The Paradox Of Long Runs

The body is a perplexing thing.  After my longer runs (any distances over 12 miles) I am never hungry.  I come back, down 2 glasses of juice and I'm done.  For the rest of the day I eat very little as my appetite appears to have been suppressed for the following 24 hours.  On the other hand, I'm famished by the time I'm done with just 4 miles; coming back and inhaling 2 bowls of cereal.  How does that work?  No wonder I can't lose weight.  

One other funny thing about longer runs is that I start craving for one thing that I normally don't care for - beer.  At around mile 16, I start obsessing about chilled beer.  It's at this point when the body is in desperate need of carbs, and there's no faster and more refreshing way to replenish the body than with cold beer.

I honestly think marathons should start providing cold beer instead of water starting at mile 15.  This will help replenish the much needed carbs, as well as make you buzzed enough not to care that you didn't qualify for Boston (again) by the time you cross the finish line.
J has sworn off on marathons ever since he completed his first, but he said he would make an exception for the Marathon du Medoc, where the emphasis is not about running, but about tasting the wine at the 'water stations'.  Maybe next year...