Twenty Tough Miles

Yesterday (Sunday), I ran 20 miles.  It was probably the toughest training run I've ever done.  This made no sense to me since I've done 20+ miles several times, and did 18 without much problem the weekend before.  At mile 14, I was much more tired than I was at mile 18 the weekend before.  I generally do an out and back route - run 10 miles north on the trail, turn around and run home.  This was really beneficial to me this weekend because I may have just given up at mile 15 if I wasn't 5 miles form home...only one way to go the last 5 miles and that was to continue running.

At mile 16, I did something I very rarely do while running - I stopped and stretched for about 5 minutes - not because I had a cramp, but because I was tired, mentally drained, and needed a few minutes to rest and regroup mentally.

So, as I struggled through the final miles I started thinking (and over analyzing as I tend to do) - what did I do differently this week than in the past.  I actually made most of my mid-week training runs, that was different than many weeks this year, but that couldn't be it.  I was wearing newer shoes, but that generally helps my long runs go smoother.  Then I realized that this year I didn't eat like a runner the week before the run.  One of the main reasons I run is so I can eat food that I like.  However, eating unhealthy the 3 nights leading up to a 20 mile run - not a good idea!  High carb/low fat is the only way to go when a long run is on the weekend agenda.  So I've re-learned a lesson I learned the hard way when training for my first marathon - don't try to run if you haven't given your body the fuel it needs to do so.  It's sort of like pouring oil into your gas tank and trying to start your car - yes, oil is one component of gasoline, but they are clearly different products (sort of like pasta with red sauce is totally different than deep dish pizza with red sauce on top:-)

Get out there and run.....

Something I thought I'd never do.....

Last weekend, I did something I thought I would never do....

Rain was forecast all weekend, but I needed to get in a 16 mile run in preparation for the IllinoisMarathon (April 11 at Univ of Illinois).  I despise dreadmils (um I mean treadmils), and get really bored on an indoor track about 40 laps in (10 laps to a mile), so I was determined to somehow get it in through the rain.  Saturday morning, I woke up at about6:30am (actually Sarah woke us up),and it had rained overnight - but the rain had subsided (for the moment anyway).  By 7am, I decided to head out for a run and see if I could squeeze it in without too much rain (or pain).  It was about 35 degrees outside so I put on shorts, a short sleeve shirt, a long sleeve shirt, and my light weight gloves. I Laced up my running shoes, put on my geeky water belt and headed out.  On a side note, one benefit to winter running is that the long sleeve shirts easily pull over my water belt, so I don't look like a dork - just an idiot because I'm often running in sub zero weather.

I knew this wasn't going to be a normal run when a woman in her mid 40's ran past me as I was walking to my typical starting point and yelled out at me (in a British accent) - 'You're cheating'...when I asked 'why' she said 'you just walked up that hill'.  I couldn't deny it - she was right - but then again I could have said - want to run 16 with me today - I'm guessing she would have refused.  But, she was a good runner - I followed her for about a mile and did that mile in 8:15 before she headed one way and I turned toward the Des Plains River trail.  

About 4 miles into the run, I reached a forest preserve and realized I was having my best run of the year - everything was feeling perfect and I was running at a great pace for this early in the season (8:30 pace).  About then it started to sprinkle very lightly - this isn't so bad I thought.  I kept heading north - about 1 mile from the nearest cover (in the forest preserve) it started pouring rain - one of the hardest rains I've ever been in.  It didn't help that the rain was extremely cold, the temperature had dropped a few degrees, and wind had kicked up to what felt like 100 mph (but was probably around 20 mph).  I headed back to the forest preserve but had an idea - how about I take this new path over to the road and go straight to the preserve rather than winding the mile back down the trail.  What I didn't think about was how far from the road I actually was - or how much the trail winded over to the road.  After spending way too long on that 'short' trail, I headed back toward the forest preserve on the road.  I was soaking wet, cold, and cars were whizzing by me giving me looks like 'what an idiot - doesn't he know it's pouring?'  It turned out to be almost almost 2 miles back to the forest preserve taking that 'short cut'.  

I finally made it to a bathroom and ducked inside.  When I looked down, my legs were literally purple - ouch I thought (although the cold had made just about my entire body numb, so I really couldn't feel anything).  I said aloud "I'll give it a few minutes, it has to lighten up" (Sometimes talking to myself helps motivate me to keep going).  Ten minutes later and no end in sight, I did something I swore I would never do....

I threw in the towel!  I called my wife for a ride home - 4 hours later when it was still pouring outside, I knew I made the right decision - although I was mad at myself for giving up.  I think if I had on pants, I would have kept going - as I wouldn't have seen my purple legs.  

Mother Nature won that day, but I'll be back to fight another day.

Get out there and run....

Welcome to my blog.....

Welcome to my running blog.  The intention of this blog is three fold:

1. Share some of the quirky, weird, funny, and amazing stories of my training runs and races.
   
2. Share some of what I've learned about running (and myself).
3. Motivate others (that means you) to run more or start running.

I've quickly realized that the stories I have to tell from past runs/races are almost endless - I just hope they are as entertaining to you as they have been for me (or are in hindsight for me :-)   In the coming blogs, you'll hear some of these stories as well as stories that happen to me along the way.  I'll also try to throw in some pieces of advice as I see fit along the way (not that I'm an expert, but I am a little anal about learning about running, running right, and sticking to what I've started, so I have learned a great deal about running that may be useful to some readers.  

By the time you read this, I'll likely already have my first story posted 'Something I thought I'd never do' (from last weekend).  In future weeks/months, I'll blog about what is happening to me during my training for the Illinois marathon (in April) as well as training for the 2009 Chicago Marathon.  Some of the stories from my past will include; Getting lost in London, Coming face to face with a huge buck, Coming in first place in my age group in a local race, Watching a 7 year old pass me in a 5k, The joy of finishing my first marathon, the agony of running injured in my second marathon, and much more. 

So - go ahead and become a follower of my blog (at the right) - I know you can't wait to hear all the stories I have to tell :-)

Get out there and run....