Credit goes to Rhi Johns for the title, it's how she described her race yesterday...and fitting for my final 20 before Detroit.
While "fall" began this week it has still been flirting with 90 degrees and we've had three ozone action/air quality alert days in a row in Indy. I started my run early, knowing that it was going to be an icky day. It was 67 degrees with 92% relative humidity when I started the run. Even though I don't often weigh myself before a long run because I know I am carrying a bit of extra water and carb loading weight, I did because I knew I would need to know how much I lost on this run.
I ran the first 4 miles in the dark with lights, since I started at 6:40 AM. On street through the hills on 75th Street over to the Monon. Pace was slower that desirable, but in the dark I wasn't taking risks. I got to the deck as the last Indy Runners were taking off and I had missed the instructions. I knew the group was running a loop that included part of the Monumental Marathon course so I took a gel and some water and salt and headed south. I didn't see anyone ahead of me from the group and I didn't see any signs or arrows, so I went all the way down to 38th Street to pick up the course at Washington Blvd and 38th. I took some water at 52nd Street knowing that people had been having problems with the water from the fountain at 42nd Street and wanting to skip that one. There's wasn't a water stop at 38th (because apparently people turned before that). There wasn't water on Washington Boulevard. Um...ok...this is starting to suck. At 52nd Street I cut over to College and stopped in Fresh Market (right at mile 10 of my run) for a bathroom and water stop. Then I continued up College to 66th, where I found IR arrows and knew I had rejoined the course...but alas, I was probably too far behind everyone else and there was no water. I continued to Meridian West Drive and still no water. At this point I'm dying, but I also know I can stop at St. Paul's - and I do. Water and salt and I'm back on the road. I am at mile 14 at this point and knew I had gone too far south for the route and had no need to head through Butler's campus out to Michigan Road. So I continued down Meridian to the Central Canal Tow Path and headed back to Broad Ripple. At the deck I took water and Gatorade and salt and headed out for the last 5.5 miles. I went north and got some more water at 75th Street. But after that walk/run was all I could manage. Probably more mental than anything, but I was super dehydrated and approaching the end of 20 solo miles. Parts where no one else was even around. I played games of running two of the gas line pylons and then walking one. I finally turned around to head home. Stopped at the water fountain again and met guy who was at about the same place in his run as I was and seemed just as miserable. 75th was a fun struggle between the hills and the cars. When the watch hit 20 on Illinois Street I was so happy to stop it and just walk slowly the rest of the way home.
In reality it was my 4th fastest 20 miler and my fastest was two weeks before. The splits were pretty good through 15 or 16. But I felt terrible.
I peeled off my clothes and got on the scale. I was down 6.5 lbs. This is why it was good to weigh in the morning. I knew how much I had to replace. I drank water. I had a snack of carbs and protein and fat. I drank water. I ate lunch. I drank water. I was miserable when I went to church to serve at a wedding. I came home and drank water. After dinner I was mostly just feeling really sore. I read, called my mom, and just curled up in bed. Around 8:30 we went for froyo. Went to bed when we got home. Woke up less dead. The body is amazing with what it can do with water, froyo, and sleep.
If I am going to have a solid race in Detroit it needs to start acting like fall and get cool and crisp. I would prefer my race not be a giant bucket of awful like my long runs have been.
While "fall" began this week it has still been flirting with 90 degrees and we've had three ozone action/air quality alert days in a row in Indy. I started my run early, knowing that it was going to be an icky day. It was 67 degrees with 92% relative humidity when I started the run. Even though I don't often weigh myself before a long run because I know I am carrying a bit of extra water and carb loading weight, I did because I knew I would need to know how much I lost on this run.
I ran the first 4 miles in the dark with lights, since I started at 6:40 AM. On street through the hills on 75th Street over to the Monon. Pace was slower that desirable, but in the dark I wasn't taking risks. I got to the deck as the last Indy Runners were taking off and I had missed the instructions. I knew the group was running a loop that included part of the Monumental Marathon course so I took a gel and some water and salt and headed south. I didn't see anyone ahead of me from the group and I didn't see any signs or arrows, so I went all the way down to 38th Street to pick up the course at Washington Blvd and 38th. I took some water at 52nd Street knowing that people had been having problems with the water from the fountain at 42nd Street and wanting to skip that one. There's wasn't a water stop at 38th (because apparently people turned before that). There wasn't water on Washington Boulevard. Um...ok...this is starting to suck. At 52nd Street I cut over to College and stopped in Fresh Market (right at mile 10 of my run) for a bathroom and water stop. Then I continued up College to 66th, where I found IR arrows and knew I had rejoined the course...but alas, I was probably too far behind everyone else and there was no water. I continued to Meridian West Drive and still no water. At this point I'm dying, but I also know I can stop at St. Paul's - and I do. Water and salt and I'm back on the road. I am at mile 14 at this point and knew I had gone too far south for the route and had no need to head through Butler's campus out to Michigan Road. So I continued down Meridian to the Central Canal Tow Path and headed back to Broad Ripple. At the deck I took water and Gatorade and salt and headed out for the last 5.5 miles. I went north and got some more water at 75th Street. But after that walk/run was all I could manage. Probably more mental than anything, but I was super dehydrated and approaching the end of 20 solo miles. Parts where no one else was even around. I played games of running two of the gas line pylons and then walking one. I finally turned around to head home. Stopped at the water fountain again and met guy who was at about the same place in his run as I was and seemed just as miserable. 75th was a fun struggle between the hills and the cars. When the watch hit 20 on Illinois Street I was so happy to stop it and just walk slowly the rest of the way home.
In reality it was my 4th fastest 20 miler and my fastest was two weeks before. The splits were pretty good through 15 or 16. But I felt terrible.
I peeled off my clothes and got on the scale. I was down 6.5 lbs. This is why it was good to weigh in the morning. I knew how much I had to replace. I drank water. I had a snack of carbs and protein and fat. I drank water. I ate lunch. I drank water. I was miserable when I went to church to serve at a wedding. I came home and drank water. After dinner I was mostly just feeling really sore. I read, called my mom, and just curled up in bed. Around 8:30 we went for froyo. Went to bed when we got home. Woke up less dead. The body is amazing with what it can do with water, froyo, and sleep.
If I am going to have a solid race in Detroit it needs to start acting like fall and get cool and crisp. I would prefer my race not be a giant bucket of awful like my long runs have been.
I think it's amazing you did 20 in that kind of humidity and heat. Way to tough it out - that's going to pay dividends for you on race day!
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