Lessons Learned

In case you didn't read the comments from yesterday's post about my "crash and burn" long run, Tony C. asked me what I learned from the run. I decided to post my reply here, along with a few others that came to mind.

I learned...

• That I should have gone with my inclination to do this run NEXT Monday instead of today. I've gotten away with relatively high mileage (for me) for a couple of months now. I've know that I've been walking on the edge of overtraining for the last 2-3 weeks.

• That I need to hydrate more than I did (I didn't top off when I first passed the water fountain at mile 4.8 since there was a cyclist filling his bottles, so I had to refill on the way back, at mile 17.5 - should have been patient & waited for the guy to finish).

• That one long run does not a training cycle make. This is probably my last 20+ mile run until the Marathon, and I hate to end on this note, but I've got a few medium distance runs left that will have much better results.

• Don't forget sun screen - especially on long runs. I got a nice sunburn on my shoulders and arms during my expedition yesterday.

• Push my limits, but don't train above my current level - especially for long periods of time. Sometimes there's a very fine line between challenging mileage and too much mileage for my body to handle. During this marathon training program, I would feel great for a couple of 40-50 mile weeks, then I'd feel fatigued. My inclination was to throw in a back-off week (~30 miles) every third week, but I failed to do that often enough. I really think it would have helped me stay strong during the mileage buildup without pushing me over the edge.

• And finally, I can't let running dominate my life. When running becomes more important and more of a focus than faith, family, friends and work, I know I need to re-prioritize. That may not necessarily mean a huge cutback in running time, but when it's all I think and talk about (and when I skip family walks because it's my one "rest day" of the week), I know things are a little out of whack. Plus, running needs to always be fun for me; not a job, not an obsession.

Today will be a welcome rest day, and likely tomorrow as well. My body feels pretty beat up this morning. Going to be eating and hydrating all day long!

Crash and Burn

Well, it's ironic that on the day of the 114th running of the Boston Marathon, I had my very first crash and burn during a 22 mile long run. And it was MONUMENTAL! To start with, the day ended up being sunny and far warmer (close to 80 deg. F) than expected. My allergies were hitting, too, and my lungs never opened up. My breathing was labored from the start. My heart rate crept up far too quickly, too. Add to that some dead legs and it was inevitable. I could tell by mile 5 that this wasn't going to be my day. If I was a smart, reasonable man, I would have turned around and returned with an easy 10-miler and lived to fight another day. But I'm "better than that" (or dumber and more stubborn that that - more on that comment later) and hey - it was in my plans for today to run 22 miles, dagnabbit! I ran out of liquid at mile 14, but was able to refill at around 17.5 mi. I was carrying a 22-oz bottle of weak Heed/water mix, a gel flask with just water, and a gel flask with watered down Hammer Gel. I also took a couple of Endurolytes, since I was sweating a lot in the heat. By mile 13, I had to start taking walk breaks. First a tenth of a mile walk followed by 9/10ths of a mile run, then a 2/8 ratio, then a 2.5/7.5 ratio. That lasted until about mile 18, when the walking and running was about 50/50. But even that was too much (my stomach wasn't having it, and I was getting dizzy), so I walked, painfully and completely shot, the last mile and a half. When done, I called my wife from my truck. She was concerned about me driving home. It was justified, since I barely made it. I went straight to the bathroom to take care of business and saw myself in the mirror. I was as white as a sheet, with sunken in eyes and cheeks, and pale lips. I ended up laying on the living room floor for several minutes (too bad there wasn't a medical tent) before eating some tomato soup and starting to join the living once again.

This run taught me some lessons. I've hinted in recent posts that I've been pretty fatigued lately. I had a 7-day stretch recently that totaled 62.5 miles, including a road race and 21 miles of pacing a friend in an ultra (just over a week ago). I've come to the realization that, for my level, I'm training over my head. I got caught up in the miles (as heard in the latest song parody I did for Chris Russell's Run, Run, Live podcast, ep. 117) and have been just pushing too hard, too much. Add to that the realization that running is starting to feel like a chore and the joy has diminished, and I know I'm ready to back off. I was starting to believe that, since I'm training with an "advanced" marathon plan (for my first marathon, for crying out loud) that I AM that kind of runner. The reality is…no, I'm not. I was humbled today, and I needed to be.

I'll be taking a few days off this week to hopefully let my body, mind and ego recover a little. Sorry about the long post, but I had a lot to get off my chest.