Longest Run Yet

My next race is the St. Louis Rock and Roll half marathon and my running is coming along rather well (for me). After two good 13.2 mile runs the previous two Saturdays, I decided to add a couple miles to my long run just for fun :-). I usually don't bring my phone running because I don't have a sports bra to tuck it in it is too bulky to carry in my pocket, but with my history of injuries and getting into mileage that has me a long way from home, I decided to figure out a way to carry it. After talking to other runners, I concluded the Amphipod belt would be perfect. Anxious to try it out, I headed out for my longest run yet. As a bonus, now I can take pictures too!

About 2 miles in, just West of my house

 

Beautiful day. 65 degrees, sunny and breezy. First fall run with a long sleeve shirt.

This loop takes me past a sod farm

I always think what a great thing it must be to grow and sell grass, but one look at my yard and it's clear I wouldn't make it as a sod farmer :-).

one of many fields I run/ride by

Stopped here for a GU

more fields

some of the field corn fields have been harvested

ok, you get the idea :-)

GU stop two

I ended up running 15.1 miles, almost two miles longer than my longest run ever. Cardio was no issue at all, leg strength was average, my left knee acted up a few times but got better when I stopped to take pictures. My running belt worked perfectly. I didn't even notice my phone being strapped around my waist. I only missed putting my phone back in the pocket correctly while running once which subsequently resulted in my phone hitting the asphalt and me kicking it :-(. The Otter Box case lived up to its name though and my phone lived to tell about it :-).

I was out of my normal tri-berry GU so I brought some untried flavors I picked up as race samples, yikes! First GU was peanut butter flavor and I liked it. Second was pineapple, and it didn't work out so well. I gulped half of it down and barely kept it down so I chucked the second half of it. I still need to work on taking in nutrition for 2+ hour events. When I finished I had a bout of dizziness and being nauseous. Luckily I held it together because I forgot to wear my road ID and I was over a half mile away from home.

I walked down another trail for my cool down to take this pic.

Our trails are old train tracks and this steam engine era water tower sits on one of them. Should make for a cool black and white pic in the winter when the leaves are all gone.

 

Overall a nice run. I have some chaffing and soreness, but nothing major. I am curious though, how do you fuel for 2+ hour workouts? What do you do to prevent chaffing on long runs?

 

 

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