September 14th, 2008
That was downright painful. I knew it would be, 20 miles on a day that, before it was even light out, had a Heat Index of 78. And this week I learned about dewpoint, which is actually the number that can make a run particularly miserable, more so than humidity. Anything with a dewpoint over 65 will suck big bananas, today’s was 70 when I left and 72 when I returned (aren’t those things supposed to go down as the day progresses??).
I also had a bit of a scare yesterday on my 4-mile recovery run. I wore my Asics 2130s knowing they’re no longer good shoes for me for regular runs (not because they’re used up, but because they don’t agree with my ankles and feet), but anyway, I figured some slow recovery miles couldn’t hurt. I was wrong. I felt this terrible pain at my heel/ankle, where my dormant bursitis exists, that came and went throughout yesterday’s run. So all day I did major ibuprofen and ice, scared shitless because an injury at this point would be the LAST thing I need. Thankfully, it didn’t appear once on the run today and as for those shoes, if I had a gun I’d take them in the backyard and shoot them full of holes, instead they’ll be going to Goodwill this week.
Back to today’s run, I put on my lightest shorts, bra top, My Precious Marathon Shoes for the second time, gel flask rigged to hold some S-caps (because if I ever needed them, today was the day), handheld, and I was gone. It was 6:23 when I left, just starting to get light out and it was cloudy for the first half of the run, so that helped. I forgot to eat before I left and was thinking I should have had a little bagel with peanut butter, but was 2 miles in by then, so banished the thought.
Around mile 8, I passed a cute guy in green wearing a hydration belt who said with a smile, “Oh my god, it’s Flo.” then gave me a high-five. I figured I knew him (because I have a horrible memory for faces, among other things) so trying to not let on, I replied, “How are ya?” as I slapped his palm, to which he answered back something about “Three blocks”, and while I wasted time trying to figure out what he meant (3 blocks left to go? there are no blocks here…) I realized he’d actually said “I read your blog”. And that was an instant “oh wow how cool” moment, but by that time I’d figured it out, he was too far away to say so. So Cute Green Guy, you better leave a comment here so I know who you are, it totally gave me an energy infusion and left me with a huge smile on my face!! Thank you!!
That smile lasted until about mile 15 when I first noticed my feet were as soaked as if I’d been tromping through puddles, nevermind my clothes which had become completely soaked through miles earlier. I hadn’t put any bodyglide on my feet, so luckily I didn’t feel blisters forming but was ultra aware of the massive pruning going on in my shoes. Not comfortable.
By then the sun was out, too and while I had originally planned to take a jaunt up Smile Hill, I was so miserably wet and hot by the time I got near it, I said, “fuck it” and made a date with the hill for this Wednesday when I have an 11-miler. There would be no jaunting today.
As far as pacing goes, I started reeeeeal slow today because I knew the humidity would be a killer, so the first mile was a blistering 10:21, which is funny considering I never would have run that slow before marathon training, but I didn’t give a crap today. My plan had been to do the proper Pfitz paces, staying around 10s for the first half, moving to Pfitz’s 10% over MP for the second half, which would have been 9:13s.
What ended up was a bit faster (but not hugely), ending with 8:50s for the last miles, average pace for the run today: 9:22 (this includes 3 stops for water refills). Not bad considering it was such a disgusting day. In fact, it’s my 4th 20-22 this training cycle and my fastest, despite the conditions. But I’ll be honest, I wasn’t looking too pretty at the end, felt like a panting dog and just wanted it to be over. I almost considered taking a walk break around 18.5, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it, I’d seen those 8:50s and wanted to keep it that way.
So that’s my adventure. Once I got home, I stripped down and parked myself in front of the fan, standing on a towel to sop up the dripping water, then left watery footprints everywhere as I dragged myself to the kitchen for a glass of water. You’d think I lived at the city pool.
Anyway, it’s over. Like I said before, I hope this isn’t my last 20, but I only have one more opportunity for one and that’ll be 2 weeks before the marathon which can go either way. Depends on how the Philadelphia Distance Run goes next weekend, if I don’t require any extra recovery.
So yeah…big race next Sunday, a half-marathon! While I won’t be fully tapered, this will be a looser week, so hopefully I can manage a great race. But now, must take a long shower and wash the salt crust off, happy in the fact that I completed one of the toughest runs this training cycle. Later, my lovelies!! And I hope you also had a productive, if not soaking, long run this weekend.
