I've never been a long distance runner, so Saturday's 15k had some surprises in it for me I thought I'd share.
The biggest surprise was how different the long run was in kind, not just quantity, from a 5k or a 10k. A 10 k is really just a long 5k, but the 15k was something else. The change from just a long run to a different kind of run hit me right after 10k. This may be just because that's the longest I've ever run before, or maybe it's that's way for everyone. It happened at about one hour into the run. I started to get lactic acid building up in my big muscles, which has never happened during an event for me before. Also, usually in my training runs of 2 to 5 miles, my fatigue and pain is around my knees, my Achilles, and my knees again. But after 10k, my quads, my hammies, and my gluts were cryin' for momma! Ow!
At mile 7 I had to pull over and stretch for about a minute. That helped some, but I don't think I'd have made it to the half marathon point on Saturday. Hopefully, more training will develop more capacity, but I suspect the training will have to include more long distance runs -- that's over 7 miles -- than me or my knees would really like. I think some of those goo belts and energy gels would have helped too. I'll get some for next time.
At 7 miles I started repeated this mantra to myself: "Pain is weakness leaving the body. Pain is weakness leaving the body. Pain is weakness leaving the body..." At mile 8 I knew I would make it, and even managed to pick up the pace for the last mile to a BLAZING 9:00. Wooooohooo! And then right at the finish line there was the inevitable a**hole trying to sprint past me at the last 10 yards. He didn't look so fast after I hip-checked him into the bleachers, ha ha! I hate those guys. I really, really do.
See you March 11 at the Squiggy Classic -- the kinder are going to run, too.
