RUN 30 miles in 6hrs 15mins
OK I'll admit right up front that I walked most of the last two miles. No sin in that! The walking, I mean.
TV and I were going to run Matson (or Maston as he spelled it), but he emailed yesterday with flu-like symptoms. Wuss. ;) So it was just me and my podcasts. This is now my 2nd long run alone, and I hate to say that while I'd rather have company this isn't as bad as it sounds. Running alone is harder and easier. And good mental training either way.
Given my back pain and the fear that the Camelbak wouldn't work for me, I had to choose a route with shorter loop options, so I could either cut out early or carry the handheld. For this -- the 5 and 8 mile loops at L&C. Sun was out, the forecast said high 40's to start but high 60's by finish, and oooooh what a pretty day! The L&C parking lot was muddy, but the trails weren't bad. Too bad, because my new Cascadia 9's were finally getting some trail and like TV says, trail shoes like to be dirty!
The first miles were crazy tough. I kept stopping! First I did 3 hill climbs up the first major hill. Downhills hurt, so did climbing but it was a surprise to find that my back did better jogging up than it did down! Then I'd stop to remove my jacket sleeves. Then I'd stop to adjust this, stop to adjust that. Ugh, the first 3 miles had me wondering if there was any way I'd finish at all.
But once I got rolling, I settled into the run. At 3.2 miles I peeled off to the Katy Trail of the Lewis connector. The plan was to return to the parking lot at 14 miles, then run two 8 mile Lewis loops. Running on the flat KT was boring, but that's were I found my rhythm. And a bathroom :)
Once back on the trails, chugged along, doing the math, realized I was going to have 15 miles back at the truck. And realized I was out of water!? I didn't fill the Camelbak all the way to keep the load light, but oops it was a little too light! Back at the truck: 15.1 miles in 3:04.
In the parking lot, I dumped gear and rearranged and refilled. Since I was carrying the iPhone for podcasts, I stuck to my yellow vest with no shirt underneath which in the end led to a nice early coloring of sun on the guns (take from a recently seen t-shirt: sun comes out, guns come out. LOL!). Filled the Camelbak all the way this time, as my back didn't seem to be hurting from it today. Met Jarred (spelling), a bearded runner I'd seen twice on the trails already. He's training for Mohican 100 in June! Hope he doesn't shave the beard, not sure I'd recognize him otherwise :)
Back out for more, and as I'm going I realize that two more 8 mile loops would play mental trickery with me. I'd end up at 23 miles after the first loop -- too close to my minimum goal of 25 miles. If I really wanted 30, I'd need to repeat what I did the first time around and add the KT miles. Additionally, my right foot was unhappy with the uneven ground and/or new shoes, the flat KT would give it a rest. So back to the KT. And a bathroom.
I was having fun! I smiled to myself, talked and smiled with other runners, hikers, and bikers. My podcasts were the NPR variety: topics included....let's see if I can remember....Success (that's where the Passion quote came from), originality in design, hmmmm oh boy. Whatever. They worked for me. I listed but didn't really listen. Oh, yeah, the first loop had some FODMAP and Paleo podcasts, the most memorable was with a guy who pronounced lecithin as "leticin". Some expert he was!
Thought about my sis, her birthday and the baby.
When I got back to the connector, I was at 24.9 miles. My foot still hurt, it was taking some of the attention off my back. I went back and forth on this decision: do the last 5 miles on trail or add a few more KT miles so it's only 3 miles back on trail. I went with the latter, given my pains and lack of enthusiasm for repeating the 5 mile section as I did earlier. I could get 3 miles on the Clark trail which I haven't seen yet today.
So out n back on KT in the northern direction until I was at 27, then back on trail. I was telling myself that my minimum goal was 25 miles, but now I focused on 30 miles or 6 hours. I kept dangling promises in front of myself: run to 6 hours then walk if you want; run to 28 then walk if you want; and similar. I didn't want to walk, but that's where I was physically and mentally. Besides, walking is not a sin!! And if I'm this tired at 28 miles, then I didn't walk enough early on!
I was doing a walk-the-uphills and walk-every-mile-on-flats, but apparently it wasn't enough. Add in the fact that I did run low on water, I was being conservative with fuel (about q45mins), I'm at the end of my first 65 mile training week, I'm not tapered, and I'm still 'in training', maybe I shouldn't worry so much about it. I was looking for a pace in which I wasn't breathing hard, and could almost breath all through the nose, thinking that I could maintain that pace for a looooong time as needed. I think so!
By mile 28, I relaxed into a fast walk. I ran where I could on flats and downs. But I was cooked. Happily I wasn't hurting anywhere! A short out-n-back past the parking lot...and DONE! Cooked!
No blisters from the new shoes, no specific injury type pains, and minimal back pain. I did note that the underarm straps of the Camelbak hit my sore ribs directly on spot where the pain is, wondered if loosening it might help.
A great run, great confidence builder! For next time:
Less pre-run fuel and more in-run fuel.
Don't run out of water!
Walk more earlier.
Keep having fun!
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