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YES, thank you, misery loves company. I also did 20 this morning, my 2nd training for Philly. My first was two weeks ago and was glorious – this nasty, ugly 20 this morning did indeed suck big bananas (you are gentler than I am with that description). I knew last night it would be bad as I was driving around dropping my gatorade – I set the alarm for 4:45 hoping to get out early to get a drop on the heat, what a joke that was. It was ugly and humid even at 5:30 when I eventually got my sorry ass out there. Your post perfectly describes my experience – I was convinced around mile 15 that I was going to be blistering on the feet, the first time I was actually wondering if I should be carrying a spare pair of socks in my race ready shorts. Good god what a suck-fest. Let’s hope for cooler temps, or at least low humidity, at the PDR.
LOL!! Yes, it does indeed love company, so thanks for confirming my misery!! Talk about a mirrored run, even down to the wish for fresh socks.
As far as PDR, I’ve been watching the forecast like a hawk already, even though it’s a useless exercise considering how weather changes, but it looks like the high will be under 80, so that bodes way better for a less sucky morning. The whole week looks to be gorgeous, in fact. May that contribute to forgetting today’s experience all the quicker!
“sucks big bananas”… Yea im such a pervert.
I had a tough time doing 8 today, 20 had to be brutal, sounds like you had about same conditions has here. Of course I believe all we have is the state of PA between us. Now to relax and watch football.
Funny about that, states apart and we’re still running in the same yukky soup. Football!! I have to wait till tomorrow night to see Eagles vs Cowboys. Enjoy your game this afternoon and I hope you have fun snacks to eat.
because an injury at this point would be the LAST thing I need
HI!
Welcome to my swollen purple ankle!
Nice run today, really really terrible conditions.
OMG girl. Hey, dear readers, see what Doggie Poo was up to this weekend, epic report, speedy times mixed with a bit of tragedy. I’m so sad about PDR, was finally gonna meet your silly ass. Have to wait for Steamtown now!
I might come to philly anyway, I’ll see how I’m feeling though I wont run.
And thanks for the shout out!
That would be fantabulous!!
My first run over 20 miles wiped me out. Not hot, but t was on hilly trails, I went too fast, and found out what the wall was like. The marathon itself was much easier! Hopefully it will be the same for you.
Thanks Jim, I’m not worried about it. I’ve already read mucho stories on the forums of people coming in slow down today or cutting runs short, so I’m ahead of the game, plus my legs are feeling like I didn’t even run. For shits and giggles, I plugged my time into Runworks calculator and it gave me an equivalent in 60 degree weather of 9:01 average, 8:30s for the final miles. So no sweat, yuck yuck.
I must say, I don’t see how anyone signs up for a marathon in September, what a chance you take!
Hey at least you gotter done! I’ve built back up to 5 miles after my hamstring/adductor insertion injury. I”m thinking of sitting out my half in two weeks and focusing on running a half in Memphis on Dec. instead of the full. Obviously the full is out, but I’m hoping to get back on track for the half.
High dew points do suck. It’s not crazy warm here in MI today, but the dew point is through the frickin’ roof. Today is my day off from running as I’m trying to rebuild. Tomorrow calls for only 2 miles! Yikes! I know I won’t be able to run just 2, damn discipline is hard.
Have a good week!
Heidi, that sounds like the smartest choice and the only one, really, if the Half is in two weeks. Congrats on getting some mileage back, you must be thrilled to be returning to your old tricks! And just think, with a Dec. goal race, you’ll be training in some fabulously cool weather, what an improvement that’ll be (though in MI, you probably freeze your tush off starting November, huh?).
Be good, girl and hold back as you best you can so you can fight with all your might for a kick-ass Half in December!!
Flo,
I’m with you on the H & H. When I started out for my 16 Saturday, the temp was 72 and humidity was 99%! 78 and 86% at the end so I probably looked a lot like you at the end, except taller, older and much more manly, (I hope). It was brutal, but I hope my 20 miles next weekend goes better. The only thing is that I am pacing my DIL on a 5k as part of my twenty, that is going to be a weird run. Fall is coming!
Tobey, that does sound like a weird run! Fun that you’ll be pacing someone, where in the 20 will you put the 5K? And yes, Fall is coming soon giving us great weather for about 3 weeks if we’re lucky – wish the perfect seasons lasted longer!
