Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug...

Ryan and I had bad runs today.  Yes i mean Ryan Hall.  No, i was not in the Chicago Marathon (not bitter at all...) and even if i was, i would be no where near him.


I have actually been pouting all week about not running the Chicago Marathon.  I don't know why...i have been seriously running for all of 6 months, and my body and mind are not ready for a full marathon yet.  I just sucks when everyone at work asks if you are running the marathon, and you have to say, "no...i am very lame and bad at running"


To cheer myself up, and burn off some of the candy corn apocalypse 2011 from yesterday, The Dean and i set out for a morning run.  He is training for a 10k next month, and i have another half in two weeks.  The plan was that i would run 12 miles, he would run 4.  Neither of these things happened.  There were two things working against us.  The first was that it was unseasonably warm (80 degrees in Chicago in October....huh?  Kinda glad i DIDN'T run the marathon!)  Not that i am whining about 80 degrees.  i know that in some places 80 degrees is a cold front.  Unfortunately for us though, we got a late start (because sleep is awesome)  and didn't start running until 9:45.  It was a comfortable 65 degrees when we started, but soon shot up to around 80, and that was unpleasant.  I have lost all my heat acclimatization....the last time i ran in heat like that was probably mid august.  (i seriously run at like 5am all summer just to avoid such unpleasantness.)  

Matt made it to mile 1.5 and called it quits.  In his defense, he has never run in the heat, and ate a giant steak for dinner.  (maybe he should read my blog...he would have known better!)  But props to him, because i wouldn't have even started the run.  My plan was to run 6 miles, and then turn around and run back.  Around mile 5, i realized i had gone through 3/4's of my water, and was on a trail with no water fountains.  none.  nada. 

new and improved semen latte flavor.  never again.

I turned around at mile 5.5 and tried to conserve water.  I had a gel at mile 7, and it was so gross i started to gag, much to the approval of all the surrounding bikers.  The horrible horrible violation of my mouth only made me thirstier.  If i was a boyscout, i would have failed my "rationing in the face of crisis" badge.  By the time i reached mile 8.5, my water bottle was bone dry.  By mile 10, i had one mile to go, and was faced with a choice.  Either stay calm, slow my redonkulously slow pace even more, and just finish the run, or option 2:  PANIC.

When i say panic, i don't mean "deep concern" either.  Full fledged, hyperventilating, can't run straight panic attack.  I do have panic attacks from time to time (anxiety disorders are AWESOME!)  but this is the first running induced one.  In hindsight, i am so embarrassed, because 80 degrees is not THAT hot, and it was only one more mile.  I am sure many have gone much further with no water.  BUT NOT ME!

I made it to the car where matt was chillin in the A/C waiting for me and listening to the marathon coverage, and i was hysterical.  He had to have me put my hands on my head to keep from fainting, and i think some nearby old people on a lovely stroll were terrified.  We went and got some gatorade and i was able to calm down.

SO.  11 miles, 10:10 pace - thats my "it's hot out, bitch!" pace, (with the exception of panic attack mile 11, which was a 11:15 pace....not bad for a traumatizing mile!)

Lesson learned.  either bring enough water, or plan a run that has a water stop...

the face of hydration failure.

On the drive home, Matt tried to sooth me with the fact that Ryan Hall also had a very bad run.  I had high hopes that he would win this thing, but i guess the heat got to him too.  There were reports that he was struggling alot in the second half of the marathon, and repeatedly dumping water on his head to cool down.  I FEEL YOUR PAIN, RYAN!  (to a much lesser degree, obvi.)  So Ryan and i both had a bad run today.  That's the way it is, there will be bad runs, and good runs.  You just have to keep going and try not to die.  (28 days later taught me that!)

I went home to pout with my foam roller, and matt ran a quick errand, and surprised me me with this:

TURKEY BACONNNNNN!

I rarely eat meat, and never red meat, but i do LOVE turkey bacon.  add a bloody mary, and i am in HEAVEN!!!  We both recovered from our crappy runs by drowing our faces with TB and Bloodies, al fresco!

Eating outside in October?  WIN.

Great minds think alike:

Me, photographing matt, photographing the brunch, that i just photographed.

We're not mega-nerds or anything.

Moral of the story?  Some runs just suck, but brunch will always be delicious.