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March 05, 2005
Trying Something New for a Change
Actually, we didn't really try something new this morning. It was more like returning to the old days. Our group has a tendency to become reliant on the same old courses week after week. About two weeks ago, a few people started talking about doing this course that we have not done it at least 6 years. It may be closer to 10 years since anyone has done this course. I had heard stories about if you wanted to do a long run with some really bitching hills to do this loop. With my tendency to get lost, I knew that venturing off on my own to try it was not a good idea. I also do not have the desire to run a course with hills as tough as they said this course is. One of the men said this is one of those courses that separates the men from the boys. Hearing comments like that does not make it the course that I want to hurry up and run.
Early last week, M went out and supposedly measured this course. She called J and told him how long it was, and it was decided that this was the course that we were going to run this weekend. J was going to lie to some people to tell them it was shorter than it actually is so that they would be willing to try it. The thing about this course is, once you are out on it there is no turning back. Many of our courses have variations that you can use to shorten or lenghten to your suit your tastes. This course, once you actually get on the loop, there is no way to get back without finishing. There was also a joke that we thought A might go into convulsions since A is hooked on the out and back and may break down from the change in schedule.
I really do not remember too much about how pretty the course is, although everyone did comment on how pretty it is. When we started it was quite cold and my hands were really starting to get numb. I do remember that there were a series of really tough hills on the loop. One of the hills was long and gradual. It felt like it was never going to end and then we turned and had a nice gradual downhill to run. After that, we turned and there was a steep uphill. After that road we started to split off. At this point we could turn left and head back in or turn right and finish off doing the out and back by running out to the post office/conveince store area and then turning around. A and I were adding on, so we turned left. A was planning on at least 20 and my goal was 2 hours plus. While we were running to the turnaround we ran into G, who A knows very well, who is one of the best duathletes in the world. We ran with G to the turnaround, so the pace was not all that easy during this portion. We both had to use the facilities which made the run back in much more pleasant. I looked at my watch at the turnaround and saw that I had already been running for almost 78 minutes and had 8 miles left to run. To top it off, there is a section of pretty nasty hills on the way back and we were not running slowly in the first place. When A and I were on the nasty hills coming back in we kept complaining about the hills. A had run 15 minutes before we got started and was running really strong. We finished and I had run for 2:16, my longest run in about 2 years!
When we got back, J was kidding around that the course was quite a bit longer than what M had told him that she had driven. M had come up with 15 miles, probably about 15.6 or so from the high school. He said that they were out for 1:55 and were running about 7:20s or faster on the way back in. He was telling us that the run I did had to be close to 19. Since there was a large group of us on the first part of the run, there was a lot of conversation going on. When they were heading back M said to J that it was strange that I was so quiet today. He told her that this course was really hard for me because I am not a very strong hill runner and it takes a lot of concentration for me to do the hills. It's funny because when I was in high school, I thought I was a strong hill runner, but as I have gotten older I am weaker on hills. Compared to other high school girls I was strong on the hills, but compared to other people, I am pretty darn weak. Needless to say, I was pretty beat when we got back.
I did get myself to the gym after the run. I rode the bike for an hour, but by the end I was feeling pretty lousy. I lifted after that. I'm not sure why I try to lift after my Saturday long run. I can barely do anything. When I got home from the gym I looked so wiped out that my mom even asked me if there was something wrong because I looked so pale.
I didn't take any fluids in during the run. I know this is not the most intelligent thing to do, but it is really difficult for me to drink, especially when it is cold. My original plan was to try to mix a Gatorade or something to try fueling during the run. The problem I have when it is cold is that my body takes all of the energy it is using to run to keep my internal organs warm after I drink. When this happens I have a hard time moving because there is not much blood flow to my legs, it is all staying in my center to stay warm. I have had quite a bit of water now to replenish. I try to drink more the day before long runs so that I am very well hydrated.
I must say that I am happy with today's run. It was about 3 miles longer than my longest run in the past two years. For the most part I felt strong, even with the hills. This afternoon I have some errands to do and may walk to do them, since the shopping center is only a little bit over a mile away and the walk may help my legs and it is not all that cold out today.
Posted by Blondie at March 5, 2005 01:36 PM