Just Another Day in Paradise...
Originally written on Saturday, February 9, 2008 at 4:36pm
I've just spent the last 5 1/2 hours learning how painful it is to run from my house to Key Biscayne and back. Thirty-five miles of running is an incredibly difficult thing to do, more so than I would have thought considering what I've tried to accomplish in my life.
I woke up this morning feeling great and planned to go on a long run. This was the first week since I got injured with the deep-thigh contusion/hematoma that I felt back to 100%. So after breakfast and some stretches I was out the door and on my way.
Because I knew I wanted to push myself today I decided to take my "fuel belt". Basically it's a belt with four 8 oz. squeeze bottles and a pouch for miscellaneous items. I filled two bottles with Gatorade and two with water. In the pouch I had my phone, my debit card, $10 cash, and some Endurolytes...basically pills with sodium and other things the body needs replenished through sweating and exercising.
Running with anything around my waist is an awkward experience...and it was especially disturbing running with the added weight and the constant motion of the liquids, but I went with it.
It was a beautiful day and by the time I had crossed over the Rickenbacker causeway I was feeling great. Another six miles and I was at the turnaround point near the 7-11 and La Carreta. Out of drinks, I popped in to buy some water and a banana before I started my way back. By mile 19 I started feeling a little fatigue in my legs, but what was really bothering me was I was constantly thirsty throughout the run. I probably had cotton mouth half the time I was running. Every time I drank it helped for a few minutes, but I was getting full and nothing was working. The electrolyte pills I had consumed were helping replenish my body but they have a pretty bad impact without sufficient hydration.
Anyways, by mile 22 my body was in open rebellion against me. My legs were very tight and I was light-headed. The only thing that kept me going was that stubborn determination that has seen me through so much...but even that was wavering with the realization that I had more than 10 miles left to run, it was hot, and I wasn't racing, just out for a Saturday run.
And then I saw it. The most beautiful thing I've seen in the last 6 1/2 days...a frozen lemonade stand. I practically giggled at the idea of having something in me. For the last 45 minutes I had been witnessing the fight between my heart on the one side and my brain and body on the other when really I should have just been listening to my stomach! I had run for 3 1/2 hours and my body craved energy.
Normally I have a pretty regular pattern of what I eat and how I regulate my food intake, but at that point I really didn't care at all. So I asked the vendor (super nice guy by the way) for a cold sprite, a small frozen cherry icee, and a bottle of water. Needless to say, I was in heaven. That sprite was the first soda I've had in a very very long time, but the 110 grams of sodium, 56 grams of sugar and 56 grams of carbs were MUCH appreciated. The carbonation and gas...not so much. And the cherry icee? Are you kidding me?! You may as well have given me crack or caffeine pills for all the effect it would have on my body. Whatever is in one of those things, it's pure artificial sugar, and my body broke it down within minutes.
So now I was back on my merry way. Oh my body was still complaining, but it was more of a subdued grumbling as opposed to the out right pain I had experienced. At least I felt alert and didn't have to worry about my body literally shutting down on me. The next 7 or 8 miles went by without any real problems and then I stopped at Sun Juice for my routine smoothie and chat with the people who work there. There's nothing like a Nutella smoothie to just make your day that much better. After I finished the smoothie I finished running back to my place and then literally fell into the pool (FREAKING COLD) and relaxed for a bit, reflecting on the day.
5 1/2 hours. 35 miles. Ultramarathon runner. I have a 50 mile Ultramarathon coming up soon...and I definitely need to do a little more planning the next time I decide to do something spontaneously crazy like this.
"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will." - Vince Lombardi
I've just spent the last 5 1/2 hours learning how painful it is to run from my house to Key Biscayne and back. Thirty-five miles of running is an incredibly difficult thing to do, more so than I would have thought considering what I've tried to accomplish in my life.
I woke up this morning feeling great and planned to go on a long run. This was the first week since I got injured with the deep-thigh contusion/hematoma that I felt back to 100%. So after breakfast and some stretches I was out the door and on my way.
Because I knew I wanted to push myself today I decided to take my "fuel belt". Basically it's a belt with four 8 oz. squeeze bottles and a pouch for miscellaneous items. I filled two bottles with Gatorade and two with water. In the pouch I had my phone, my debit card, $10 cash, and some Endurolytes...basically pills with sodium and other things the body needs replenished through sweating and exercising.
Running with anything around my waist is an awkward experience...and it was especially disturbing running with the added weight and the constant motion of the liquids, but I went with it.
It was a beautiful day and by the time I had crossed over the Rickenbacker causeway I was feeling great. Another six miles and I was at the turnaround point near the 7-11 and La Carreta. Out of drinks, I popped in to buy some water and a banana before I started my way back. By mile 19 I started feeling a little fatigue in my legs, but what was really bothering me was I was constantly thirsty throughout the run. I probably had cotton mouth half the time I was running. Every time I drank it helped for a few minutes, but I was getting full and nothing was working. The electrolyte pills I had consumed were helping replenish my body but they have a pretty bad impact without sufficient hydration.
Anyways, by mile 22 my body was in open rebellion against me. My legs were very tight and I was light-headed. The only thing that kept me going was that stubborn determination that has seen me through so much...but even that was wavering with the realization that I had more than 10 miles left to run, it was hot, and I wasn't racing, just out for a Saturday run.
And then I saw it. The most beautiful thing I've seen in the last 6 1/2 days...a frozen lemonade stand. I practically giggled at the idea of having something in me. For the last 45 minutes I had been witnessing the fight between my heart on the one side and my brain and body on the other when really I should have just been listening to my stomach! I had run for 3 1/2 hours and my body craved energy.
Normally I have a pretty regular pattern of what I eat and how I regulate my food intake, but at that point I really didn't care at all. So I asked the vendor (super nice guy by the way) for a cold sprite, a small frozen cherry icee, and a bottle of water. Needless to say, I was in heaven. That sprite was the first soda I've had in a very very long time, but the 110 grams of sodium, 56 grams of sugar and 56 grams of carbs were MUCH appreciated. The carbonation and gas...not so much. And the cherry icee? Are you kidding me?! You may as well have given me crack or caffeine pills for all the effect it would have on my body. Whatever is in one of those things, it's pure artificial sugar, and my body broke it down within minutes.
So now I was back on my merry way. Oh my body was still complaining, but it was more of a subdued grumbling as opposed to the out right pain I had experienced. At least I felt alert and didn't have to worry about my body literally shutting down on me. The next 7 or 8 miles went by without any real problems and then I stopped at Sun Juice for my routine smoothie and chat with the people who work there. There's nothing like a Nutella smoothie to just make your day that much better. After I finished the smoothie I finished running back to my place and then literally fell into the pool (FREAKING COLD) and relaxed for a bit, reflecting on the day.
5 1/2 hours. 35 miles. Ultramarathon runner. I have a 50 mile Ultramarathon coming up soon...and I definitely need to do a little more planning the next time I decide to do something spontaneously crazy like this.
"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will." - Vince Lombardi
posted by Marcos Redondo - Running For Hope at
8:16 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home