9 miles and Lesson One

Today I planned to run 10 miles and put my sports nutrition seminar knowledge to work. It only 40% worked.

See, I was supposed to eat a meal 2 hours before I ran. Something more than oatmeal. In fact, it's more like oatmeal, a banana and maybe 1/2 an english muffin. That's a lot of food to me. Well, I woke up at 6 am and I wanted to start my run by 7. Yup, bad planning. Maybe I should have woke up at 5am, or 4:30, ate and gone back to bed. Don't laugh, I learned at the sports nutrition seminar that people do it.

I got up around 6:20 gathered everything up, fed the dogs and left, Mocha Clif Shot in hand. A far cry from oatmeal, a banana and 1/2 an english muffin. Lesson One, Try One = FAIL.

I ran the Oso Trail. The part I ran for my time trial is 1.2 miles. It's about 1/2 blacktop and 1/2 packed earth covered in mulch/bark. The mulch/bark part is a bitch, the blacktop is all flat. I have never been able to run the whole mulch/bark part. Today was no exception.

The plan was to run 3 laps, go back to the car, pick up my fuel belt, do 2 more laps and then go in search of my remaining 4 miles. The best laid plans.

After the first lap I needed to use the bathroom. (Note to people who live in my area, the Ralph's is closer than the Senior Center and their bathroom was decently clean.) I stopped my lap watch, I did have 2 watches, ran to Ralph's and the continued on with the plan. After lap 3 I ran back to the car and decided to abandon the trail and find 5 miles elsewhere. Found 4.

I ran back up the black top and out onto a packed earth and rock covered trail. That got me about 2 miles. I then decided to run the trail backwards. With the exception of one very steep hill, it was easier that way. About a tenth of a mile out from the car, I hit 9 miles. I decided to call it. I did miss my run on Thursday and 9 miles was probably pushing my one run a week range.