Today's scheduled run: rest day
Today's completed run: 12.18 miles
Pace: 8:52 (avg.)
Technically, I was supposed to race a half-marathon tomorrow, according to my training plan; but I couldn't find any in the Baltimore/DC area. Plus, I wasn't really in the mood to cough up a bunch of money for another race. At least not right now. So, I planned to shift the 13.1 to a normal long-run-Saturday and make attempts to do it at a race pace.
I succeeded for the first 7 miles, but then everything fell apart. Well, that's how it felt; nothing really fell apart. However, my lower digestive system went on strike (TMI?), with no bathroom in sight. It is ill-advised in any city to knock on a random door to use a stranger's bathroom, so I wasn't about to do that. Unfortunately, my chosen route didn't really provide me with a viable option, so I stuck it out until 1 mile to go, at which point I had to stop for fear of internal combustion.
That's a bit of a disappointment, but my splits show a pretty good run, despite exploding insides. Still, I was a little bummed out when I got home. I kept wondering what I ate that affected me so poorly. I think it was the chocolate lava cake from Trader Joe's. Then I kept thinking, surely I could have just toughed it out and finished the mile. Yeah, maybe if I'd wanted to ruin my new fleece-lined running tights. (TMI again, sorry!)
Somewhere in the initial stages of my wallowing, I saw this tweet from Josh Cox, who ran in Houston today but didn't make it to the Olympic team. (Still, wicked fast and an amazing run.) The quote -- "How you think when you lose determines how long it will be until you win.” -GK Chesterton
Next weekend, I'm going to kill an 18-miler.
Showing posts with label bonk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bonk. Show all posts
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Day 48 - So long, 2011
Today's scheduled run: 14 miles
Today's completed run: 12 miles
Pace: ?
I thought today would have a terrible out-and-back of 14 miles for me. Instead, it had a terrible attempted 14 miles in... a gym. I know, I know. I'm crazy to try something like that, but it was super windy here in the mountains this morning. Like, the kind of wind where you actually blow off the mountain. As you can see above, I didn't complete the 14 miles. I wanted to, and I could have physically; but I couldn't get out of my own head, and I was so miserable at the gym. My legs felt great, but I caved at the end. Oh well. Next weekend...
It's almost 2012 here. We've been celebrating all night with lots of good food and fireworks that my dad smuggled across state lines from Tennessee to North Carolina. Okay - that's dramatic. He really just put them in the car and drove home, but I like the smuggling idea better. They were awesome; big and bright and loud - real fireworks!
I'm off to watch the last few minutes prior to the ball dropping, then I plan to sleep forever, approximately.
Happy New Year!
Today's completed run: 12 miles
Pace: ?
I thought today would have a terrible out-and-back of 14 miles for me. Instead, it had a terrible attempted 14 miles in... a gym. I know, I know. I'm crazy to try something like that, but it was super windy here in the mountains this morning. Like, the kind of wind where you actually blow off the mountain. As you can see above, I didn't complete the 14 miles. I wanted to, and I could have physically; but I couldn't get out of my own head, and I was so miserable at the gym. My legs felt great, but I caved at the end. Oh well. Next weekend...
It's almost 2012 here. We've been celebrating all night with lots of good food and fireworks that my dad smuggled across state lines from Tennessee to North Carolina. Okay - that's dramatic. He really just put them in the car and drove home, but I like the smuggling idea better. They were awesome; big and bright and loud - real fireworks!
I'm off to watch the last few minutes prior to the ball dropping, then I plan to sleep forever, approximately.
Happy New Year!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Day 17 - Bonk
Today's scheduled run: 5 miles
Today's completed run: ~1 mile
Pace: Who knows?
It's a good thing I began this blog with a post about a run on which I totally bonked, because I'm now free to write another, and likely more in the future. As excited as I was to tell you about the 8:10 pace yesterday, I am equally disappointed in telling you about today's "run," which was, in the words of some, an epic fail.
It was a chilly (around 43) but sunny morning in Baltimore, and I set out feeling pretty good about getting in the planned 5 miles. However, around minute 6, every organ in my abdominal cavity began protesting any and all movement. I mean, those puppies were rolling around. I think they were playing tag, or something. I slowed, thinking maybe I could run it out, but it only got worse, turning to dull pain punctuated by sharp pangs. I stopped to walk across a street, thinking that might settle everything, but it didn't. Those organs just kept on hopping.
So, I turned around; and I did the nearly 20-minute walk of shame back to my house. The walk of shame itself wasn't so bad, even though I was dejected and plagued by more rolling organs for most of it. The worst part was that I'd dressed just warm enough for running at 43 degrees -- shorts, long-sleeve shirt, thin pullover and a hat. As you may surmise, this is not warm enough for walking in 43 degree weather, with wind, in the shade of tall buildings. Brrr.
By the time I got home, I couldn't feel my hands or my legs. Not my best moment.
I'm glad to look back on some stronger runs these past few weeks and remember that a bonk is not forever. Thankfully, tomorrow will be a new day.
Did you know that the official definition of a "bonk" is when an athlete depletes their glycogen stores in the liver and muscles? I didn't know this until this morning. Technically, then, I'm using the word bonk incorrectly, because that's not what happened here; but I like the term so much, that I'm going to keep it.
Today's completed run: ~1 mile
Pace: Who knows?
It's a good thing I began this blog with a post about a run on which I totally bonked, because I'm now free to write another, and likely more in the future. As excited as I was to tell you about the 8:10 pace yesterday, I am equally disappointed in telling you about today's "run," which was, in the words of some, an epic fail.
It was a chilly (around 43) but sunny morning in Baltimore, and I set out feeling pretty good about getting in the planned 5 miles. However, around minute 6, every organ in my abdominal cavity began protesting any and all movement. I mean, those puppies were rolling around. I think they were playing tag, or something. I slowed, thinking maybe I could run it out, but it only got worse, turning to dull pain punctuated by sharp pangs. I stopped to walk across a street, thinking that might settle everything, but it didn't. Those organs just kept on hopping.
So, I turned around; and I did the nearly 20-minute walk of shame back to my house. The walk of shame itself wasn't so bad, even though I was dejected and plagued by more rolling organs for most of it. The worst part was that I'd dressed just warm enough for running at 43 degrees -- shorts, long-sleeve shirt, thin pullover and a hat. As you may surmise, this is not warm enough for walking in 43 degree weather, with wind, in the shade of tall buildings. Brrr.
By the time I got home, I couldn't feel my hands or my legs. Not my best moment.
I'm glad to look back on some stronger runs these past few weeks and remember that a bonk is not forever. Thankfully, tomorrow will be a new day.
Did you know that the official definition of a "bonk" is when an athlete depletes their glycogen stores in the liver and muscles? I didn't know this until this morning. Technically, then, I'm using the word bonk incorrectly, because that's not what happened here; but I like the term so much, that I'm going to keep it.
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