LSD-- in pieces

So today I was in a rush. My DH was on call, and my I-L were leaving for Arizona. I woke up at 4.30 and if I really tried I could have started by 5AM and finished by 7.15 AM but that was cutting it a bit too narrow. So I decided to break up the run into two.

This was a question on Runners world website- can you do the long run in two sessions instead of one?
The ans was - its Ok once in a while and you still get the endurance benefits but while preparing for the marathon its better to do all the long runs in one session to get your body used to being on the road for so long. Today the aim was to just get the endurance benefits so I finished 5.7miles in the AM and plan to do 3.3 in the PM. Plan to do.

GB subscribes to Runners world and in the june 2008 issue there is this nice little box telling you when to to start preparing for which marathon e.g to prepare for the Oct 19 Nike marathon, which is my goal, the start date should be 06/30/2008. That made me very very happy, I am ahead, but then I realised that date is for regular runners, not newbies like me- I should get in as many run/walk sessions before hand.

Today I had a nice time. First the route was a gentle sloping mile which I walked with 1-2 sessions of 1min running. Then came a downhill slope- the scene was beautiful- 5.40AM, the sun was just rising, houses, trees, greenery, beautiful. So I just walked down the slope for another 1/2 a mile. Then started running and felt the same breathlessness which I usually do in the beggining of every run. After 1/2 a mile came to an uphill. I was going to slow down but heard some voices- 2 elderly ladies talking and coming behind me. No way was I going to let them pass me so I slogged up the hill. Came to the top, and there I was huffing and puffing, and those ladies were still behind me but talking and laughting effortlessly!! so much for being 20 years younger!!

Did another 2-2.5 miles to finish the session. Passed another lady running in spurts like me- its so easy to spot a newbie runner- they are usually dressed head to toe in matching clothes and they always wave and smile. Not that the experienced runners dont, but they have an expressin of such concentration and focus, whereas the newbies will look interested in everything except the running. Hey, thats just my opinion and I am sure viceversa also happens.

Lets see if I am able to do the 3.3 in the evening. Going to see Kung-fu Panda now!