If Life is our Greatest Teacher... then Running in the Summer is the nasty teacher that no one EVER likes even though there is a lot of learning going on...
We ran our first 20 of the training cycle this weekend. There were some lessons learned.
Be Impulsive & Listen to your Gut. If you check the weather the night before and see it's going to be hotter than it's been for a few weeks, call everyone and move the run 30 minutes earlier. I didn't do that, even though it crossed my mind the night before the run. What a huge game changer 30 minutes would have been. It was 74 degrees with 93% humidity at the start, and 86 degrees with 61% humidity when we finished... that's "Feels Like 90" when we finished. No wonder I felt so craptastic.
Respect the Distance. 20 miles is a long way, even if you break it into 2 x 10 mile loops. Even if you break them down into 2 x 5. While breaking down the run into smaller bites is a good idea, it's important to remember that 20 miles is still 20 miles.
Stage Right. If you're running "unsupported" staging Gatorade/Powerade/Perform/NUUN will seem like a GENIUS idea. My take home from this run was don't forget that GU (that's G.U.) will taste better and sit better with water, and water in the middle of the country-side can be a bit hard to find. By the end of the run my stomach was rolling. Next 20 there will be at least 8 oz of water at every stop.
Routing is crucial. I wasn't terribly displeased with my routes, but I would have run the two loops in reverse order if I had thought about the position of the sun when we hit mile 15. Hot and Shady is not the same experience as Hot and NO SHADE TO BE FOUND FOR MILES. See above note about a 30 minute earlier start time.
Routing is crucial part deux. I routed us past a Fire Station. That was not an accident. I will always do that in the future. Thankful for Henrico's finest who kindly gave us some ice water when we were nothing but hot sweaty dehydrated messes at mile 17.
Bring your Exit Buddy. The biggest thing I can say about running 20 miles is to rally as many runners as you possibly can to form a posse. Even if some of the runners can only join for part of the joy and some of the misery. We started as 5 this morning, and that shared energy carried us through the run even when it was hot and we wanted to quit. If one is having an off day, in our group there will always be someone who hangs back and nurses the person along, or loops back to pick her up, or who runs the last mile + much faster than she thought she could because she was encouraged by her peers.
Every run is a lesson, and this week I brought home a lot of 'Needs Improvement'. That's OK. There's always next time.
~savor the run~
Showing posts with label hydration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hydration. Show all posts
Friday, September 5, 2014
Monday, May 12, 2014
The Things We Do
Without going into too much detail, The Good Dr had a Bad Cycling Weekend two weekends ago. It just wasn't his day. We all know what that's about. Anyone who's ever participated in an athletic event knows that there are those days that just aren't your day. It doesn't mean you are less than amazing, it just means you may have had a less than amazing day.
So when The Good Dr was beat up by his bike, I suggested that he do something completely crazy like go for a bike ride to shake it off.
True story.
Not only that, I suggested he go for a nice reasonable distance like 100 miles. "No problem, you've got this". Ride from Richmond to Williamsburg and back.
sure.
Now, the ironic thing about this is that I convinced him that this was a good idea because I said I would go with him all the way. For the whole 100 miles.
Never mind that I had only ridden a season long ride of 57 miles, and that I was possibly not trained enough to ride 100 miles.
Thus became the day that I decided to answer the question of "How much training does a person need to ride a Century?" and also, "Where does 'mental toughness vs the wall' reach the point of futility?"
It was a stellar day on Saturday. Beautiful weather - overcast and warm, but not blistering hot.
We connected with some folks and knocked out a seriously fun 56 or so miles complete with laughs, rest stops, donuts and blue sports drink.
Around 57ish or so, a piece of lawn debris flew off a mower and got in my eye, so I was riding with one eye ball squeezed shut.
My (cough) *valentine* hurt. My eye hurt. My leg was cramping. My stomach was rolling. I had chills and goosebumps.
It was as though the WHEELS FELL OFF THE WAGON.
I realized that I was DOWN on liquid.
Physically my body was trying to SHUT DOWN, and my mind was TOTALLY ON BOARD with that idea, it was the best idea I had EVER HAD, and if I kept riding, my brain kept insisting that BAD THINGS WOULD HAPPEN.
I had to stop and pour water in my eye at the next rest stop until the piece of debris was out (it was a piece of a leaf - OUCH). When that was resolved, I sat down and sipped on some blue liquid and took inventory.
