Long Run #1

Today was my first long run for my marathon training plan in preparation for the 2009 Chicago Marathon. It actually went really well, considering I only did 8.5 miles. I have been training for a half marathon for the past 3 months, and my longest run this year has been 14 miles. The hills were brutal by my house, but I managed to make it up, hitting about a 14:00/mile pace. The run felt great, and I managed to stay hydrated with my fuel belt. Next week I'll have to start trying out different ways to get my carbs/sugar/sodium down. I'll grab a few different gels this week and give them a try. Most of the time, Gu has worked for me, but I've also had bad things happen with Gu. I'll try some hammer gel, maybe some powerbar gels, and a few accel gels.

Tomorrow I'm going for a ride with good ole Mike Green. It's been a long time since we've gotten a ride in. As long as the rain stays away for a couple hours in the morning, we'll be great. I can't wait to get an actual ride in, and not a "joy" ride. I'll report on that tomorrow.