For the last few months I've been running with my local
Fleet Feet Runners on Sunday morning.
It's been great - I've met a great bunch of runners and really enjoy our conversations. The only problem is my hamstring. The group goes a bit faster than my hamstring wants me to run. Plus, except for a few others, I'm always running 2-4 miles more, since I'm constantly training for another half marathon. So after doing 8:10-20 minute mile pace for my long slow runs for the last three months of Sundays, I decided to run by myself today and take it really slow.
I was like the Commodores back in 1978!
(Really dating myself here, LOL)
Gotta love Lionel Richie's fro'!
My legs felt so free!
And I felt like I was burning fat - not muscle!
In fact, purposefully, I only had a banana with 1 Tbsp of peanut butter, 1 cup of coffee with a splash of 2% milk, 2 shots of beet juice, and 16 oz of water before I left. I didn't bring any nutrition with me and only stopped at mile 5 and 10 to rehydrate at a water fountain in the local park. I thought if I kept it slow and moving, I'd spare muscle and burn fat. I must have some fat to spare because I didn't feel dizzy, or like I had brain fog, or like I was glucose deprived. It was really just a great, easy, slow run.
Even now, I don't feel wiped out.
I'm not tired, I don't feel dehydrated, and best of all, I don't feel like I need 800 calories of protein to build back muscles. And my hamstring, yeah its a little tight, a little sore, but I'm getting up and down from this desk chair just fine - not like I'm crippled.
This is good because I signed up for
the Chicago Half Marathon on July 19th,
and I want to kick some butt!
How are your long runs going?
Are you making them slow enough?
Ever tried a fat burning training run?
Train Smart Today!
5 comments:
I have stomach issues, so I usually run on an empty stomach. I have to eat something if I go over 14 or 15, though: I will bonk otherwise!
I'm definitely not going slow enough on the long runs for the same reason as you were - the company. I'm running with a little group who are training for the same marathon and there's always someone who wants to push the pace. Last week's run was a little slower but it wouldn't hurt to be a lot slower. Still I'd rather have the company than run that distance alone.
Great to hear that your running shape is increasing. You'll be adequately trained for the Chicago Half Marathon. You have time (six weeks). I sometimes try to run with other friends who go a bit faster than me. That's a good thing.
How could you run as slow as that famous Commodores' song? You made me laugh! I have never done a fat burning training run, although most runners say it's an easy way to lose weight.
I generally only do long runs by myself so that I can control the pace - it's too important a run to do at the wrong pace. As for burning muscle, don't worry - you're body uses carbs and fat as fuel and only a very small amount of protein is used for fuel unless you are almost completely starved, which practically nobody is. You still need protein for repair/maintenance etc, but the primary fuels being burned during exercise are the other two.
Wise decision. To run with other friends improves the speed and the time flies but sometimes we need to do the workouts by ourselves not to stress our body.
You have plenty of time to prepare at the best the Chicago Half. Have a good week end.
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