20 miles yesterday and some barefoot in the snow!

I spent the day today on a road trip with my oldest two sons. They had dentist appointments in Iowa City. It was a gorgeous day for travel with lots of sun. We didn't wear our coats the whole day!  We were not outside very much but still it was uber encouraging all the same!

This post will be short with photos.  I ran 20 very very slow miles yesterday and realized that I have no idea how to eat on the go for a marathon or better yet keep going through the whole thing.  I ran 10.5 outside and came home to finish 9.5 inside on the treadmill.

I ran  in the sun with temperatures in the mid 20's and the wind was the worst!!! It was always a headwind when I was going uphill!  Well maybe not every time but it sure seemed like it.
The days are definitely getting longer. The sun on my skin and bare feet on the ground (for a small portion of the run) were invigorating!

 I started out feeling strong and motivated and having had a couple days off I felt full of energy and I also had been eating as much as I wanted so I had some backup energy.

I run by the fairgrounds and I could see the windmill on this clear sunny day!
You can check out some photos here from my last outside run. It was foggy and dreary although I must say, quite a bit warmer!

Photos never do this hill justice. This is about half way up.

almost to the top

The awesome view as a reward.

I decided to pay my debt to Mark for donating a camera to my blog!  I had to run in the snow barefoot!   It was amazing! 

 I left my trusty Teva Protons at the base of a tree on part of a quarter mileish loop.

Cold but not hurting yet! The snow was sharp in some places.

The wind was harsh on the backside of the hill which hurt more than my feet.

My run took forever since I took so many photos but I had to pay for that camera! ahaha!

Those are some happy feet! It really was lovely to run barefoot outside. I run on the barefoot all the time on the treadmill but it pales in comparison. 

I definitely started to hurt  and I was glad to put the Protons back on although it took a huge amount of time to get all the sand and rock salt brushed off my feet before putting them back on.

Happy barefoot runner with another awesome hat made by Sabra!

Two of the herd of 6 deer I see every time I run here. I saw the whole herd a few times on this run.

Time to head home.

All I could think about was eating during the last half of my 10.5 mile outside portion of my run. I was so glad to get across the tracks before this guy. The trains always sit at this crossing far longer than is acceptable!  It adds about a half mile to get around them.  I was too hungry for that!

This guy was hanging out in his ice cave when I got home. He and his dad dug it out even more not long after this was taken.

Man that is one good lookin' kid!

aaaaahhh dinner! Took way too long to prepare.  I really should have planned better.  I have my blue Gatorade in my favorite glass I made when glass blowing.  A corn tortilla with cheddar, black beans, tomatoes, onions,romaine lettuce and Louisiana hot sauce with  a serving of dried chopped dates on the side.

This was an experiment in eating in the middle of a long run but it turned into a dinner break.  I don't think I could have kept going without eating. There must be a way to scarf this down on the go.  I didn't have any intestinal discomfort or heartburn and I ate hot sauce! I am going to try this again but maybe find a way to take it with me....not sure yet.  I don't have the money or tolerance for GU. I suppose I could make my own but its not the same as eating and being gluten free makes it tricky.

I headed down to the basement to finish my 20 mile run. This is breaking new ground for me!  My last long run was 15.5 miles. My feet and legs felt great as I started on the treadmill. A bit sore in the right knee but no swelling like before.  It was very very slow with so many breaks to take photos and eat overall.  

It was still 20 miles though and I feel very good today!  Next time will be faster and I will figure something out with the food.

Anyone have suggestions on what and when to eat on a long run???

Tomorrow I hope to write about Kefir and smoothies! I had one before I ran and it digested very easily and gave me zero problems while running.

Happy Running friends!