10 miles and time to taper

by - Monday, April 14, 2008

My last long run before taper time was this past weekend, and I couldn't be more welcoming taper time haha.

I had a solid 10 mile run planned out for Saturday, but because of Friday night's festivities, I spent most of Saturday napping.

I bumped the run to Sunday and finished 10 miles in 1:51:30. That's close to an 11-minute mile peeps!!! Let's just say I was pretty stoked.

I had a Clif Bar before I went and around mile five ate some of those Jelly Belly Sports Beans. I also ran with a Propel. It was the first time I ran with a something to drink on a long run since I started training for this race, and I was glad I did because it was definitely sunny and I think the extra calories in the Propel helped push me through the miles.

I only took three walk breaks the entire time, which was good news for me. The first was at about 5 miles or so when I stopped to eat the Sports Beans. Running and eating just seems like a plan for a wonderful bout of choking.

The second time was around mile 7 or 7.5ish because the legs were begging for a breather.

The third time was somewhere between mile 8 and 9.

My watch battery was dying so I couldn't see the numbers very clearly so I don't know how much time I spent walking. I'd say about 5 minutes while eating and then two minutes or less the other two times.

All in all it was a solid run. It helped me get my pre-race and during the race fuel options down. The Clif Bar before hand and then Sports Beans at mile 5 and the gel the course provides at mile 10 should do the job. I'm also planning on carrying a bottle of Propel with me for in between aid stations. (I didn't during the Va. Beach Half and really regretted it.)

I also plan to get new shoes this week. I did the math on my old ones as best as I could. I know since January I've put about 160 miles on them. I've had the shoes since the end of September and trained for a 5K in them last fall. But my running was sporadic between November and December so I don't have exact numbers.

I just know that I could really feel the pounding in my knees and hips during the 10-miler, and I think it's time to get some new ones. I'm pretty excited to check out the running store here. I haven't been yet and this is a good opportunity to go.

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13 comments

  1. Great job on the 10 miler! I regretted waiting until my long runs went above 10 miles before I started working on nutrition and hydration. Superb :-) Enjoy them new shoes!!

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  2. Nice job on the 10 miler -- enjoy your taper!

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  3. Nice job on the 10 miler!! Enjoy your taper, and REALLY enjoy shoe shopping. :-)

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  4. Great job on the 10 miler. Have fun shoe shopping.

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  5. Taper time!!

    I think I'm going to investigate new running shoes as well after my half marathon. I need to run the numbers first, but I think it's time...

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  6. Great Job!
    Take Care!

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  7. yayyy for new shoes! i cant wait for that day :) and good job on the run!!

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  8. Awesome!!! Now it's time to rest and enjoy the taper! :>D

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  9. Alright for the taper!! Try not to let it drive you crazy!

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  10. Get the new shoes.. and break them in!

    Enjoy your taper.

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  11. Congrats on your 10 miler! I'm really interested to see how your half goes. Good luck and thanks for sharing your eating and drinking tips. I have my first half coming up so I like reading about it.

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  12. Hi Jess

    Congrats on the great long run. There is absolutely nothing wrong with incorporating walking into your long runs. It really doesn't cost you much time at all and allows you to go long.

    BTW, if you can do a 10 miler, you are definitely ready for your half on the 27th.

    Best of luck with the training and the taper.

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  13. Nice job on the 10 miler! Wahoo!

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