Rookie mistake

Two small shortbread cookies, a packet of GU gel, a handful of cotton candy, half a cup of chicken noodle soup, and a piece of bread -- this is basically what powered me through virtually all day yesterday including a long run. Not surprisingly, this didn't work out well.

I think I simply let myself get distracted by excitement of a busy day. On Friday, I got invited to come out to a festival on Saturday, and I decided that I would just fit this event in between this weekend's long run and another festival I had already planned to attend.

When I got up Saturday, I was in such a rush that the only pre-run food I had was the cookies. I was carrying a GU gel and ate that halfway through thirteen miles. Still in a rush, I got home, showered and immediately left for what was supposed to be festival number one.

I ended up wiping myself out. My energy stores were zapped, and yet at the same time the run had suppressed my appetite to the point where eating seemed abhorrent. I felt trapped in this pattern for hours, forcing myself to nibble as much as I could tolerate to keep going. I felt so bad that I ended up skipping festival number two.

Lessons re-learned:
1) Before morning runs shorter than an hour, breakfast isn't necessary for me. For long runs, it's highly recommended.
2) After finishing a long run, I need to start the re-fueling process as soon as possible -- within the first hour -- even if the body doesn't seem to be demanding it right away.

Sadly, you'd think that this sort of goof wouldn't be committed by someone pursuing the Houston Marathon for the third time (if I count the eventual switch to the half course in 2007), but it happened and I fully own the mistake.

My appetite didn't re-appear until late last night. At 11:59 p.m., I devoured a leftover Quizno's sandwich, a banana and a glass of soy milk; this made the most substantive meal I had all of Saturday.

As of today, we have 90 days to go until the Houston Marathon. I'd like them to be full of brighter thinking.