It's 106 miles to Chicago.... We've got a full a tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark and we are wearing sunglasses".
My options...
I could lay down in the dirt and take a nap.
I could ride about 12mph for about 9 miles to the next rest stop and see if I sipped liquid the whole way if that would return me to homeostasis.
Or I could sit on my a** and rest for about 15-20 minutes and see if sipping on blue liquid would return me to homeostasis.
Hit it.
I said to Scott, "I have this friend who did a tri a few years ago, and even when she was falling apart, she just kept going. I'm going to need to Dash from here to the next water stop. If I'm still completely in bad shape, I will consider getting a ride back on the SAG wagon."
I hopped on my bike (read: awkwardly crawled onto the bike while praying that no one was looking)
Took yet another salt tablet.
Ate a GU even thought I didn't want to.
And pedaled.
I knew in order to finish this event in time, I was going to need to PULL THIS TOGETHER. And, there were forecast thunderstorms coming. We were going to need to race the weather. Only I couldn't make my legs move.
It was MIND OVER MATTER.
So, I Dash'd to the next stop. And it wasn't speedy, but it was functional. We rolled about 14mph.
It was a long 9 miles. But I sipped the entire way. In all, about 40 oz of salted sugar water (honest to god, that's what the blue stuff started tasting like) in those short miles.
At the next stop, I really did suddenly feel better. "OK, I'm ready".
We hopped out on the road. It wasn't blistering. The Good Dr was patient and pulled me or let me pull as needed.
A pace line came up beside us, and as the last cyclist was parallel to me, I geared up and stepped on the pace. A few minutes later, we were cruising around 18mph with a group.
I just thought, "I need to borrow some of their energy for a few minutes". And that's what we did.
At the next stop we refilled our bottles quickly, and jumped on a line with a few more strangers. And cruised back to our car, riding the last few alone.
It was nice, honestly, to ride those last few miles with The Good Dr.
He was strong, and I knew he didn't regret riding 100 miles. I could tell.
After we finished and snacked, a HUGE thunderstorm was eminent on the horizon, so we went home, showered, and went to a "Nursing School is Finally Finished and I rode 100 miles today on my Bike" Celebratory Dinner.
I'd do Cap to Cap next year. The course was 100 times more wonderful than the Tour De Richmond course, and all in all, it was a great time... except for the part where I wanted to take a dirt nap, but those are the details we tend to forget as soon as the event is over.
~savor the ride, respect the distance~
So when The Good Dr was beat up by his bike, I suggested that he do something completely crazy like go for a bike ride to shake it off.
True story.
Not only that, I suggested he go for a nice reasonable distance like 100 miles. "No problem, you've got this". Ride from Richmond to Williamsburg and back.
sure.
Now, the ironic thing about this is that I convinced him that this was a good idea because I said I would go with him all the way. For the whole 100 miles.
Never mind that I had only ridden a season long ride of 57 miles, and that I was possibly not trained enough to ride 100 miles.
 |
| about 1/2 way and we were still having FUN with "Fran", "Whit", "Bueller? Bueller?" and "Birch". |
Thus became the day that I decided to answer the question of "How much training does a person need to ride a Century?" and also, "Where does 'mental toughness vs the wall' reach the point of futility?"
It was a stellar day on Saturday. Beautiful weather - overcast and warm, but not blistering hot.
We connected with some folks and knocked out a seriously fun 56 or so miles complete with laughs, rest stops, donuts and blue sports drink.
Around 57ish or so, a piece of lawn debris flew off a mower and got in my eye, so I was riding with one eye ball squeezed shut.
My (cough) *valentine* hurt. My eye hurt. My leg was cramping. My stomach was rolling. I had chills and goosebumps.
It was as though the WHEELS FELL OFF THE WAGON.
I realized that I was DOWN on liquid.
Physically my body was trying to SHUT DOWN, and my mind was TOTALLY ON BOARD with that idea, it was the best idea I had EVER HAD, and if I kept riding, my brain kept insisting that BAD THINGS WOULD HAPPEN.
I had to stop and pour water in my eye at the next rest stop until the piece of debris was out (it was a piece of a leaf - OUCH). When that was resolved, I sat down and sipped on some blue liquid and took inventory.
It's 106 miles to Chicago.... We've got a full a tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark and we are wearing sunglasses".
My options...
I could lay down in the dirt and take a nap.
I could ride about 12mph for about 9 miles to the next rest stop and see if I sipped liquid the whole way if that would return me to homeostasis.
