I'm not going to beat around the bush-I ran 20 miles today. And that's basically all I plan on doing today. Sure, I tossed some clothes into the washing machine and if hubs is lucky, I MAY even get up later and put them into the dryer, but no promises.
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| Another busy Saturday afternoon. |
20 miles = 3 hours, 18 minutes. 9:55 pace overall. No matter how slow you go, running for over 3 hours is just hard. I was starting to feel a little achey towards the end of the run. Nearly every mile there was a new "problem"--my right knee, my left hip, my groin, then my shoulder. But hey, it's 20 miles. If it was easy I would be out there every day doing it, right? I fueled with something seasonal today...candy corn! As far as I am concerned, as long as you're eating enough calories during the long run, you can eat whatever doesn't upset your stomach. So candy corn it was. 12 pieces = 100 calories = 1 Gu, but it's cheaper and way more fun to eat. Win win.
Last week, I mentioned that I booked it after the half marathon. I was tired, feeling bad and did not want to stick around to watch someone else get a bunch of trophies. Except....it turns out that in my moping I didn't realize I managed to snag 3rd place in my age group! Please, keep in mind...there were 13 people in my age group. Details. Whatever.
The point is, I got a trophy! I managed to pick it up yesterday afternoon and it is impressive, if I do say so myself. Everyone, pay attention to this next piece of advice: running small races makes you feel freaking incredible. Seriously. Running a 2:01 half in a big race would make you middle of the pack. Small race with 400 entrants? Boom. Third place in your AG. Love it.
Now I just need to find the fine line between displaying it in a way that makes me look like a pompous ass (dining room table, maybe?) and someplace too secret so no one can accidentally stumble upon it and give me compliments. Oh, this old thing? Gosh, thanks. I forgot I even had that lying around. How silly.
Who is on team candy corn? Anyone else pick candy as their long run fuel of choice?
I have successfully fueled runs with marshmallows, jellybeans and candy corn. Simple carbohydrates, sugar...it works. Plus, it's good for me to have something to look forward to every half mile or so on these longer distances when I'm running alone.
Do you brag about races/medals/placing/distance?
Honestly, I usually have a hard time bragging about running in real life. Plus, most people don't understand or care. To a lot of people, a 45 minute 5k is the same as a sub-3 marathon. Oh, a race? Did you win? So I don't even bother anymore. But on the blog? Brag city. Sorry about that.
I think the dining room table is a must for that trophy!!! Congrats on your placing. My sweet tooth is on today so def the candy as a fuel. And with the bragging, I agree, if I try to even tell my family they have no care ... so go the blog brag.
ReplyDeleteCongrats - that's awesome…both the 20 miler and the trophy! I decided last week to make the switch from Gu to protein bar chunks and candy during long runs to see if it is nicer to my stomach…plus I might just have extra incentive to run longer so I can eat more candy :)
ReplyDeleteEating candy corn as we speak!
ReplyDeleteMy husband is going to use snickers for the marathon. He is crazy. Im totally team candy corn.
ReplyDeleteCongrats! Isn't this the race where you get chili as an after race food instead of bananas?
ReplyDeletetotally agreed, 20 miler = work for day is done. and awesome on that medal!! :) that is what's great about small races, the chance to place!
ReplyDeleteGummi bears and congrats!
ReplyDeleteGreat job on 20 miles and the trophy! I'm thinking...hood of your car.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! Be proud!!
ReplyDeleteYour personality shines through your writing which is why so many people love you -- you crack me up every blog post!! =)
ReplyDeleteI don't reward myself w/candy.. in fact I don't really eat candy--but you're seriously inspiring me to reconsider!
PS: Bragging about medals/awards is difficult for me -- I don't have any running loot YET, but I have tons of paddling achievements and only throw that around when someone cops an attitude with me-thinking they're better or know more about the sport etc. Common rebuttal is, "Oh really? And how long have you been paddling?" haha snarky, I KNOW!
Wow, congrats!!!! Way to go and brag away, girl!!
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome!!! Congrats on the long run and the sweet AG finish! Display that trophy proudly!
ReplyDeleteNice job on the 20! Is this the last one before your race?
ReplyDeleteI've fueled with marshmallows, cookies, rice krispie bars, 7 Layer Bars, brownies, Snickers. One of the reasons I love backpacking is that you're supposed to eat calorie dense foods on purpose. All those foods I'm not supposed to eat because they are too calorie laden? Oh yeah, all in mah bellay.
Congratulations on the AG, those are always gratifying, especially if you felt like it was a bad race! Proved you wrong, eh? Lol.
