Run, Linda, Run II: Linda Runs on Dunkin'

It was almost three years ago that I started running and actually paying attention to my running. Prior to that, I was a totally half-assed jogger, but my running stars aligned in 2007 as detailed in Run Linda Run. The next year, 2008, I joined Brian and fifteen thousand of our closest friends in the 25K River Bank Run in Grand Rapids. Needless to say that was the longest run I had ever run and I was slo-o-o-o-ow!!! We were going to do it again last year but did not make it to Michigan in May due to lack of funds, etc. Which brings us to 2010. Hello, 2010! Hello 25K #2!

I am deep into the training for this year's May 8 event. For those of you who don't know, 25K = 15.53 miles. I am up to 12 miles for my weekend long run, and next weekend will do 14. And I must say, I am just in much better condition to train for a 25K this year than I was in 2008. The fact of being in law school alone is enough stress and takes enough time to preclude a stellar training effort, not to mention that Spring 2008 was my least favorite law school semester. Remember the clinic? Yeah. Let's not go back there. So anyway, I've decided that not being thoroughly miserable all the time while training is better than being thoroughly miserable all the time. Agreed?

I have also realized that eating/drinking orange slices/juice on my long runs is the way to go. I had a very bad habit of not eating or drinking anything on my long runs, and I had a very resultant habit of wanting to collapse in a heap afterward, and taking the entire next day to recover to comfortably walking briskly again. When I added orange into the mix, my legs felt completely different after the long run than they ever had. And I did not hit that dreaded 90-minute/8- or 9- mile wall. I have also been eating oodles of carbohydrates during the week and really building up those glycogen stores. Don't I sound knowledgeable? I'm really just quoting all the running blogs I read. At least I'm quoting someone knowledgeable.

No, for reals, though. Carbs, carbs, carbs throughout the training, that's my new mantra. Usually on Saturdays we get a delicious pastry, bagel, croissant, or other carbolicious breakfast in the morn in anticipation of the long run, which I've been doing midday (although I need to start doing them earlier in preparation for race day). This past Saturday I happened to have a coupon for a free bagel from Dunkin' Donuts so I went there for my carbs and small iced coffee, even though DD is usually a weekday thing for me, not weekend. Lo and behold I did my long run and my legs felt stronger and better afterward and all evening/next day than after any other long run - this year or any year. I am ever more convinced of the glorious truth of their "America Runs on Dunkin'" slogan.

My general goal for the 25K this year is to just finish it in a slightly more normal time as opposed to the dreadfully slow, more-than-three-hours, fourth-from-last-place-in-my-division time I ran last time I did the race. But I have a more specific goal which I shall reveal when the time is right.