First Run at 8100 Feet!

Well it's official I am now a resident of Colorado!  My parents and I left California Thursday evening and drove to Nevada then into Colorado the following day.  Saturday was spent moving into my new apartment and getting the lay of the land.  I am working at Beaver Creek Resort for the winter as a shuttle bus driver.  This is also where the bulk of my marathon training is going to occur.  I knew the elevation would effect me but I didn't know how much.  Yesterday I got up around 7ish and had a banana and yogart before I headed out for my run.  It's going to take me some time to scope out good routes that aren't straight uphill, but I won't have any problem finding a place to do hill repeats!

I don't have internet in my apartment yet so it wasn't until today that I got to measure how far I went.  I'm managed 2.25 miles in 30 minutes.  I didn't run the whole thing but about 90% of it and yes I was huffing and puffing!  There were a couple of times when I felt like I couldn't get any air into my lungs despite how deep or often I was breathing.  It was also a brisk 46 degrees which I am accustomed to yet.  By the end of the run though I was nice and warm and hitting my stride.  I'm hoping that in about 2 weeks my runs will get easier and I can start adding more distance to them.  For now I am going to keep running this route and depending one how I feel add more distance to it.  

Congrats to Shannon running 6 miles for the first time!  She noted not feeling so well after her 2nd 6mile run.  I think it was a lack of sodium probably.  There are lots of things you have to start to consider when you go on longer runs, when you sweat you lose salt and you need that for your muscles to function.  There are salt tablets you can take or probably some gatorade either before or after your run would do the trick too.  I had a similar experience to her's earlier this fall.  It was the first run I went for in Ukiah and we did 4.5 miles or so.  It was hot and I was sweating pretty good.  I ended up getting a migraine and feeling really weak.  I thought I was dehydrated but totally forgot about the lack of salt in my breakfast that day. 

Keep running strong ladies!