20. Freaking. Miles.

My original plan for the pace group I'm mentoring for the Big Sur Marathon was to taper off around 13 miles when they got to the longer distances. My body has had a hard time with over 2 hours of running. Specifically, I get concerned about hydration since the total colectomy, as well as fueling and digestion. Hydration is tricky because it isn't about water consumption, but maintaining osmoregulation where fluid is balanced with mineral (largely electrolyte) content. When training for endurance the environment, time out, and timing can all have an effect on that osmotic pressure and the consequences can be very dangerous.

 The last couple of weeks I had been able to go over 15 with the group— my body was responding well to the increased mileage—I switched from typical glucose driven fuels to bars I made myself that were more balanced with protein and fats. This week, the training route was 20-miles and while that distance has been a target for me, I hadn't expected to reach it so early! 

I've also been running without a watch (my Pace 2 died!) so I went out by feel—straight Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)—and had an idea of how I'd need to feel to be out there for the entire effort. By the end, I was feeling familiar signs of depletion, but made it to our finish feeling better than I expected.