Flo,
I plan to run 2 mi. as warmup, then do the 5k, then a 1 mi. cool down. I will then have to change from the racing flats to the adrenalines for the rest of the run. I just hope I can keep up with my DIL! This is her first race, and I have a feeling she is a lot faster than she knows
Sounds like fun and a great workout as far as a LR with some fast miles thrown in. I dunno, she’s lucky to have you…bet you’re faster than you know, too!
It is I, “Cute Green Guy©” Ha Ha – I had to laugh when I read that. I was only a mile into my 18 miler when I passed you, but I’m sure I didn’t look my best – but then that’s not why we run, right? I think I commented on a previous blog post of yours that if I saw you on that loop I would give you a high five like the other random one you got that motivated you. Glad it gave you a boost! I was amazed how many faces (of people I don’t know) that I recognized on the trail from last Sunday. I guess when you pass people (going the opposite direction of course!) 3 or 4 times and then do it again the next week, the scenery takes on a familiarity.
You are so right, the weather was HORRIBLE. I was trying to breathe in the soup and my HR was up the entire way. Don’t know if you use the zones on a garmin, but 6.0 is your max HR, and I did the last 2-3 miles at 6.1 or 6.2. I was feeling ok, not out of breath so I figured my true max was underestimated. For a guy whose calculated max HR is 185, and previous measured high was 184, I was a little bit freaked out to analyze the workout and see that I hit 196 and held it there. I am sure that the complete void of energy I felt in the last mile was the wall I’ve read so much about and hoped never to encounter. Yeah, not an enjoyable run at all… On a positive note, about 7 miles in I was able to forget about the lower leg pain I’ve been having, (but It’s still there) and so that encourages me to believe it’s not a stress fracture – aren’t they supoposed to only get worse as your run progresses? Anyway, glad we all got our runs in – what does not kill us makes us stronger!
Yay, mystery solved!! Thought it might be you but since you’d driven in last week, wasn’t sure if you’d do that again. Yes, you were looking quite fresh when I saw you, and being a mile in, that would explain it.
Now you can use 196 at the very least to recalculate your HR zones (and it’s higher than that, because you couldn’t have been maxed out). I got mine from doing a 5K and it’s a decent chunk over what the age-based calculators predict, so definitely try and retest yourself when you get a chance.
Congrats on not having a stress fracture, that’s major relief, I’m sure. If you don’t have a foam roller, get one, they work into calves and shins like nothing else.
And yes, it’s pretty wild how you see the same faces out there, I’ve got my favorite people I always smile at or say hi to. Another nice moment yesterday was this one guy I see on Sundays: really fast, wears a hydration belt, black shorts no shirt, who circles the loop at least 4 times…anyway, he always looks straight ahead and never even smiles. Yesterday he actually said “hi” out of the blue, which picked me up almost as much as your high-five. Love those connections, little or big.
Hi Todd. Calculated max HR can be way off. Mine is 167, which is 23 lower than my measured max (190). So I’d agree with Flo: Use 196 until you see something higher.
Speaking of high HRs, I’m doing something pretty crazy next Saturday. I’m running the anchor leg for a co-ed relay team in the inaugural Marin Trail Relay. My leg is only 6.7 miles long, but climbs 1300 ft before descending to the finish at sea level. I must be out of my mind
Jim, how cool that you’re doing a relay!! 1300 feet…oy, that’s crazy! At least you get the descent, too. Can’t wait to hear about this one!! I’m demanding a full report as soon as it’s over.
Okeydoke Flo. Full report if I survive. Until then, here’s the course description.
http://www.envirosports.com/exec/enviro/pages/MTRdetails.html
I love the names: “Steep Ravine Trail”, “Pirates Cove”. I’m told the opening leg goes up a ladder at one point! There’s typo in leg 4: it’s not 40ft, more like 1040.
Wow, what a wild race! Sure beats a local 5K.
Looks like all your trail running is going to serve you well on this one! My legs are sympathetically hurting for you already…
If the black shorts, no shirt, really fast guy with a belt was also on the skinny side and had a shaved head, then I know exactly the guy to whom you refer. How weird is that?!
Naw, this one has salt and pepper hair and runs with a bit of a sideways bend. Looks kinda like Anthony Kiedis from Red Hot Chili Peppers. Now I’m trying to think of you’re thinking of…