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first long run
Yo, johnnyb, well done on the 6 miles. I remember the first time I managed 6 miles. I kept getting a terrible stitch and pains in my chest. Sounds frightening but I was pretty sure it was my respiratory system struggling rather than my heart. Pretty sure...
A couple of tips: take a rest day before and after your long run, unless you feel up to a spot of cross-training like a swim or a good walk. Best to do that the day after than the day before.
It's funny, I used to run in nothing but a tee-shirt and shorts, regardless of how cold it was. I did that for 3 winters, then I suddenly took a wimpish turn and started wearing a jacket when it got below about 5 degrees. Still never wear leggings of any kind. Some people can, some can't. Not a macho thing, just physiological.
Water -- this is a personal thing. In fact, nearly all the advice you'll get should be taken with a pinch of salt. My running/writing hero, Dr George Sheehan, famously said that "all runners are an experiment of one".
I never bother with water unless I'm running about 8 miles or more. Even then I sometimes don't bother. The exception is very hot days, when I've suffered even on short runs. It's a hassle carrying water so I either plan a run past a drinking tap (there's one along the canal about 4.5 miles from where I live, so that makes a good 9 mile out-and-back), or a shop, or on occasions when doing a very long run like 20 miles, I've driven round the route beforehand and left bottles of water or pouches of Lucozade Sport hidden behind trees every 5 or 6 miles. But your mileage may vary...
The wall isn't something to worry about yet, but Sweder explained it well. It's a sudden loss of energy when the body exhausts all reserves of glycogen. A good idea is to take a couple of gels on long runs but I wouldn't worry too much about it till you're doing much longer runs -- say 12, or 15 miles. You'll need to be aware of it in the race itself, where it's ruined many a runner's day. We'll tell you more about it nearer the time.
A couple of tips for recovery after a long run -- have a snack as soon as you get back, preferably carbs and protein. So a tuna or egg sandwich is good. Also, don't forget to stretch. I'm not over-zealous about it but I always stretch calf and quad muscles before I go back into the house. Stretching before a run isn't much recommended these days. Instead, warm-up a bit. I always walk or jog a couple of hundred yards very slowly (even by my standards) before speeding up. You may not think there's a need for it, and nor did I once. But I've pulled a calf muscle a couple of times, and I've been
much more careful since. The last thing you want is to have to take 2 or 3 weeks out of training.
Keep us posted.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
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