Sunday evening and the end of another good week of running.

DH and I ended up not running last weekend - our schedule got a little messed up and it was the running that got sacrificed. Although it wasn't such a sacrifice, really, given how much we'd run in the several weeks before. A weekend off actually seemed like a good idea and I think my mid-week running was better for it.

So - about 10.5 km on Monday, 15 km on Wednesday, about 12 km on Friday, and I think about 22 or 23 km today. Friday I didn't bother with my lap counter but was running at a pretty good pace, for an hour, so it would have been 12 km, give or take a couple of laps. Today I ran for two hours, again without my lap counter, and based on the way it felt would have done at least 22 km or perhaps even close to 23 km.

Today's run was a little frustrating, actually. I had a strong first hour, felt very good, and then stopped for a water break. The water wasn't overly cold, I didn't gulp it, etc. But with the very first sip, I felt my stomach cramp up, and that never really went away for the remainder of the run. So I added a few minutes to make sure that I had a full two hours of running/jogging, ignoring the walking breaks to try and get my stomach to settle down.

This water-drinking problem is really bugging me - time to do some research. DH drinks more often and doesn't have any issues. Of course, he's also capable of eating much more than I do before a run and remaining comfortable. If I tried that, I'd be dropping out within the first 5 km, feeling absolutely miserable.

DH, incidentally, did not have a great run today. His arch support was moving around and causing him some problems, and he was a bit tired. But he kept at it, walked when too tired to run, and every mile prepares us for the next big run.

Something I've recently started investigating is iron deficiency in distance runners.

I tried to give blood on Thursday night and was turned down because my hemoglobin was too low. In a way this wasn't a total surprise - I don't eat red meat or poultry, only a little fish or seafood - and to some extent I've been anemic most of my life. Interestingly enough, whenever I've had bloodwork done, the iron storage has always been okay, and the issue has only been the hemoglobin. Anyway, I mentioned this to my running buddy and it turns out that distance runners are known to often have problems with anemia and/or iron storage.

Obviously for me, there's no real question. I had a physical in December, and didn't hear anything back from my doctor, but that's probably because my hemoglobin was borderline or low, but my storage was okay. However, I'm going to write a letter requesting a copy of the results because I'm curious. And I doubt that I'm seriously anemic or iron deficient. In the interim, though, I've started taking iron supplements.

At this point, I am wondering about DH. He eats much like I do, consumes a little more fish, and has recently increased his distances. He's mentioned being tired or having "not great" runs, and I wonder if he's a little iron deficient. I hope he'll go and get tested. He's also trying my iron supplements but I think should have some numbers to work with before doing that long-term.

So six weeks from the big 30 km run, that's the state of our running world. I have tomorrow planned as a "don't break a sweat" day - some time walking on the treadmill, on an incline, then a few weights and the usual lower-body and abs exercises. DH and I impulsively went to an aerobics class on Saturday, and worked out every day Monday-Friday, and so I think a very low-energy, low-impact day is in order. I'd rather do that then skip the gym entirely.

Then I plan to run on Tuesday, Thursday and again on Sunday. Sunday should be another long run, something over two hours, and this time tracking the distance. My longest run so far has been 26 km - it would be nice to do that again, perhaps even 27 km. We'll see what the energy level is like after another thrilling week at the office...

Okay, so I haven't been writing but I have been running, and that's what counts. A few interruptions along the way, but definitely some steady progress in building distance.

History since last post, way back on November 15:

The weather in November remained warm (well, warm for November - above freezing, anyway), and DH and I continued to run outside up until the morning of November 24. I remember that run very well - we did the hill route - and as I was on the return the sun was coming up and everything felt perfect. It was a perfect last run before vacation. We left that evening and were away for about a week, during which we did not run at all. The weather was wrong and there was no nearby gym. Which was actually okay with me, since I thought a brief rest would do no harm.

Well, out of sheer laziness and jet lag on our return, it was two weeks before we were back running. Amazingly, the Toronto December weather remained warm right to the end of the month. The weekend before Christmas DH and I were running outside on the Sunday afternoon, and the temperature was something like 12 C. That was a reasonably long run - 14 or 15 km - and for a good chunk of it I ditched sweatshirt, gloves and headband. A fantastic afternoon.

