8 Miles and Books

I hit two new milestones last week.  I ran just over 20 miles (that was even with getting a wisdom tooth pulled on Monday) and I ran 8 miles on Sunday, my longest distance to date.  I ran the 8 miles in 1 hour and 28 minutes and my heart rate averaged 78% of max.  I tested my BG at 100 just before my start.  I ate 38 grams of carbs then had a GU at 25 minutes and another at 50 minutes.  I then tested at 160 at the end of the run.  I also had my Basal set at 15% as opposed to my normal 20%.  I felt VERY good.  I definitely noticed a little extra energy after eating the GUs, I just wish those things weren’t so expensive!

One of the things I enjoy while running is listening to books on my iPod Shuffle.  My first book was Dean Karnazes’ 50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days and now I’m listening to Haruki Murakami’s What I Talk about When I Talk About Running.  I don’t know why exactly, but during my long runs I prefer books over music.  I’ve heard the songs on my Shuffle a MILLION times, so listening to books gives me something different and passes the time quickly.  Running books also provide inspiration and learning opportunities.  I find it difficult to find time, ok, devote time to sitting down and reading books, so my long runs, which are now approaching 2 hours, are the perfect time to listen to a good book.  If you haven’t listened to a book while running, I’d suggest giving it a try.  You might enjoy it.