Chewing is optional, right?

My mileage is going up, up, up! I'm excited about that, but so sad to see my speed going down, down, down. Let's face it: I was never fast, but this is ridiculous. Part of it's in my head (stupid, lazy head) and part of it is probably fuel/hydration. So I'm going to make a concerted effort to make sure I'm hydrated (I'm fairly good at this already) and that I'm fueling up enough before runs. Eating half a granola bar 2.5 hours before running 5 miles probably isn't adequate. And I probably didn't hydrate enough for 5 miles in 90-degree temps either. So there you have it.

After the run last night, we sampled some mid-run fuel - you know, jelly beans and blocks and the like. If you know me at all, you probably know that I don't like anything gummy. This could be an issue. The taste is fine, it's a texture thing. So on Sunday's long run (8 miles!), I'm going to try a gel (talk about a texture problem). Hopefully that'll work because popping blocks without chewing might cause a problem.