ReplyDeleteI like candy corn, but it makes me ill and hurts my teeth, so I rarely eat it. Today was the first long run in, oh, a year for which I ate though! I have been doing such a bad fueling job - I forced myself to do a Gu this time and felt much much better. Maybe I'll work my way up to candy corn...
I love reading other runners awesome exploits so brag away this is the place to do it. I have to admit you nearly lost me at the candy corn picture..YUM! i like using gummy bears and jelly beans too.
ReplyDeleteHAHAHA...okay, sooo much to say on this one. 1) umm, in my book i run so i can be lazy the rest of the day. 2) i also run so we can eat wat we want...if the engine is hot it'll burn! hehe. 3) CONGRATS on the trophy! see, it is really easy to get really down/hard on ourselves about races, but here is another positive u can take away from that one.
ReplyDeleteand a huge congrats on the 20 miler u busted out. i also wanted to say something quick about ur sorenesses. feel free to ignore: wat kind of shoes are u running in? how long have u been running in them, are they 'dead' and perhaps need some switching out? i only ask because i kno i can forget sometimes and that's when little sorenesses creep up. that, and it can start as just a sore right knee but then the more u run, ur body starts compensating on the other side to adjust to that one soreness and that's when random other spots start to ache...ie: the shoulder. i'm ALL for sucking it up and getting 'er done unless my leg is falling off, just that if there was something to make it a little less painful that might make it better...hehe. :P
Blogs are for bragging, praise and encouragement! Great job on your third place finish! And the 20 miler. Candy corn well earned I say.
ReplyDeleteWay to go, girl!! You are so badass! It is true about people that don't run. They don't really know what is a good time or what distances races usually consist of. We were at a local festival/5K the other day, and this drunk guy was like, "So, are you guys running a marathon?" I mean, come on. Our town isn't even big enough to host a marathon.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on 20 miles - you've earned some down time on the sofa!
ReplyDeleteWay to go on the trophy too - that's awesome! And yes, the blog is for sharing - we are proud of you! :0)
Candy corn. Yep, Imeat it on my long runs too! Yummo!
Great job on your 20 miler! You look comfy "in recovery." ;)
ReplyDeleteMajor congrats on your age group award too.
YOU GOT A TROPHY AT THE PUKE RACE?!?!?!?!?
ReplyDeleteVanessa I am truly speachless, you are so amazing.
yum candy corn WAY better than GU :D
Nice work on the 20!
ReplyDeleteI thought about candy corn for my long run this morning but then I remembered that candy always sounds good beforehand and tastes way too sweet for my during. So, I stuck with gu chomps - and they were pretty tasty!
How did you not drop the candy corn? I'm guessing you ran on the 'mill? I do Gu because you can't spill it (a la sports beans) and it's fast to take and it REALLY works. My only non-Gu fueling is during trail races and then I like cookies. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting fuel to use, but hey if it is cheap and it works, why not! You rock for running a 20miler!!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try the candy corn as fuel. I love that stuff.
ReplyDeleteBragging- go for it! It's your blog, you can do what you want! I would put that trophy in the living room. I have my race medals hanging on a coat hook in the entryway. My husband hates it, but I love it!
you're getting WAY impressive!!! do it girl!! i think i might get some candy corn for my next long run...
ReplyDelete-Danielle@ Happily Ever After
I can't stop obsessing about the candy corn I ate during the marathon, and now I am so sad I didn't get any to eat on my long run tomorrow. Genius, although Kara is right, it is really hard to hold and run. I'm so with you on the inability to brag, I told a lot of people at work I did "well" in my marathon, but I really just wanted them to understand how amazing sub - 4 is for a runner like me. Thank god for the blog! Excellent job on your 20 miler - time to taper now?
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the award! It reminds me of the zoo run situation that happened to me! Who knew we were such superstar speedy runners?!?! Hahaha seriously though, your trophy is awesome. I wish I had a trophy too! I say use it as a centrepeice! You deserve to see it every day and so does everyone else who makes an appearance in your home :)
ReplyDeleteI totally get what you mean about saving the bragging for the blog world. No one really gets it in my "real life". They refer to my 5 and 10k races as "marathons".
CONGRATS ON YOUR TROPHY!!! That's wicked!!! I say DISPLAY it all over! You deserve everyone to know how awesome you are! It's not bragging, it's showing your accomplishments!
ReplyDeleteAnd in the blog world, everyone loves seeing your amazing hardware!!
Who is on team candy corn? Anyone else pick candy as their long run fuel of choice?
ReplyDeleteI am team candy corn, 100%! I've never tried candy to fuel my runs, but I may have to once I run out of Clif Shot Bloks, sounds perfectly reasonable to me and a lot cheaper!!
Do you brag about races/medals/placing/distance?
