Since my last update:
- My knee is doing fine. I think minimizing the trail running has helped.
- The girl with the lofty goals did indeed get hurt, but she’s dealing with it.
- I ran a 12-miler with Paulie.
- I split my 14-miler into two 7-milers because I wanted to go to Outside Lands that weekend.
- I ran my 16-miler a week early because I want to enjoy a restful (and drunken) camping trip next weekend.
Sunday, July 19th, 2015
About a month after my last post, I did the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon. It was dreadfully warm and humid. I was dreadfully unprepared. I typically wear my hydration backpack on long runs, but I had such good results without it at the Capitola Half, I foolishly decided to leave it at home and rely on the race organizers to have enough water and sports drink on hand. They did, but the combination of the heat, humidity and a rumor that the water stops were running out of water had me running well below my best pace at the beginning so that I might have something left for the end.
Then, the clouds went away and it got a lot hotter really fast. I decided that I wasn’t going to PR, but wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible, so I cranked it up a little. I finished with an official time of 2:27:43. Not what I’d hoped for, but I learned that my backpack is going to be part of my race attire from here on out. What I gain in weight and chafing is more than made up for by the extra confidence it gives me. I know that when I wear it, I can handle just about anything (assuming I pack for it).
Saturday, July 25th, 2015
Here’s a pic of me and Paulie at about Mile 5 on the TNT Sawyer Camp Trail Run. Notice that we’re both wearing hydration backpacks 🙂
We were at the dam, which is only halfway to the top of that gnarly climb.
Friday and Saturday, August 7th and 8th, 2015
As I mentioned earlier, last week was the Outside Lands music festival. It was also our 14-mile Half Moon Bay training run. I didn’t run here before, so I really wanted to check out the coastal trail. But I also wanted to enjoy the festival (and a party afterward at a friend’s house in SF), so I split the run into two. I did 7 miles on Friday morning before a long day and night of music at Golden Gate Park. Then I stayed at a hotel in South San Francisco with my friend so I wouldn’t have to drive all the way back to my house in San Jose, then drive up to Half Moon Bay, then drive back and take a shower before going back to Golden Gate Park. Make sense? I thought it did at the time.
Didn’t matter. After running 7 miles on Saturday, I grabbed lunch, headed back to the hotel room, showered and by the time I was ready to take a little nap, it was time to go back to the festival. I was beat, but also very glad I didn’t do 14 miles all at once. That probably would’ve finished me for the rest of the day. Regardless, I spent a lot of time on my feet that weekend and was feeling it well into the following week.
For what it’s worth, the festival was very mediocre and so crowded, it was hard to move around. I don’t think I’ll be going back anymore.
Saturday, August 15th, 2015
This weekend, I learned a very important lesson — probably more important than the one I learned in Napa; it’s better to be safe than hospitalized for dehydration and heatstroke.
I chose a really hot day to do 16 miles by myself. I was dressed properly, wearing a white long-sleeve shirt and hat to keep the sun off me. I thought I was properly hydrated going into the run. I ate a good, light breakfast in the morning. And my backpack was loaded with a liter of water, lots of electrolyte tablets and four GU packs for nutrition.
The problem was I started at 8:40 a.m. instead of 8:00 as I’d planned. I missed out on running with others, who, unlike me, got their shit together on time. That meant I’d be running later in the day when the temperature was expected to be in the 80s.
The first half of the run was great. It wasn’t too hot and I was feeling good. Strava says I was 4 minutes faster than last year running from Campbell Park to the top of the dam at the Lexington Reservoir. But I should have taken my time instead of running up all the hills and up the face of the dam. That would come back to bite me later.
But here I am at the top, with the reservoir and some porta-potties in the background, as is our custom.
On the way back, it started to get really hot. There was a little tailwind, but because I was running the same speed, the net effect felt like still air to me. Hot, still air.
So, I slowed down. But around Mile 11, I started to feel a little light-headed. Since I was by myself, I had to slow down. I also extended my walk breaks because finishing the run safely was more important than sticking to my 5/1 interval.
Around Mile 13, I hit the closest thing to the wall I ever have. I was light-headed and my heart rate was pretty high. Soon afterward, I decided to run or walk based on my heart rate. When it got close to 165, I walked. I didn’t run again until it was back down to around 150. That meant a lot of walking, but at least I wasn’t over-stressing my body. I walked most of the last mile to try to keep my heart rate under control, but hey, it doesn’t matter. It’s over now and I can enjoy my camping trip next weekend!