Let's Eat!

Tuesday
According to my pre-planned half marathon training program I was supposed to run 4M... but I could barely make three because of the shooting pain in my right leg. Because swimming is supposed to be one of the easiest exercises on your body, I took Wednesday and Thursday off from running and did another 80 laps (which is well over what this lazyman triathlon required of me).

Friday
I ran a nice easy 3 miles yesterday, and to my surprise, everything went well. No pain at all, which was good news foreshadowing my long run today.

Saturday
I did 9M today at the Wellness Center... the first seven on the treadmill and the last two around the loop. Chuck, is it important on these long runs not to stop running? I mean... I know you said you did the run/walk method, some people walk the water stations, etc. but physically, is it beneficial or detrimental to your running state? I was just wondering... I know previous to this year, I could never bring myself to stop or walk during a run... so is it just a personal preference? Anyway, after I finished I did a LONG cool down with some dynamic and static stretching. It felt good, actually accomplishing something I've never done. I hope it's all worthwhile.

Here is a week-long total of physical activity(excluding the in-class activities, since I don't know which MET levels to use for wiffle ball in an enclosed space or twirling for double dutch for hours!

Bike 15 min - 96 kcal
Run 160 min - 1535 kcal
Elliptical 20 min - 183 kcal
Volleyball 40 min - 219 kcal
Swimming 180 min - 1315 kcal

Total: 3348 kcal for the week. I hear when marathon runners are asked why on earth they would want to run a marathon, the most frequent response is "I love to eat." I say that's a pretty good philosophy.

I'm beginning to realize what endurance running is all about. It's not a matter of cardiovascular conditioning after a certain point - it's about your legs being physically capable of going the distance. I can only hope mine don't give out before then.