I talk very little about running in real life, except to my few friends who run. If I won a medal I might get a hanger, I may do that after the Tinkerbell Half because it will be super cool!
BTW, your trophy is very cool! Yay for 3rd place in your age group.
ReplyDeleteI'm not fast AT ALL, and I've grabbed two AG awards running small races. I took 1st place a few years ago in a 5K where I was the only 20-24 female. lol But, hey, it doesn't say that anywhere on the trophy! And I managed a 3rd place in a local charity 5K last spring.
ReplyDeleteAnd I SHOULD have gotten an AG at a Cupid's Chase last year, but unlike every other race I have ever heard of, they didn't remove the overall female winner from the AG awards and she just happened to be in mine, so that knocked me out of that one.
Great job on the 20!!!
Awesome trophy! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the 20 miler and the trophy! I would be every bit as proud if there were 4 people in your age group... placing is placing!!
ReplyDeletethat trophy is the shiiiiiiiit! that's SO cool. makes all the puke worthwhile, right?! ok, sorry. now that you have a trophy you can remember it as "the race i got a trophy in" instead of "the race i puked in." UPGRADE.
ReplyDeletecongrats on the 20 miler...will I ever run 20 miles, in one day?! Ha!
ReplyDeleteOh I'd totally go with candy corns! I can't buy those, because I think I might eat the whole bag! YUM! Oh and totally dining room table for your trophy! SHOW IT OFF!!!
Never tried fueling with candy corn, tried sweedish fish once and it made me feel so sick...and they melted and made a sticky mess!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on 3rd place in your ag! Who cares how many people were in the group, you earned that trophy! As for displaying it, I have no advice. All of my running awards are tucked neatly away in a nice box. But my home is really small so I don't want to have guests over and when they turn every corner be staring at awards...that would be really weird.
cute trophy!
ReplyDeletecongrats on knocking out 20
Is there any other team to be on? Candy Corn is the best invention since the television....ok, maybe not but I LOVE CANDY CORN. LOVE.
ReplyDeleteCONGRATS on getting 3rd place!!?? Brag away....that is just amazing.....who cares if there were only 13 people in the age group. YOU SHOULD BE PROUD. If there were 3 people in the category I'd still brag....that's just me though....and I realize I'm 75% insane.
xo
Sarah
Get UP & Go
Awesome trophy!! That's so cool. I had never thought to bring candy corn on a long run. Good idea. I love them! Great job on your 20 miler also. You rock!
ReplyDeleteAs I was driving home from my run today, I realized I commented on your blog and forgot to congratulate you on an AG award! Great job! You are living the dream! Also, I know I'm a weirdo for actually having these thoughts. Go, Vanessa!
ReplyDeleteGREAT GREAT GREAT RUN!!! Seriously, running for 3 hours gets really tiring ha! YAY FOR candy corn...I am all for it! How are you feeling today?
ReplyDeleteBrag AWAY girl! You earned it! (And who cares how big/small the race was. An AG award is an award. NICE JOB!!!)
ReplyDeleteWhen I did the Moonwalk marathon (the hint is in the "walk" part ;-)) I used jelly babies ... got sick of them half way through, not seen candy corn this side of the pond, will have to keep my eyes open for it.
ReplyDeletegirl, brag away, that's what i love about this little world. everyone is genuinely interested and happy for each other! great job and i totally agree about your i ran xx miles and that's all i'm doing today. i've never ran over a half but even when i did that, i had the same story! run xx miles and watch movies all day!
ReplyDeleteHow cool that you got a trophy! Sweetness!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, congrats on the 3rd place in your age group, that's fabulous!
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I am so proud of your 20 miles, that must feel so good to have that over with. I am going to run my last 20 next weekend. Not going to lie, I'm not 100% excited about doing it...but it's OK it'll be worth it in the end.
Hope you had a great weekend!
Once I placed 2nd in a 5K. My time was something like 31 minutes. hahah! What a joke.
ReplyDeleteI guess it helps to race in a small town where every other person is obsese. :)
YES!! A trophy!! Awesome job! I would totally brag about it because I would just be so psyched!
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome that you fueled with candy corn! I wish I would have thought of that. And nice trophy girl!
ReplyDeleteSCORE on the trophy!!! I think it would look great in the guest bath...
ReplyDeleteNot a fan of candy corn but I do like your idea of fueling with candy! Great way to sneak in the Halloween treats GUILT FREE!
Congrats on the 20, girl!
HOW AWESOME!!!
ReplyDeletetotally a candy corn addict. Bad news!
3 hours is HARD WORK. I could not agree with you more. It's funny how just 30 minutes extra than what you're used to makes such a big difference.
ReplyDelete