We weren't travelling far to visit family this Christmas, so we only missed a few days. My original goal had been to do the 21 km half marathon distance by the end of December, but with the extended break at the end of November and a few missed days on the lead up to Christmas, it just didn't happen. However, on December 31 it was warm enough to run outside, I did 17 km, and could probably have pushed it to 21 km. Unfortunately, we were due at an early party and were already cutting the time short. Still, a very good way to end the year.

My running buddy was on vacation from November until January, and I did miss the extra energy boost from running with him. Especially since the December weather was so great. DH and I did go out one morning with a couple of other guys we know from the gym and that was a good workout. We went over to a school with a 400 m outdoor track, and one guy timed a couple of laps. Apparently we were doing a 7:32 mile pace. Not that I could have sustained that pace for a mile...

Anyway, DH and I have more or less committed to doing the Round the Bay 30 km run in Hamilton in March, along with a few people from the gym and F1, our natural born runner friend. The nice thing about that run is that it's reasonably local and doesn't start until 9:30 a.m. so we don't even have to go out there the night before. With two months to go, we have been training hard. Long runs that I have accomplished so far: January 14 - 21 km; January 21 - 23 km; January 27 - 26 km. The 23 and 26 km are personal bests for me - to that point I had never run more than a couple of laps beyond that 21.1 km cut off. A little walking in all of them - to take water breaks and so on - but not more than a few laps.

Unfortunately, winter finally did arrive in Toronto in January, and it's been too cold and miserable to run outside, so all of these runs have been on the indoor track at the gym. They would definitely be more grueling outside. Still, I am very pleased to have hit that 26 km point and to have felt good afterwards. Tired, yes. Around the 22 km mark I went through a brief phase of thinking that my body just didn't have what it took to go any further that day. But then I walked a little, didn't try to run fast, and ended up having a strong finish. Had some sore muscles afterward, and felt it a little in my quads the next day, but was by no means completely exhausted.

But I've taken it easy this week - about 9 or 10 km on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off, a light workout this morning. Tomorrow is a running day and I'm hoping to do a full hour (depends how easily DH and I drag ourselves out of bed and into the gym). Assuming my running buddy is there, we'll do 20 or 25 minutes together and the company will be nice. No run ever feels as long or as hard if there is somone to talk to. On Sunday I'd like to drop back a little and do 18 km at most, at a comfortable pace. Although the obsessive in me wants to keep doing long distances, just to prove I can and to gain confidence, the intellectual is trying to guard against injury and doing too much too soon.

The Around the Bay intimidates me because the last 10 km are hilly, and I hate running hills, am lazy in the extreme. Also because the weather at the end of Mach can be terrible, and I don't have great winter outdoor running gear. Solution? Don't have to run if it's miserable. If it's above freezing and not raining/snowing, then it should be doable. But I have no desire to spend 2.5 + hours getting wet. And the hills? Slow down, run them to the point it feels like too much, and then walk the rest. It's okay. I'd like to do the 30 km in under three hours, but it's not like a half marathon, where I've done the distance several times, enough to have personal (albeit sometimes secret) goals. It would be an achievement simply to finish.

The biggest challenge right now - aside from building distance - is learning how to combine staying hydrated with staying comfortable. Running for an hour without drinking is no big deal, under most circumstances - I've been doing it for years. Much longer, and I start to worry. Back in April DH and I went for a long outdoor run - I think we ended up being out two hours - and I had nothing to drink during that time. Not that I was running at speed the whole time, but we were in pretty much constant motion. And afterwards I got SO sick that it scared me, and resolved to never do that again.

The trouble is that drinking water, even not much water, gives me stomach cramps and slows me down. I try to be careful - take slow slips, not big gulps, and so on - but still feel the effects. Unfortunately, the only answer is probably to just get used to drinking, and over time the discomfort should be much less as my body gets used to it. Once the weather gets warm and we're back to long runs outside, I'll need to get a belt or something and carry water. For now I'm enjoying the freedom of stashing a bottle beside the track. And of course at timed events there are water stations.

That's probably enough rambling about running for now. Although I expect to be at the computer a while longer - one of our cats has made herself very comfortable on my lap and I hate disturbing her. Plus it's just nice to have her so close :)