Training has been heating up over here at Running Chick headquarters. The last few weeks have seen a gradual increase in running miles to 30+ miles a week, with 5 days of running. Plus, I’m back on the bike two days a week, with one shorter ride of 25-30 miles during the week and then a longer ride on Saturday mornings, usually around 50-60 miles. Then, there’s two days of yoga and a day of swimming.
This has been quite a change compared to the previous ‘maintain the sanity’ level of running 4 days/week for 24-25 miles (and nothing else) which had become the ‘norm’ for the past 9 months.
The results? Yup. I’m exhausted. But in a good way. Not in a stressed-out-school-makes-my-brain-hurt-and-there’s-too-much-too-do way. Each week, it gets a little easier and muscles are reappearing where I love seeing them. I’m getting stronger.
However, a curious thing did happen on my ‘long’ run last weekend. As I rounded the corner to attack the last big hill of the day, I felt something vibrating against my waist. At first, I thought it was my cell phone which was tucked inside the pocket on my Fuel Belt. Nope…that wasn’t it. Besides, who would call me at 8:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning?
Then it happened again. Only louder this time, and more forceful. What the heck is going on? Suddenly, it occurs to me….it’s my stomach, growling and grumbling like the hungry beast it has become in the transition period to more intense training. My stomach continued to be persistent about being heard and felt, but having already eaten my one Gu, and almost out of Accelerade, there was nothing to do except dream about the breakfast I’d whip up once I got back home.
