an Ironman and that I'm considering signing up for the Hoosier Half Marathon in a few months. I made this blog to talk about my cycling adventures, but now I'm even more motivated than just cycling! I mean, I think only like two people read this thing and it's my blog so I can do whatever I want with it. I definitely don't want to try to keep up with two blogs! So for now, I'm sorry that my two readers will have to humor some posts with running in them. And maybe some like this that are all about running!

First of all, since I'm talking about running now, I have to say that I find running really difficult. I have never enjoyed running. However, that is slowly changing. I'm learning to enjoy it. It definitely helps that I no longer feel like I'm going to die when I do it. I'm still ridiculously slow, but I'm okay with that. I'm from the South. I do everything slow. :)

Anyway, I'm sort of following this half marathon training plan and have just completed Week 1. (Maybe I should mention that I never did make it past Week 5 of Couch to 5K...) I did the four mile run this morning. It was nice and cool and I got to wear my Hub Ride tshirt. I just mapped out four miles around my neighborhood and went. It was nice. I did 4.1 miles in 53 minutes (which was timed from my computer clock, so not super accurate and involves some pre run stretching I did in my driveway and coming back in to discover I left out a turn and still had to run 0.5 mile, so the almost 13 min/mile pace is closer to 12 than 13. I need a Garmin.) I saw lots of people in their yards. I love the slower pace of a bicycle and all the things that you notice that you never would in a car. Well, running is even slower (especially for me!). I said hi to lots of neighbors or their dogs in the yard when they barked at me. I even saw a little boy "watering" the bushes in his front yard. I even ran almost all of it. Which brings me to why I decided to talk about running...

I have also mentioned that I'm figuring out this nutrition thing. If I'm going to be an Ironman, I need to get a handle on that for sure! I've decided that the Honey Stinger Energy Chews are the bomb. I love them. But they're not as easy to eat on the go as an energy gel would be. So, I've been experimenting with Gu. I had one yesterday before I ran and one this morning. Both days I had some cramping-ness in the pelvic area and felt like I wanted to #2 around 1.25-1.5 miles in. I walked a bit until it calmed down and then was good to go. I'm not sure if it's my body telling me it doesn't like to run or my digestive system telling me it doesn't like Gu or if it's just a bad week to run these experiments. But at least I know the Honey Stingers are awesome! And I have plenty of time to figure out the rest. :)