Eighteen miles, in the bank.
The PAIN BANK.
I normally do my long runs with my "runner girls" but they were all doing a half marathon this weekend...so I decided to attempt Saturday's 18-miler solo-ish.
I would do a three mile warmup, pick up the pace for the 13 in the middle, and end with a two mile cooldown. Sounds attainable, yes? Sounds easy, yes?
FALSE.
My three mile warmup was just as expected. I hovered just under an 11-minute pace, as planned.
Then it was time to kick it up. I was hoping to run a 10-minute pace, but I quickly saw (and felt) that it just wasn't possible. I averaged a 10:30 pace, still feeling good.
Ryan met up with me at mile seven. He had fresh legs...coming off a rest week, and was ready to attack. I had over ten miles to go and did NOT have fresh legs. Yet I still kicked it up another notch - running near a 10-minute pace for the next four miles.
That's when things started to go bad.
Roughly 27 seconds after Ryan finished up his run and I headed back in the homeward direction with seven miles to go, I crashed. My body had had enough. I pushed too hard in those last miles.
Which made those seven miles home excruciating. I wanted to quit. I wanted to walk. I wanted to step in front of a bus just so the Horrible Piece Of Shit Run would be OVER.
I didn't quit. I didn't walk. I didn't step in front of a bus. I just kept chugging. I did NOT look at my Garmin - I knew that as soon as I saw how slowly I was going, it would break my heart. Ignorance is bliss.
I kept reminding myself that I had no reason to quit. Nothing in particular was hurting...I was just having a bad run. I just needed to tough it out. Be strong. HTFU.
I averaged an 11:30 pace for those last seven miles. By the time I was done, I didn't care. I was just glad the run was over, glad I got the miles in, glad I could go curl up in bed, glad I could take an ice bath. Ha! That's a lie. When does anyone really want to get into a tub of icy water??
But I do believe that it's good to have one long run that is utterly crap-tastic...it's good practice for those rough patches on race day.
Distance: 18 miles
Average Pace: 10:52
Average HR: 163
Three words to describe this run: Crap, Crap, Crap
The PAIN BANK.
I normally do my long runs with my "runner girls" but they were all doing a half marathon this weekend...so I decided to attempt Saturday's 18-miler solo-ish.
I would do a three mile warmup, pick up the pace for the 13 in the middle, and end with a two mile cooldown. Sounds attainable, yes? Sounds easy, yes?
FALSE.
My three mile warmup was just as expected. I hovered just under an 11-minute pace, as planned.
Then it was time to kick it up. I was hoping to run a 10-minute pace, but I quickly saw (and felt) that it just wasn't possible. I averaged a 10:30 pace, still feeling good.
Ryan met up with me at mile seven. He had fresh legs...coming off a rest week, and was ready to attack. I had over ten miles to go and did NOT have fresh legs. Yet I still kicked it up another notch - running near a 10-minute pace for the next four miles.
That's when things started to go bad.
Roughly 27 seconds after Ryan finished up his run and I headed back in the homeward direction with seven miles to go, I crashed. My body had had enough. I pushed too hard in those last miles.
Which made those seven miles home excruciating. I wanted to quit. I wanted to walk. I wanted to step in front of a bus just so the Horrible Piece Of Shit Run would be OVER.
I didn't quit. I didn't walk. I didn't step in front of a bus. I just kept chugging. I did NOT look at my Garmin - I knew that as soon as I saw how slowly I was going, it would break my heart. Ignorance is bliss.
I kept reminding myself that I had no reason to quit. Nothing in particular was hurting...I was just having a bad run. I just needed to tough it out. Be strong. HTFU.
I averaged an 11:30 pace for those last seven miles. By the time I was done, I didn't care. I was just glad the run was over, glad I got the miles in, glad I could go curl up in bed, glad I could take an ice bath. Ha! That's a lie. When does anyone really want to get into a tub of icy water??
But I do believe that it's good to have one long run that is utterly crap-tastic...it's good practice for those rough patches on race day.
Distance: 18 miles
Average Pace: 10:52
Average HR: 163
Three words to describe this run: Crap, Crap, Crap
Labels: I Hurt, Putting the 'I' in whine, Running
12 Comments:
the last line of your post says it all! way to finish chica!
I hate when runs are ruined by a crash!! I recently had a crap crap crap run. But I think you are right, sometimes a bad run is good practice too. As always your posts are always the funny version of what I am trying to say!
You're my hero!
I had a craptastic run last week and I agree it's good to have one every once in ahwile to make you push yourself when all you want to do is give up. Nice job on cranking out those miles!!!!
Amazing job getting through those tough miles. I actually think that the crappy runs prepare you for race day far more than any other training runs--they teach you that mental toughness that is oh-so-important when you feel like someone has tried to rip your legs off Barbie-style and you're so tired you can barely hold your head up, let alone move in a forward direction.
You will SO be prepared come race day! :)
Crap runs build character, MissAllyCat! Remember, we don't run to see who's the fastest, we run to see who has the most guts...
Way to knock the crap back to where it came from!
Good for you for finishing and drawing on your mental strength to pull you through. We all need to experience these kinds of runs since they just make us stronger in the end. At least, that's the crap I like to tell myself. :)
You continue to amaze me!
Speed is relative. Determination is *everything*.
- Dean
www.zerotoboston.com
I could almost feel your pain reading this. You are one determined girl - you always were and still are amazing!!!! xxoo MOM
Miss Alley Cat, I linked to you blog from over at Dean's www.ZeroToBoston.com
Great perseverance ! When having a tough run, I always think of this quote by Teddy Roosevelt, not one who was known for giving up easily either!
You were truly 'In the Arena', what more can you ask !
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_in_the_Arena
rick (the other white meat)
I found your blog through Pieces of Me & had to comment on this entry - when I ran my marathon, my 18 mile training run was just as bad as yours!
Oddly enough, I almost feel like that 18 mile run was worse that the actual marathon... Which is really odd!
These runs SUCK, but way to tough it out! That kind of mental strength comes in handy during marathons, especially that 'wall.'
YOU ROCK!! Nice job!!!
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