Hello hello! How is everyone? Sorry for disappearing!
We’ve been busy. You see, “back to school” took over our lives, now that KidRuns has started Kindergarten. And while some may think this is what happens when the kids go to school:
Seriously. Training for a marathon is easier than figuring out what to feed your kindergartner!
And speaking of training… guess what I did today. Signed up for another race? Why, yes. But it’s not a marathon or even a half! It’s a century bike ride. One hundred miles!
I honestly didn’t think I’d cross that (100-mile) bridge before 2014, but someone from my tri-club brought it up today and I thought, what am I waiting for? Sign me up!
Suffice it to say, now I need to do some research on prepping for 6+ hour rides. So far, I have three questions:
- Do I need to buy one of those spandex bike pants with the diaper built in?
- Will I have to eat while riding, and if so, what’s a good on-the-go snack (lunch?) that isn’t GU chomps?
- Butt cream. Yay or nay? If yay, what kind?
Seriously. Tell me and save me from googling “butt cream.” I just know it won’t be pretty.
Meanwhile, the Double Road Race San Jose is this Saturday! 10K at 7:30 a.m., rest, then 5K at 9:30. How fun would that be, eh?
Today’s run:
A quick three-miler after work! Here’s one (sort of) unexpected side effect of Kindergarten: they do not nap there, thus child gets tired and goes to bed much, much earlier than normal. Before 7 pm today! I had planned a rest day, but couldn’t pass up the chance to go out for a quick run at dusk: so, so cool not to have the mid-day sun banging on your head as you sweat out the miles wondering when you’ll collapse. (But not so nice wondering if the deserted trail can get dangerous after sunset. Better get the flashlight next time!)
Do you run after dark? What safety precautions do you take?
Yes, I do run after dark but only in my own neighborhood because I’m familiar with the area. I wear reflective clothing and sometimes a headlamp. I also try to stay on the streets with less vehicle traffic.
As for a 100 mile ride, if it’s an organized event there will most likely be a few rest stops with restrooms and food & drinks. They typically feed you lunch on a ride that long, but it helps to have some GU/chomps/snacks with you, too. And a big YES to the butt cream for a ride of that distance!