Sunday, January 20, 2013

15: The Good, Bad & Ugly

Saturday morning, I ran 15 miles. It was good, bad and ugly... all at the same time.

THE GOOD
•  The miles are done... in the training log and on the legs.
•  We have once again had a warm spell in the middle of winter. It was high 30's when I left the house, and hit nearly 50 degrees by time we were done. My favorite temperatures to run in!
•  The sunshine was bright, which sets the happy tone for the whole day.
•  Because of the nice weather on Saturday (and a cold forecast for Sunday), there were runners everywhere on the trails. We exchanged cheers and high fives with lots of fellow Sole Sisters on the run.
•  My target pace (per the Run Less Run Faster training plan) was 10:29 min/miles. We ended with an average of 10:37. Considering my head cold, I'm not going to be disappointed with that.
•  My good friend KO ran the full distance with me. Always great to have a partner to carry you along and chat you up.
You'll be seeing more of KO in my posts...
She's training for her first marathon in May and runs my pace.

THE BAD
•  I'm still suffering from a head cold, making it difficult to breathe.  KO kept the conversation rolling, and I had to apologize for being so short on words.
•  The wind was nasty. Weatherman said 20mph. I kept thinking we'd eventually have "wind at our back" for an easy stretch, but it seems to be swirling and never a clear direction. Thankfully, a couple spots had some tree protection.
•  My right knee was hurting again as we got into the double digits. It's been a discomfort that has come and gone the last six months... but really flared up with this week's treadmill runs.
•  Mentally, I was not "in" this run. Without KO, I might have quit early. As we ran past 10 miles, I started the mental breakdown countdown to 15. Doubt reared its ugly head. But then KO would start a new topic and conversation took my mind off the task at hand.

THE UGLY
I felt horrible at the end.  It's been a long time since I felt the "gonna throw up" sensation after a run. Yet as I drove away, my head spun and I concentrated on taking deep breaths. My sweaty clothes had me shivering cold now, and my stomach was turning. First opportunity, I pulled into a gas station to get a hot chocolate and a protein bar. (Not my norm... usually I reach for hot coffee, but I was worried what extra caffeine would do to me at this point.)  I felt if I could just get something in my stomach to calm me, I might be able to resist the bathroom stop. I made it to the hot shower at home and took several naps throughout the afternoon. By evening, I was back to par... and now starving for a big comfort meal.  This whole day was rather abnormal for me, after only 15 miles. It has me a bit freaked - Little Rock 26.2 in just 6 weeks.

We live and learn on every run...

17 comments:

  1. I'm sure not feeling well didn't help how you were feeling after the run.

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  2. You will be back to your "A" game in no time....head cold considered...and terrible wind...you had a great run! Thank the Lors for running buddies!! I don't know what I would do without mine!! You logged ur miles and will be good to go!! Keep up the hard work!! You will do great!

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  3. I try to remind myself about all the times in the past when the next long run after a not so great long run is often extra great!

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  4. sometimes that run+sickness combo can really do you in. but you made it!!! just think how awesome those miles will feel when you are healthy! wish i was as smart as you to do my long run yesterday, really not looking forward to heading out this afternoon in the cold and wind. the wind always messes with my head too.

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  5. You are going to be great at your marathon! It was probably your head cold that made you feel sick. You'll be over it soon. Hopefully we can get in a long run together before Little Rock. I always love ready your posts. :)

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  6. Great job getting it done. Astym therapy from a PT might help your leg discomfort.

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  7. Been waiting to hear from you, and you do not disappoint. Someday I will be able to run and keep up with you and KO!! Way to stick it out!

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  8. We all have bad runs. It's getting them done that matters. I bet your cold played a huge roll with how you felt afterwards. Rest up!

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  9. Being sick can totally make the difference on a long run. Make sure you recover well and the marathon won't be an issue. You have an amazing base and trained well. You've got this!

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  10. Good job completing the run! Sorry you are having some head cold crap, hope it gets better soon! I am sure it wasn't easy running with that.

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  11. Glad you got 15 out of the way. Maybe the head cold played into the uneasy feeling after run. Hopefully this week you'll finally shake it and start feeling better.

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  12. The best training ones are the ones you finish - good job! I'm so jealous that you have a running buddy - I really need to join a running group. Having a companion definitely helps on the tougher training runs.

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  13. It IS the sickness, it will get better. I had the same issue, had a tough afternoon recovering (my run was only 13 miles), but once the sickness passed I am now feeling back to normal during exercise. Hang in there!

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  14. Great job, Jess! Sorry about the head cold though. That's awesome that you had a running buddy to keep you going!

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  15. Way to go and get out there when you were not "feeling" it. I had 9 miles this weekend, my longest run in months. Hope your ears were not burning. My buddy and I talked about you and how we love your energy!

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  16. I felt like that after my 8 mile leg in Miami. i can't imagine what 15 miles will do to me! It may be smart for me to run with a defibrillator!

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