Friday, January 25, 2013

Is That a Frozen Banana on your Deviant Minivan, or Are You Happy to See Me?

Wednesday I had 16 miles on the schedule...

And thankfully, I had COMPANY for 13 of those miles!
So, I made a plan for 3 loops: 5, 3, and 8. That's not to say I planned a route and staged water or nutrition around the route. I just knew I would run my 5 miler, my 3 miler and an 8 miler out of the "usual" meet point.

I layered on clothes: 8 a.m.  20 degrees. "feels like 12".
I had tights. base layer. turtle neck. top layer. tall socks. hat. uber gloves. (I would have worn my wool socks, that were a gift from Mere because they're phenomenal, but I couldn't find them.... turns out they were in my eldest daughter's drawer.... I need less cute wool socks ~apparently~) 

Potter joined me for the first 5 miles. She's ADORABLE, even in "feels like 12". About 1 mile into our run she asked me to help her with her zipper. Yep, 9 minutes = her zipper down... on her key pocket. Life's in the details.

We averaged a nice pace, a perfect pace actually. It was MRP minus 20-25 after a 2 mile "warm up". It's in quotes because I'm not sure if I got warm or I got numb.

I dropped Potter off at 5m and ran another 3m. I ate a packet of honey (est about 30 calories) around mile 7 because I was feeling sluggish and foggy.

At the halfway mark I was back at the start to pick up T. While she got out of her car, I peeled my banana, ate 2 small bites, drank a few sips of water, and then, absent minded me, I put the banana down on the hood of my car.... and we left for the rest of my run.

Once upon a time there was a girl who knew how to run, prepare for runs, stage sags and plan routes...

Where is she now? Cos I need to have a talk with her....

At mile 14 I started feeling really bad. My foot started to ache (my shoes are dead, that's been fixed), my head was spinning, I felt ick. I barely finished the run, walking in the last .2 miles of my 16.

I got back to the car, grabbed my banana and went to inhale it... and it was frozen. Sitting in full sunlight, it had frozen. It was delicious but cold.

After I got home I showered and slept for an hour. After only a 16 mile long run I was as EXHAUSTED as I have EVER been after ANY 20 miler. Possibly that was due to lack of hydration and fuel, but I'm also wondering how much of that was because I burned calories trying to keep my body warm? Not sure. All I can say is that I hope it's not 20 "feels like 12" on race day. It shouldn't be... given the season, but still...

5 comments:

bobbi said...

Really really focus on hydration when it's cold. You sound like you were dehydrated when you were done (that's exactly how I feel when I don't drink enough - must lay down, freaking exhausted) and it's easy to forget to drink when you aren't sweating your *ss off.

Hopefully you won't have to deal with these temps much longer...but you never know - you might grow to like running in this as much as I do!

carrie said...

GBA in my book!!! ;-)

Michele @ Running for Oreos said...

You are so freaking funny!!

I always forget the hydration stuff when it's so cold. And you're right, when you aren't sweating your a$$ off, it's hard to think, "oh I need to drink more".

Pam @ herbieontherun.com said...

Your best post title yet.

Anne said...

Don't you live in Florida? :) Running in cold weather is definitely more tiring, but it really pays when the nice weather is back! Overall though, it sounds like you've been having some amazing runs...great job!!