Week 16: Take the Risk

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." - Anais Nin

25 Days, 608 hrs, 36507 mins, 2190430s

My first ever 15K run (2 hours)

With 3 more weeks till departure, I set out to test my physical ability to increase my running distance from 13 K to 15 K. I had been preparing all week by climbing 120 floors of stairs (2400 steps),  and running shorter distances 8 K and 6 K. I would have thought I would have been tired by Sunday, but I my legs were asking for more!

Found a beautiful set of steps along my run

 
Running longer than an hour requires proper hydration and refueling to avoid hitting the wall. Hitting the wall is when your body has used up your second long term energy storage, glycogen, which is stored in the liver and muscles. Hitting the wall leads to fatigue and loss of energy. I have experienced this once through out my training. Out of nowhere my legs stopped running. My mind could not push it any further if it wanted it to.

At the top

I drank water, E-Load (electrolyte drink), and GU Chomps (gummies) along the way. After an 1hr 30mins of running I started feeling a significant demand of energy from my working muscles. My thirst increased and began drinking more frequently. Surprisingly, my muscles were not tired or sore, and the only the only limitation I was faced with was refueling. I needed more nutrients!!

• Eating and Training: How to time it right (Runner's World)
• How to eat before, during and after ready-set-go (National Post) 

Take the Risk

Home Stretch

"Opportunity always involves risk. You can't keep your foot on first and steal second base. If you don't take the risk, which is very important when trying to attain your goals, you can't take your game to a new level. Calculated risk is an essential part of the game.

By taking action you are never wondering what happened. By taking action you are making things happen. Don't sit on the bench or in the crowd too often. If you get the chance to sit it out or dance...dance!"

 - Tim Cork, "Tapping The Iceberg" 2007.