Or I could sit on my a** and rest for about 15-20 minutes and see if sipping on blue liquid would return me to homeostasis.
Hit it.
I said to Scott, "I have this friend who did a tri a few years ago, and even when she was falling apart, she just kept going. I'm going to need to Dash from here to the next water stop. If I'm still completely in bad shape, I will consider getting a ride back on the SAG wagon."
I hopped on my bike (read: awkwardly crawled onto the bike while praying that no one was looking)
Took yet another salt tablet.
Ate a GU even thought I didn't want to.
And pedaled.
I knew in order to finish this event in time, I was going to need to PULL THIS TOGETHER. And, there were forecast thunderstorms coming. We were going to need to race the weather. Only I couldn't make my legs move.
 |
| The storms over Rocketts Landing |
It was MIND OVER MATTER.
So, I Dash'd to the next stop. And it wasn't speedy, but it was functional. We rolled about 14mph.
It was a long 9 miles. But I sipped the entire way. In all, about 40 oz of salted sugar water (honest to god, that's what the blue stuff started tasting like) in those short miles.
At the next stop, I really did suddenly feel better. "OK, I'm ready".
 |
| We Finished! |
A pace line came up beside us, and as the last cyclist was parallel to me, I geared up and stepped on the pace. A few minutes later, we were cruising around 18mph with a group.
I just thought, "I need to borrow some of their energy for a few minutes". And that's what we did.
At the next stop we refilled our bottles quickly, and jumped on a line with a few more strangers. And cruised back to our car, riding the last few alone.
It was nice, honestly, to ride those last few miles with The Good Dr.
He was strong, and I knew he didn't regret riding 100 miles. I could tell.
 |
| The Celebratory Dinner |
I'd do Cap to Cap next year. The course was 100 times more wonderful than the Tour De Richmond course, and all in all, it was a great time... except for the part where I wanted to take a dirt nap, but those are the details we tend to forget as soon as the event is over.
~savor the ride, respect the distance~
Friday, July 5, 2013
Proper Hydration Should Start the Day Before
Today's lesson is a cautionary tale about a cyclist, a 50 miler, and a few important details that should never be overlooked.
"Proper hydration starts the day before, not the morning of..."
"When in doubt, drink a little more early in your activity."
"Don't change all your nutrition in one day."
"Masters swim at 6:30 p.m. followed by a 50 miler the next morning is probably not a brilliant plan unless you are going to meticulously hydrate in between." < ~ and I so didn't...
"Even if you are feeling perfect and fierce for the first 25, you probably should take it easy if the humidity is typical for a Central VA 4th of July and you're not adapted to it."
On one hand, I had the best 25 miler yesterday. I felt strong and amazing. I noticed I was sweating a freaking LOT, but the wind created on the bike is pleasant when one is sweating and it whisks the moisture away before it becomes a nuisance.
In theory.
I noticed early in my ride that my jersey was completely soaked through. This is my favorite jersey, and I don't normally notice that sort of thing. Still, I had 2 full bottles on board, and was doing well. Wait, why were they full still at mile 5?
Also, Because of the size of my bike frame, I was packing a 24 oz and a 20 oz bottle. Both were filled with the NUUN/Coconut water mixture I'm fond of drinking. However, 44 oz is probably not enough, when considering that by mile 10 I was probably already down 2 pounds (32 oz) of sweat.
Driving to the ride I realized I was missing a handful of equipment.
Typically before I leave my house I bring a 16 oz bottle of water to drink on the way over, my sunglasses, a clif bar cut in half to eat as I'm mounting the bike, and the route.
I had none of these things. I found a spare random "sampler" bar in my bag, and ate half. It was about 95 calories.
Fortunately, I have friends who had a spare pair of glasses & a handful of Bonk Breakers to bring on the bike.
Starting the ride I was down 16 oz, 35 calories.
Since my breakfast consists of 1 small banana (90ish calories), those 35 calories are fairly critical...
I felt really great though, as I said, for the first 25.
And then we turned and had a fierce climb. Followed by a long slow climb that goes a while. Followed by a few pesky climbs. And by the time we turned off the last of the climbing roads, I was dry heaving on the bike, and down to a few swigs of water.
and I wasn't sweaty.
At all.
But I clearly wasn't hot, because I was covered in gooshflesh....
At mile 42ish I had a wave of dizziness wash over me that almost took me off my bike. I could barely keep it upright. My legs, back, arms, and chest were cramping.
