wow. that was a lot for a thursday morning. the plan called for 1:15-1:30, at easy pace. i ran 1:15:02. 2 seconds longer than i intended. approx 8 miles. i would venture to say that was my highest mileage thursday ever, and definitely my highest mileage 5am run. in my peak Berlin training weeks i was only hitting 5 on thurs mornings.
so i will get into an issue that affects many distance runners, GI tract issues. seriously, if you are afraid of TMI regarding bathroom issues, stop now and come back tomorrow.
scientifically, i have read that distance running causing additional blood flow to your extremities. all the extra work requires blood flow to your legs, feet, swinging arms, etc. a side effect is that blood flow is diverted from your digestive system. without the ability to digest and absorb nutrients efficiently, your body wants to just get rid of the dead weight. in layman's terms, i guess your whole digestive systems screams "i'm getting shaken up like hell, i can't do my job, get this shit out of here." literally.
Not a problem on my typical early am mid-week short runs. by the time my gut figures out what is going on (3-4 miles in) I am typically back home and getting on with my day. not a problem on my weekend long runs, either. I get up, drink some coffee, eat some breakfast, give my system a chance to move the mail. no problems that 2-3 cups of coffee won't get going.
but my new training plan puts long runs in the early am on weekdays. a recipe for disaster. everything i ate the day before has had a chance to work its way through overnight in my sleep. and then it hides in waiting, just waiting for the worst opportunity available. twice this week i practically limped home in a cold sweat with the poopy cramps. serious GI anguish. waves of constriction and pressure, cold sweat while running. audible intestinal distress. this morning was the worst so far. about 2.5 miles in, i starting thinking, "hmm, that's an uncomfortable feeling". by 4 miles in, i was seriously feeling like i was having labor pains. cold sweat. waves of pressure/pain. groaning out loud. not sure i was going to make it to somewhere safe, warm, well-lit, and intended for the purpose. luckily I was able to run/hobble into the Y and desecrate the men's room. nothing particularly out of the ordinary. firm solid BM, practically no need to wipe, probably 5 pounds. but a terribly close call.
i have a good mental inventory of available restrooms/water fountains on my loop runs, but there's not a lot of choices on my route at 5am. and honestly, when i get out of bed i am just not ready. and i don't intend to get up at 4am three days a week, just so i can drink some coffee and purge before running. I guess I'm either going to be visiting the Y most mornings, or start carrying some wet wipes in a ziplock in my jacket pocket (its best i not get into any more details of plan B).
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