B.D.J. Runs: Orange overload and blue skies.

Ok, first of all, if your entire "hydration system" consists of a liter of orange gatorade, then an orange-vanilla flavored energy gel is not really the best choice. This is like drinking Tang for an hour and then squirting a melted Creamsicle into your mouth while breathing hard.

Other than that fairly minor miscalculation, my run today was outstanding. Rather than the cloudy skies and snow on the same old roads I'm used to, I waited until today (forecast: partly sunny and 35; actual weather: clear blue skies and 35) to run, and went along the Burlington waterfront. It was absolutely clear, with a full view of the Adirondack mountains across Lake Champlain. The path was dry and almost free of snow. Despite cycling yesterday my legs were feeling fairly good, and I was able to build up to a decent 8:30-8:45 pace for most of the run. Even after the creamsicle mishap I rallied and kept a good stride for the run back, ignoring the shifting aches and pains that are typical of the second half of a longer run.

Sometimes it amazes me how even a short "long run" can surprise with its difficulty and intensity. I wonder if experience is a disadvantage, as I certainly don't psych myself up the way I used to for these 14, 16, or 18 mile runs. Thinking back, though, even when I prepared and visualized the night before, these runs were still hard. The flip side is that the mental struggle has shifted from the nagging question of "Can I finish?" to the nagging question of "Why bother?" or "Let's just do this another time." Either way, forward progress is a good enough answer. Today I was excited because I haven't run in this kind of weather for months. The first half was smooth like butter and the miles literally flew by, but when I hit the turnaround point I really had to push to get myself back on pace for the second half. No, I don't blame the creamsicle. Once I did get back on pace I felt good and the uphill last mile, though pure torture, was less painful than expected.