Pace: 10:39
Sodium Consumed During Run: 450 mg
Wine Consumed Evening Prior: 2.5 glasses of Dogajolo Toscano
After running 14 miles last week, I am no longer petrified of my long runs. I am cautiously anxious, but I also look forward to the challenge in a way I did not before (perhaps because I now believe I can meet that challenge). In preparation for my 15 miles today, I went to the running store to find things to help my post-run nausea. I was hoping to find some long-distance running guru to give me all the answers, but they were slammed and there was nobody to help me. So I got a bunch of Gu (my tried and true fave), Gu Roctane (Gu plus amino acids), Honey Stingers (organic!), and a bottle of salt tabs. Because 15+ miles requires me to run with more gels than I can fit into my running short pockets, I also got a running pack. It is actually really cool, for a fanny pack. It is a tiny little band of mesh that stays tiny if you're only carrying a couple gels, a salt pill, and some Chapstick. But it expands to carry a whole lot more, including a phone, as I would later learn.
(My running pack, before and after.)
I had planned to do boot camp one weekend day and then run another weekend day. My preference would have been to run on Saturday because I knew my legs would be fresh (there is no such guarantee after a boot camp). Unfortunately, Phoenix was hit with nonstop steady rain Friday through Saturday. According to my weather app, Sunday would be sunny with a 10% chance of rain. I chose to run Sunday. I also thought that I might need some running gear that protects me from the elements (not something you need very often in Phoenix). The waterproof jackets at the running store were $150, so I ordered one on Amazon for $27.
Fortunately, Saturday's boot camp was focused on upper body, so my legs were still relatively fresh Sunday morning. I packed a Gu, a Roctane, a Honey Stinger, three salt pills in a little baggie, and my Chapstick into my running pack. I grabbed my 16 oz water bottle and strapped on my iPhone arm holder. And I was off. Less than a mile from my house, it started to rain. I was wearing short sleeves and became concerned about my phone getting wet through its neoprene holder. So I shoved my phone (holder and all) into my running pack and pulled my shirt over it. To my pack's credit, it stretched to hold all the bulk. The feeling of my mesh running pack on bare, non-Body Glided skin, however, was unpleasant, but better than ruining an iPhone. One mile in. Great. I hit two miles and realized I had to pee. I crossed a busy street and used the bathroom at a Dunkin' Donuts, feeling bad that I did so without buying anything. I made a mental note to go buy a donut from them this week. Upon exiting the Dunkin' Donuts, I thought "awesome, only an entire half marathon to go." I seriously considered just turning around and doing this run some other day. But then I thought that I will certainly hit low points in the marathon when I just want to quit. This is good practice for pushing through them. Right? Right????
("What? Over? Did you say 'over'? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!")
By mile three I decided there was no way I could run 15 miles with my running pack under my shirt. Fortunately, I was only three miles from home, so I sought shelter under a gas station's canopy and called Husband #1 to have him bring me a long sleeved shirt so I could tuck my phone under the cloth on my arm. Husband #1 informed me that it might be a few minutes because Daughter #2 was in the bath tub following a potty accident. Fan-freakin-tastic. I told him my general trajectory and kept running. He did not catch up to me for two more rain-soaked, pack-chafing miles. By that time I was grumpy (my splits for my first 5 miles are all near or over 11 minutes, making me even more grumpy). When I opened the car door, Daughter #2 brightly informed me "mommy! I had an accident!" I took off my shirt in the middle of the sidewalk, put on the dry long sleeved shirt, ate my Roctane gel, and promptly vowed never to eat another of those. Gross! But I was finally able to take my phone out of my pack and put my (much lighter) pack outside my shirt. I held my phone in my hand and pulled my sleeve down over it. Miles 5 through 9 ticked by uneventfully (and thankfully with faster splits). At 9.28 miles, I arrived at my boxing gym. I stopped in and quickly said hello, refilled my water bottle, took a salt pill and a Honey Stinger, and peed (again!). It was a nice pit stop with friendly faces, but I was off again in less than 5 minutes.
(These are my now-beloved salt pills. They have electrolytes other than sodium, too.)
At mile 10, the sun came out for about 2 minutes and I actually thought "I only have 5 miles left." This is not a thought process sane people have. Only 5 miles???? By mile 11, it was raining again. Shortly after mile 12, I found a bus stop with a trash can and took a regular Gu (I like to take my gels near trash cans so I can throw them away after, because littering is for losers). After that, my run was non-eventful. The last mile sucked because the last mile always does, but it wasn't as bad as my first five miles. I got home and Husband #1 was nice enough to go to the store to get me a bag of ice for an ice bath because I could feel my legs stiffening (but no joint pain, thanks, Pinch Your Butt!). I recalled that my friend, Jack Rabbit, had told me the only thing that helped her post-run nausea was Gatorade after a run. I abhor Gatorade, with its unnatural flavors and colors. But, in a moment of desperation, I asked Husband #1 to get me a Gatorade, so long as he could find one that was a color found in nature. Shortly thereafter, I was soaking in an ice bath and guzzling white Cherry Lime Gatorade (I don't even want to think of the chemicals that give it that flavor -- blech!). But now, several hours later, I feel fine! My legs and joints are fine and my stomach is normal. So I'll continue to take my chemical-laced Gatorade and my salt pills. But no more Roctane. Gross!
No comments:
Post a Comment