Leaning Back 50k
With the arrival of a new month, I needed to check off another 50k run today. This was probably my most difficult run of the entire year.
Hot, hot, and hot were the forecasted conditions of the day. I did my best to plan ahead. I took extra water and ice. I took extra Gatorade and food. It wasn't enough.
My plan was to shorten my loops to 7 miles and drink more often.
Rolling out at 7:30, the temperatures were in the low 70s. I decided to tackle the East Main trail first. Get the hardest trail checked off first was the idea; everything else is down hill. Right?
I felt good rolling along on East Main. In fact, another runner and I clicked off a few miles together. With sevens miles done, I refilled my water bottles and headed out for 2nd 7 mile loop.
Here, I picked up Figure 8, Tortuga, Thread, and North Main. With 14 miles in the books, I started thinking that I was handling the heat really well. I might just be able to roll this 50k.
For my 3rd 7 mile loop, I went Parkway, 1/2 Bandit, Needle, and a portion of Thread. I thought that it would be nice to do one big loop. As I pushed over 19, 20, and 21, the heat was really starting kick up.
I tied off one end of my neck gaiter and dump ice in it. I headed off my on 4th 7 mile loop. This time, I went South Main, Tower, and Lake Loop. The ice chilled the back of my head for about a mile and half. The feeling of the cold water lazily running down the back of my neck felt awesome. Then, it was gone, and heat from an oven returned. Now, I was really hurting. My legs felt that they were running on empty.
By the time that I returned to my car, I was spent. However, I still had two and a quarter miles left. It was so hot that I didn't want to go back out again. I was feeling awful at this point. I really wanted to quit but I couldn't. I drank as much cold water as could possibly stand. I refilled my water bottles.
I pushed away from car and headed off at a slow trot. This was one of those times where I needed to mentally stronger than my body.
The heat was beating down on me. I kept turning over my Garmin to see how much was left. 29 miles came pretty quick. 30 was slower. I started up this small hill, and for the first time today, my hip flexors balked at my request. I could feel them cramping.
I did my best to ignore it but it wasn't easy.
I heard my Garmin chime at 30 miles. I took a huge drink of water. One more mile, I can do this.
All I remember is searching for as much shade as possible while I rounded the channel. When mile 31 finally chimed, I slowed to walk. I really wanted to find some shade and to set down. I thought better of it. If I did, I wasn't sure that I could get back up.
I made my way back to my car, and I drank as much cold water as I could stomach. I was now beyond awful. I was miserable. I was super hot, and the sweat was still running off of my like I was standing in a sprinkler.
I turned over the switch in my car to see the temperature. It was 96 degrees. Definitely, I picked the wrong day to do this.
But it is done now. I am still hurting but the hurt will pass.
Wrapping up this post, when I do these longer runs, I like naming them. Sometimes, I don't have much inspiration and the names are rather lame. Other times, something happens during the run which just tells me that this is the name to use.
Today, I was descending this long hill on East Main when this young like 20 to 25 young flew by me. I watched while he bounced along barely touching the ground and really leaning in to the downhill. With in minutes, he was out sight. He was amazing to watch. I wondered if that's how I looked when I was 25.
I was looking no where near as eloquent. I was slow and pounding the ground. And, yes, I was "leaning" back. I was riding the brakes the entire down hill. Heck, I was probably riding the brakes on the uphill as well. Granted, he probably wasn't going 31 miles today which is a point in my favor. Still, it would be nice to look that smooth running downhill.
So now you know where the title for this post originated.
The Cool Down Runner
Hot, hot, and hot were the forecasted conditions of the day. I did my best to plan ahead. I took extra water and ice. I took extra Gatorade and food. It wasn't enough.
My plan was to shorten my loops to 7 miles and drink more often.
Rolling out at 7:30, the temperatures were in the low 70s. I decided to tackle the East Main trail first. Get the hardest trail checked off first was the idea; everything else is down hill. Right?
I felt good rolling along on East Main. In fact, another runner and I clicked off a few miles together. With sevens miles done, I refilled my water bottles and headed out for 2nd 7 mile loop.
Here, I picked up Figure 8, Tortuga, Thread, and North Main. With 14 miles in the books, I started thinking that I was handling the heat really well. I might just be able to roll this 50k.
For my 3rd 7 mile loop, I went Parkway, 1/2 Bandit, Needle, and a portion of Thread. I thought that it would be nice to do one big loop. As I pushed over 19, 20, and 21, the heat was really starting kick up.
I tied off one end of my neck gaiter and dump ice in it. I headed off my on 4th 7 mile loop. This time, I went South Main, Tower, and Lake Loop. The ice chilled the back of my head for about a mile and half. The feeling of the cold water lazily running down the back of my neck felt awesome. Then, it was gone, and heat from an oven returned. Now, I was really hurting. My legs felt that they were running on empty.
By the time that I returned to my car, I was spent. However, I still had two and a quarter miles left. It was so hot that I didn't want to go back out again. I was feeling awful at this point. I really wanted to quit but I couldn't. I drank as much cold water as could possibly stand. I refilled my water bottles.
I pushed away from car and headed off at a slow trot. This was one of those times where I needed to mentally stronger than my body.
The heat was beating down on me. I kept turning over my Garmin to see how much was left. 29 miles came pretty quick. 30 was slower. I started up this small hill, and for the first time today, my hip flexors balked at my request. I could feel them cramping.
I did my best to ignore it but it wasn't easy.
I heard my Garmin chime at 30 miles. I took a huge drink of water. One more mile, I can do this.
All I remember is searching for as much shade as possible while I rounded the channel. When mile 31 finally chimed, I slowed to walk. I really wanted to find some shade and to set down. I thought better of it. If I did, I wasn't sure that I could get back up.
I made my way back to my car, and I drank as much cold water as I could stomach. I was now beyond awful. I was miserable. I was super hot, and the sweat was still running off of my like I was standing in a sprinkler.
I turned over the switch in my car to see the temperature. It was 96 degrees. Definitely, I picked the wrong day to do this.
But it is done now. I am still hurting but the hurt will pass.
Wrapping up this post, when I do these longer runs, I like naming them. Sometimes, I don't have much inspiration and the names are rather lame. Other times, something happens during the run which just tells me that this is the name to use.
Today, I was descending this long hill on East Main when this young like 20 to 25 young flew by me. I watched while he bounced along barely touching the ground and really leaning in to the downhill. With in minutes, he was out sight. He was amazing to watch. I wondered if that's how I looked when I was 25.
I was looking no where near as eloquent. I was slow and pounding the ground. And, yes, I was "leaning" back. I was riding the brakes the entire down hill. Heck, I was probably riding the brakes on the uphill as well. Granted, he probably wasn't going 31 miles today which is a point in my favor. Still, it would be nice to look that smooth running downhill.
So now you know where the title for this post originated.
The Cool Down Runner
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