At mile 45 the route passes a gas station, and I pulled into the lot heaving like I'd just done a hard sprint. I'd barely been rolling at 10 mph. The Good Dr & British Gentleman were with me at the time, and I said, "I don't have 20 minutes left in me" and shocked myself when I said, "Dr, can you go get the car?"
He handed me a $5 and sent me to buy a drink while he pounded at 22mph back to the start.
I drank 32 oz before he arrived to get me.
And another 10 oz with him before I could even get in the car.
Oddly enough, or perhaps, not odd at all, I felt pretty good after rehydrating myself with about 64 oz of fluids, and my mind started wandering. I questioned whether or not I could have finished the ride.
And then I came to my senses.
No, I could not have finished the ride. I might have fallen off the bike, or worse, caused an accident in the pace line. What I needed was air conditioning, liquids, electrolytes and more liquids. More miles would have been a fail.
This just proves that even the most thoughtful athlete, educated and practiced in the ways of hydration, can have a day that reminds of them of their mortality. Happy 4th of July weekend, and be safe out there in summer heat.
"Proper hydration starts the day before, not the morning of..."
"When in doubt, drink a little more early in your activity."
"Don't change all your nutrition in one day."
"Masters swim at 6:30 p.m. followed by a 50 miler the next morning is probably not a brilliant plan unless you are going to meticulously hydrate in between." < ~ and I so didn't...
"Even if you are feeling perfect and fierce for the first 25, you probably should take it easy if the humidity is typical for a Central VA 4th of July and you're not adapted to it."
On one hand, I had the best 25 miler yesterday. I felt strong and amazing. I noticed I was sweating a freaking LOT, but the wind created on the bike is pleasant when one is sweating and it whisks the moisture away before it becomes a nuisance.
In theory.
I noticed early in my ride that my jersey was completely soaked through. This is my favorite jersey, and I don't normally notice that sort of thing. Still, I had 2 full bottles on board, and was doing well. Wait, why were they full still at mile 5?
Also, Because of the size of my bike frame, I was packing a 24 oz and a 20 oz bottle. Both were filled with the NUUN/Coconut water mixture I'm fond of drinking. However, 44 oz is probably not enough, when considering that by mile 10 I was probably already down 2 pounds (32 oz) of sweat.
Driving to the ride I realized I was missing a handful of equipment.
Typically before I leave my house I bring a 16 oz bottle of water to drink on the way over, my sunglasses, a clif bar cut in half to eat as I'm mounting the bike, and the route.
I had none of these things. I found a spare random "sampler" bar in my bag, and ate half. It was about 95 calories.
Fortunately, I have friends who had a spare pair of glasses & a handful of Bonk Breakers to bring on the bike.
Starting the ride I was down 16 oz, 35 calories.
Since my breakfast consists of 1 small banana (90ish calories), those 35 calories are fairly critical...
I felt really great though, as I said, for the first 25.
And then we turned and had a fierce climb. Followed by a long slow climb that goes a while. Followed by a few pesky climbs. And by the time we turned off the last of the climbing roads, I was dry heaving on the bike, and down to a few swigs of water.
and I wasn't sweaty.
At all.
But I clearly wasn't hot, because I was covered in gooshflesh....
At mile 42ish I had a wave of dizziness wash over me that almost took me off my bike. I could barely keep it upright. My legs, back, arms, and chest were cramping.
At mile 45 the route passes a gas station, and I pulled into the lot heaving like I'd just done a hard sprint. I'd barely been rolling at 10 mph. The Good Dr & British Gentleman were with me at the time, and I said, "I don't have 20 minutes left in me" and shocked myself when I said, "Dr, can you go get the car?"
He handed me a $5 and sent me to buy a drink while he pounded at 22mph back to the start.
I drank 32 oz before he arrived to get me.
And another 10 oz with him before I could even get in the car.
Oddly enough, or perhaps, not odd at all, I felt pretty good after rehydrating myself with about 64 oz of fluids, and my mind started wandering. I questioned whether or not I could have finished the ride.
And then I came to my senses.
No, I could not have finished the ride. I might have fallen off the bike, or worse, caused an accident in the pace line. What I needed was air conditioning, liquids, electrolytes and more liquids. More miles would have been a fail.
This just proves that even the most thoughtful athlete, educated and practiced in the ways of hydration, can have a day that reminds of them of their mortality. Happy 4th of July weekend, and be safe out there in summer heat.
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