Monday, December 13, 2010

The best and worst run ever

I'm in Week 1 of our training plan from our new best friend and coach, Julie.
She laid out each week in a training plan document and puts up with my non-stop questions.

- What speed is a pick-up?
- Should we run on flat or hill or treadmill?
- Should we train for speed or time?
etc...

In week 1, I had the weekend where there are 2 long events. Saturday was a wicked bike and run split practice. Doing a 5 mile loop, then a transition run for 10 minutes, then back on the bike. Back and forth with 6 bike sections and 4 runs. Amazingly exhausting!

Sunday I had running. It listed 60-80 minute and I planned it as a 6 mile run. I am NOT a runner by any means. I hike and will run/walk during adventure races. But could not claim to be a runner. The idea of a marathon is an amazing feat, let alone at the end of swimming and biking.

I set out the course to run on, it was an abnormally hot day at over 80 degrees in December (that's why I love San Diego). I wore a racing belt and added 2 8oz bottles on it. One had plain water and the other I mixed in a Hammer gel with water. I read that mixing the gel was a good way to consume it, but it did not mix well in the water bottle. I was shaking it for a long time and it just ended up looking a little weird. The kind of weird that makes you think "I am NOT drinking that".

Well, that's why we train....learn about nutrition as well as the body.

So off I go on a run with the husband (I signed him up for this race, so he'll be joining me in the stories and early mornings) and we finish 3 miles - the half way point before we turn around to complete our 6 mile race. We both look at each other and immediately we both say "let's run a bit further" and off we went to the bottom of the road. We hit 4.5 miles and then decided to turn around. The potential for a 10 mile run?!

That would be the first and best run we have ever done! We were sticking to a heart rate zone of 2-3, so not hitting the Anaerobic Threshold (AT), and we were feeling good.
The sun was rising higher in the day and a drink was needed. Sharing the 1 8oz bottle of water didn't go far. But we felt great, so didn't worry.

The way back was the uphill....one of those long gradual uphills that don't seem like an uphill but just never seems to end when you are trying to run up it. I had to walk at the 5.9 mile point which was a major bummer, but kept at a fast clip pace of 13 mph.

Walking and running for the next 3 miles on the way back. Water was gone and I had succumbed to the nasty hammer mixed water gel drink. It was bad, but bad is better than nothing. Heart rate zone was definitely up, at the AT level, but not excessively so. I would walk to bring the hear rate down and then go to a light jog.

The last 1 mile home was mostly downhill and I'd gotten the mental downfall and heart rate back so I gave it a good pace home, mentally thinking of that strong finish to the crowd at IronMan Arizona.

Finish was 10 miles with average pace of 10:30 minute miles.

I felt so happy and proud of the accomplishment of a double digit run - my first ever! But when I told my coach proudly what we'd done, she gave me a disapproving look and told me about over training, injuries, and not taking sufficient nutrition.

My best run ever soon became the "rookie mistake" and worst run ever! Oh man!

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