20 miler

Saturday I did the weekly long run of.....20 miles.  It was a pretty intense run.  I got up had some coffee and an english muffin with an egg on it.  I headed out at about 6:45 into super nice weather and took a fairly slow pace.  My hip has still been a bit tight so before heading out I applied some heat to my hip and did some extra stretching.  It took about 4 miles until I felt all the way warmed up.  Honestly, during the run I didn't feel that bad.  To pass the time while running I gave myself checkpoints that I had to go to.  Here's how it worked:  I gave myself permission to walk, but I had to wait to evaluate how I felt at specific checkpoints that were every several miles.  It helped to visualize the course only to the next checkpoint instead of miles.  I tried some new fuel this week while running.  I tried some cliff shot blocks and powerbar energy chews.  Both products worked out pretty well, and I didn't have any stomach issues with them.

After arriving home I was stretching and when I took my shoes and socks off I got a huge shock.....my big toe was covered in a blister.  I had no idea that I was getting a blister at all.  Then, I hopped into the ice bath with extra ice since it was an extra long run.

Luckily, this week is a three day weekend and I have an extra day to take it easy.