3.15.09

Most painful long run I think I've experienced. I don't believe it was dehydration or anything like that, it was just lack of fitness. I haven't been running the longer distances and it really showed today. While 12-13 miles is a breeze, going beyond that lately is like walking into no mans land. The good part of today was going on a slightly different course (found some cool new areas to run) and the fact that I got out there and actually completed this run.

Because I am so close to the marathon this is my last long run. I'll still be trying to get some speedwork and medium-long runs in (16-17) but this run will be the farthest till the marathon, so it was important that I get it done. I wanted to go for 3 hours, I made it to 2:55 before things just completely fell apart.

The first 2 hours of the run went fine, but then things started degressing quickly and I could feel the legs starting to get worn down. By 2 hours 30 minutes I was just hoping the run would be over. It was a combo of three pains: 1 the hips and calves. It's hard to describe this feeling - it's a combination between feeling like they were hit with a baseball bat and having a charlie horse. Just really bad pain that continues to build. The second was from my lack of fitness aerobically my chest felt like it was going to explode. I couldn't breathe properly. I felt like someone had pumped up a balloon full of air and if I took a deep breath the balloon would pop. I tried to get air in whatever way I could. At 2:40 I hit the last hill and that's when my heart and shoulder gave me pain. My heart literally felt constricted, and the shoulder starting to throb - I'm not sure why this happens (the shoulder thing) but I've noticed it before on runs, even back in high school.

I slogged the last 10 minutes and then had to walk. I only needed five more minutes, but with the above three circumstances it was just too much and I ended it just short of my goal. The worst part was because I ended early I had to walk back and the calves were so overworked and tightened that it was just painful to even walk. I stopped by a store and got some water, but that didn't really help, my muscles just needed rest. Layed in a tub of cold water when I got home - it was the only remedy for the pain.

I took a nap because I felt like I was going to be sick after that, and now it's later so I'm trying to get this blog in. Today was a success despite the bad ending. I know it will help me for the marathon, not only physically, but psychologically. The reason being that I will not want to quit and walk - because of the pain that I know I will feel. If I would have kept running today the rest of the 5 minutes, I wouldn't have had to walk as far, and the pain during running was far less than walking. So that alone is encouragement not to walk, and to push through to the end.

After today's run I know that I'm not as fit as I wanted to be at this point (at least not for the longer distances) but I had a bad few weeks and that kind of took me down a notch. Still this training cycle has been full of running and I feel more ready for the marathon than I did for the half last year. Most of all I just want to go out there and have fun, but at the same time I want to leave nothing on the road. I want to push myself to the maximum and after the race, or one day after, or a week after be able to say I gave it all I had and that was the best performance I could have possibly given - that is the goal. Keeping that in mind while searing pain is engulfing my legs, heart, and lungs will be the challenge.

4pm. ball camp+bike trail+2greenway par loops. 58 degrees cloudy w/8mph wind 80% humidity. (cool)
2:55:01, gf 576