Runner: help needed to add distance

[runbellarun]

I am running my first half marathon this year. Also a few disney races. I run 4 times a week. 3 are short runs ( about 2-3 miles) and weekend long run (I'm up to 8 miles). After mile 4 ish, I'm must done. This is where I need help or at least to know I'm not alone. Physically, other than my asthma, I am fine. I run/walk and on short runs I am about 9-10 min mile. Long runs used to be around 11 min miles but lately it's been 12-13 min miles. It's almost like I'm mentally exhausted, my brain just gets in the way or I'm just bored. I end up walking most of my miles after mile 4. Instead of short walk breaks in my running, it's short bursts of running in my walk long walk. I'm ready to give up at this thinking I will never get beyond mile 8 and never at a decent time. Help....

 

[Ariel484]

Hmm. I know you said mental exhaustion, but what do you do as far as eating or drinking during runs? I bring water with me on runs 6 miles or longer (drink every 2 miles) and bring fuel on runs 7 miles or longer (and take fuel every 4 miles...might seem like overkill to some but it works for me).

I wonder if maybe you should play around with your intervals? Right now I walk 1 minute every 2 miles...it lines up with my water breaks and, to me, makes the run seem more doable if I have less walk breaks remaining ("the next time I walk I'll have 4 miles left...the next time I walk I'll have 2 miles left...etc").

Lately I've also found that I feel better about my long runs if I get them done earlier in the day, not only to beat the heat but also because if I finish at noon instead of 2 or 3 I don't feel like my whole Saturday is gone.

Beyond that I'm not sure. Maybe try new music or mix up your route?

You're definitely not alone though. Distance running is VERY mentally challenging. Good luck!

 

[bumbershoot]

Hmm. I know you said mental exhaustion, but what do you do as far as eating or drinking during runs? I bring water with me on runs 6 miles or longer (drink every 2 miles) and bring fuel on runs 7 miles or longer (and take fuel every 4 miles...might seem like overkill to some but it works for me).
nitely not alone though. Distance running is VERY mentally challenging. Good luck!

That doesn't sound like overkill to me at all, especially when you're really starting out.

My body in particular is very sensitive to electrolyte loss (I sweat a LOT), so even on the treadmill, even starting when I was doing 3 miles, I started experimenting with electrolyte replacements. I'm still experimenting, but I'm narrowing it down to what really works for me.

I'm looking at it in terms of replacing salts, etc, in terms of taste, in terms of being able to eat/drink it while jogging or in a walk interval, and in terms of what doesn't mess up my sensitive stomach!

It's actually pretty amazing, how you can be really tired, then eat a few "sports beans" (the ones I've found are from Jelly Belly and I got them from REI but other runners say they are everywhere), and a minute later you just get a nice rush. It perks you right up.

The other day I filled my water bottle with water combined with a packet of something called Coco Hydro, which is dried coconut water, which apparently can be a good replacement drink. It tasted pretty bad, but I felt GREAT at the end of 6 miles. And that was on the "dreadmill", LOL.


I remember running in the late 80s and early 90s, when there was really nothing like this (sure, Gatorade, but I rarely drank that, and NEVER thought to drink it while training), and those runs were such slogs. I was always just wiped out, and I was a late teen/early 20s person back then! Now I'm 43 and with the help of these electrolyte replacement drinks and gus/gels/beans/etc, I'm feeling better than I did before.


That's the physical side of things, of course.

Good luck!

 

[Ariel484]

@bumbershoot - the first long race I ever did was a local 10-miler. This was before I knew anything about hydration/nutrition on runs and after the race I felt soooooo awful. Completely exhausted, nauseous and weak for hours after. My current plan I described above totally eliminates that, so I know what you mean about how big a difference it can make! I said "it might be overkill" because I'll occasionally read post from people, here and other places, saying one should not even need fuel for a half marathon. There's no way that would work for me!

Sorry for the thread hijack OP.

