sunday and the lab

had the "lab" this sunday up north in the brentwood neighborhood...i had been relatively nervous about this training run since i saw it on the schedule...not the nice easy pace that we have been maintaining during our normal sunday long runs...no this was 4 miles of warm-up 8 miles at marathon goal pace (MGP)and 2 miles of cool down...it was called the lab because we were to simulate race day behaviors...that is practice drinking and eating (gels etc) while on the go and practice the feeling of MGP...practice our nutrition pre and post run...all of that good stuff...we were sent out in groups of pace times...i am in the 4 hr group with several of my training buddies...so this is all well and good...but all day saturday i felt like absolute crap...from when i woke around 7am to bed at _blush_ 8.30pm the only things that i felt at all like ingesting were tea...a cup of soy pudding...and about a cup of plain rice...yeah not great nutrition for the day before a big run...it is very frustrating to have stomach issues even if you are not a runner or someone with an serious passion ok borderline obsession with food and its preparation...so...the lab was not great...warm-up was so-so...i knew the rest of it was not going to make me happy...the 10 minute mile pace was feeling not so easy and my MGP is 9 mm...ught...made the warm-up and first MGP lap with ed and the gang but was starting to struggle and really had to keep up the mental banter...there was a lot of "you can make it another half mile then you only have a mile and a half to the water stop"..."hit the next cone...one more lap...run a little faster it will make you feel better"...did the dreaded swallow a few times...and lost ed and the gang on the second lap...was glad to be alone and not having to chat with people...to try and get my head in the game and get this thing done...tried some nutrition about mile 10...hmm yeah not feeling that...gatorade wasn't even working for my tummy...so my pace gang finished about 1/4 mile ahead of me...but i finished the MGP section and just sandbagged the hell out of my cool down...got some water in me and then headed directly...with a slight diversion for gas at the 7-11 :) (they didn't have those in GA)...for the restorative waters of barton springs...due to my shivers...which i guess were caused by mild dehydration (i had a bottled of water in hand as i was soaking...and another in the car for the dive home...don't worry) i could only get half way up my thighs...even that felt good...chatted with a few other runners soaking as well...one ran 23 that day...he looked good...was his last long run before dallas...skipped breakfast with the group and went home to curl up in bed and try to get myself feeling better...illness and a bad run are not a good combo for a feel good sunday...j was still in bed when i got home...10am!!...he deserved it...so the bed was extra cozy...i was still cold...he got up and heated some tomato soup and toasted a mini bagel and made me eat...tummy was protesting but i needed something to help me recover...it worked wonders...thanks bear!...about an hour later i was feeling a little better...not 100% but better enough to do some of my post run stuff...like us my TP rollers and drink some recovery stuff...and an hour after that i was feeling so much better i had forgotten (almost) about my crappy run...and best of all i made the dark chocolate crackle cookies that coach gave me a recipe for...OMG ! they are amazing...and some mac and soy cheese with farm broccoli for dinner...not bad...so even with all that it turned out to be a not so bad sunday...there is always the next lab...right?...