Jelly Belly Sports Beans are the Solution I've Been Looking For

The weather report yesterday claimed that the digits wouldn't get into the 20's. I'll say it once, and then I promise I won't mention it again - THAT'S COLD! It made me think about the timing of this marathon. Training for a spring marathon in western New York means digging deep into the determination of one's soul. I have spent the large majority of my training on the treadmill - and mostly without too much hesitation but I just couldn't convince myself to go 18 miles on the treadmill, just to save my body from the sub-zero temperatures. So, as I waited and waited for the temperature to rise, I realised that I might be waiting for a very long time. I ask you, what does one wear when they are going to run 18 miles in sub-freezing temperatures? I put on an extra layer, but I was afraid to do much more than that because the last thing I wanted was to be at about mile 10 and realize that I needed to ditch the sweats and winter parka along the side of the road. All-in-all, I think I managed fairly well. I was thinking of our friend, Ms. Psychobabble Fool, as she ran her half- marathon in Central Park wearing her ninja mask. I was wishing for one of those facemasks! I knew it was cold when the water that drooled from the corner of my mouth froze on my jacket.

I am happy to announce that Jelly Belly Sports Beans rock my socks!!! I have been worried that my texture-induced nausea associated with consuming the very popular and widely used GU energy gels would put a massive damper on my ability to complete a marathon. Those of you who know me well are aware of my texture issue - I can't do bananas in their natural form because I can't stand the texture. So, I took some fellow marathoners' advice and picked up a collection of these wonder beans - not only do they taste great, but the tummy loves them. I noticed a huge difference in my energy level as I was out on my run. I recommend them to anyone and I'll bring plenty with me to Paris and will be more than happy to share my supply.

I felt like a million dollars on my run (except for the last 2 miles, where I saw the grim reaper extending his hand - like Kari once mentioned.) I felt so good at miles 12 and 13 that I began to formulate a plan to go for 20 miles. That plan changed as the legs started to second guess my ambition. So, I put the brain on auto-pilot and plodded the last 2 miles home. I was disappointed with my 9:55 minute average pace, but decided to focus on how great miles 1-15 felt. (finished in just under 3 hours)

*ps, I said that I would give a shout-out to my friend Dan who stood in for Heather for my water station attendant. The water was needed, and the orange was delicious as always. AND, thanks for putting on the winter coat and meeting me at the road. I was afraid that if I stopped and went inside, I wouldn't want to finish the run. Besides, it felt good to practice my 'grab water on the go' technique, tee hee*

I also took some advice from a friend in town who has trained for several marathons, and immediately drank Myoplex French Vanilla Drink to help increase my protein and begin recovering from the long run (thanks hubby for mixing in the banana and frozen strawberries.) I honestly can't tell the difference this may make in my training, but if it works from my friend, it's worth a try.

So, everything else was typical - run, do a lot of thinking, stretch, ice bath, stretch, shower, eat, sleep....sleep....sleep....

Now, let's hope we get some hits on this blog - that error message a few days ago has put quite a damper on our hit counter..