first things first, this morning i ran 10 miles! woohoo! the park was crazy crowded with NYRR's long training run in progress but it made for great people watching and helped keep my mind off the miles. this is my longest run to date!
i had my first experience with energy gels during this mornings workout. energy gels are very beneficial to the distance runner by delivering a direct boost of carbohydrates to the body. theres no fat, protein or fiber giving them rapid onset and making them easy to digest. energy gels also promote recovery and enhance overall performance while on a long run.
gels are taken every 40-45mins with a water chaser. they come in a variety of tasty and not-so-tasty flavors. this morning i tried strawberry banana which was pretty good. but my second one was chocolate and oh! hello cake batter! delicious!
i noticed a difference in my pace, energy etc. compared to last weeks 9 mile workout. i will definitely be carrying gels with me on my long runs from now on. they're cheap too running about $1 each or $20 for a 24 pack.
^these guys are always in the mall playing as we finish up practice on saturday mornings.
on my way home from practice i grabbed 2 bags of ice at the grocery store and prepared for my first ice bath. "brrrr" is right!
long runs are essential when training for a marathon but they also increase risk of injury. seeing as ive already been nursing an injury and dont want to push it further, i sucked it up and braved the infamous "ice bath"
fancily termed cryrotherapy an ice bath constricts blood vessels and decreases metabolic activity in the muscles, reducing swelling and tissue breakdown. great idea based on the long term effects but no sugar coating here, its FREEZING!
best advice if youre thinking of diving into an ice bath of your own, be prepared... and i dont just mean mentally! if you just fill up the tub and sit, trust me, youre in for the longest 15 to 20 minutes of your life. think back to when being put in a 5 minute time-out felt like eternity. same deal!
wear a sweatshirt, hat, gloves, ski mask, whatever it takes to keep your top half warm. bring a book, make a playlist of all your favorite songs, do anything it takes to distract your mind from the fact that your sitting in freezing cold water voluntarily. i dont recommend talking on the phone. lets be real, its not smart and we all know, it probably wont end well. the first 5 minutes are torture but after a while you do get used to it. really! ha!
follow up with a nice warm shower (take off all your arctic gear first) this will help the return of blood flow quickly to the tissues and aide in getting the byproducts of cellular breakdown to your lymphatic system ( very important) and of course a warm shower will also help in thawing the rest of your body out!