 

[runbellarun]

Currently I use jelly belly sports beans. A few after every two miles. They are the only ones that don't cause me to cramp up. I also carry a water bottle and small sips along the way. Maybe I need to mess around with some other stuff too.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

My advice would be to lengthen your two other runs a bit to strengthen your body before trying to extend you long run any further. Either that or add another run day - but longer runs on other days would be more beneficial.

Do you do any hill work? Adding hills really strengthens your body and mind.

 

[bumbershoot]

I said "it might be overkill" because I'll occasionally read post from people, here and other places, saying one should not even need fuel for a half marathon. There's no way that would work for me!

Aha, OK. I read those posts too, and am amazed by them! But I have a feeling they have been running much longer than I have. Or just have different bodies.



OP if you read the serving size of the sports beans, they say to eat a pack before you run, then more than one during a longer run, then finish up with another pack! That's a lot of beans! I'm not sure I could do that unless I were doing an actual marathon or longer (but that's mainly b/c of the calories...I'm still walking the fine line of working to lose weight while increasing my runs and getting fitter), but it's good to remember that a whole pack is a serving. Maybe you want to eat some more.

The other thing I have found I love is the Clif Shot Blok in margarita flavor. It has 3x the sodium, which is something I need when sweating so much. What's weird is that I'm highly sensitive to sodium in food, but when I'm running and sweating, bring it on. And with food, margarita salt is actually the absolute worst for me! So it's funny that that Shot Blok works so well for me.

 

[dburg30]

I am running my first half marathon this year. Also a few disney races. I run 4 times a week. 3 are short runs ( about 2-3 miles) and weekend long run (I'm up to 8 miles). After mile 4 ish, I'm must done. This is where I need help or at least to know I'm not alone. Physically, other than my asthma, I am fine. I run/walk and on short runs I am about 9-10 min mile. Long runs used to be around 11 min miles but lately it's been 12-13 min miles. It's almost like I'm mentally exhausted, my brain just gets in the way or I'm just bored. I end up walking most of my miles after mile 4. Instead of short walk breaks in my running, it's short bursts of running in my walk long walk. I'm ready to give up at this thinking I will never get beyond mile 8 and never at a decent time. Help....

As far as the mental part goes, that can be the hardest part to get over. Even though I am getting more used to longer runs, the first mile or 2 of them still are the worst. My body doesnt want to and my mind agrees . But I've just gotten it to the point where you make yourself do it and then your body follows along as does your mind. Anymore I dont run with any music or anything. I've found I just like it better. But for the best success on long runs, you really need to start practicing for race day, it helps. So the day before dont wear yourself out. Get to bed at proper time, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate etc etc. I am still working on the proper nutrition in general, but getting much better at the days before my sunday long runs.

There are lots of people out there that would be happy with 12-13mm miles so dont get too down on yourself! Make sure you work the weekday runs but also make sure you dont over work those days. But you are for sure NOT alone. The mind is a challenge.

 

[ZellyB]

I also think you might benefit by lengthening your short runs a bit. I'm currently doing 3 miles as well, but as my long runs start to increase this summer, I'll be pushing that up to 4. That seemed to work pretty well for me last year.

I'm very regimented on long runs (once you get beyond 6 or so) about fueling regularly. I got that from a Jeff Galloway talk when he advocates eating small amounts more frequently. We really like Cliff bars and jolly rangers as well as some sport beans on the really long runs. We cut the cliff bars up into small squares and eat one every two miles along with water. That seem to really work for us from an energy standpoint as well as helping me break up the long runs. Having a "schedule" of when I would eat helped me mentally to make the long run seem more like a series of small distances to a particular goal (eating!).

Also, do you run with anyone? If not, is there a group somewhere locally you could join? I run with my dh and a few other people for the maintenance runs as well as belonging to a Galloway group for the long runs. It's a great social event and we all talk the entire time. Makes the miles fly by.

Good luck and stick to it. You can do it!