As we have now integrated feeds into our runs, I have been experimenting with gels, drink mixes, protein bars, etc. to see which ones I like. So, when Hubey and I schedule our 20 miler for 8:30am this morning I set got up at 7:30 to grab a light breakfast and hydrate. I had this pre-workout drink mix sample and decided what better time than now to give it a try? The other option I had were these gels that make me unbearably thirsty. I followed the directions, poured half the powder into my water glass, and started to drink 35 minutes before we were to depart. I had accidentally poured too much powder in, so I refilled my glass with water to consume the rest of the powder. Hubey met me (after already running 10 miles) and we departed on our 12 miler, before our feed, and final 8.
Off we went. I guess I still haven't perfected this eating before running because I got some cramps as my body was telling me "what are you doing? I am trying to digest here" but I pushed on because I have to get used to it. Then I felt drunk. It was in the eyes. My head was really light and my vision did not move smoothly. I thought, "wow, I haven't been drunk in a while." Four miles in I made Hubey walk. I need to walk off this drunkness. The drunk phase passed and we continued on. I felt good. Legs felt good and I wasn't drunk anymore so my vision was solid. Then bam. Insides cramped. Hit me like a car hits a deer frozen in its headlights. I made Hubey walk for two minutes. Then we continued on. As we were running we could hear the train blowing its horn in the distance as we were approaching a railroad crossing about 600yds away. Hubey looked at me and asked "How's your leg speed?" That's when I put two and two together with sound I was hearing together and the railroad crossing ahead. I immediately yelled "oh no!" while simultaneously taking off in an almost sprint. Hubey caught up in a split second and we were in a race against the train. Staring at the railroad crossing arms, we continued in an almost sprint hoping we'd get there before the train. Sure enough, we ran faster than the train and easily made it across.
Then the cramps came back. I was hunched over and made Hubey walk for another couple of minutes before realizing there was a dog park ahead, which was bound to have water we could consume. We ran to the dog park, where there was a huge white jug of water with a hose at the bottom. Probably not for human consumption, I tried out the water anyway and deemed it consumable for the state we were in. Once Hubey saw me consume some he came over for a drink before we continued running into town. I made it another couple of miles, including up the hill on Broadway. But, at this point I had hit the next stage in my disastrous run and was now unbelievably high. I was a bit light headed, the chemicals flowing through my veins were making me shaky and I was living on a different planet. It probably wasn't really this bad, but at the time it felt this bad. So I stopped. I sat down in the shade for a couple minutes. I told Hubey to finish out the run as we were only a couple miles from home, but obviously he didn't. After a couple minutes, I got up and ran the rest of the way home. At the very end I felt nauseous, but that was just as I was coming up on the apartment where I chugged two and half glasses of water in five and a half seconds.
All in all, I didn't go back out for the final eight and deemed this run a failure. And then more closely looked at the pre-workout mix I had consumed... AC(insert lightning bolt here)G3. High Voltage Pre-Workout drink mix with Creatine Magna Power and Carnosine Synthesizer. I looked it up online and this is the description for this product: "Fully loaded with a potent blend of actives, ACG3® Charged+ works harmoniously to provide extreme anabolic results, trigger more explosive muscle pumps, increase muscle volume and strength, and provide the endurance necessary to maximize your workout." With one review stating: "It's got a lot of stims in it, so you'll feel it more. More than anyone should actually need."
AKA - this is for sure a product for meatheads who are looking to max out in the weight room with the quickest shortest bursts of anaerobic exercise. NOT for endurance running. I had so much fake "energy" in my veins I went through a drunk phase, to a middle of the night dehydration, ending with the horrible hangover that leaves you with the shakes, unable to get out of bed, moments of nausea, and intense intense thirst. We named this product the devil.
I guess you live and you learn. I did in fact live and I learned that I will never consume that product again.
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Skip the Marathon
Most people train to run a marathon. They build their base, start increasing their long runs and then when marathon day hits they run the furthest they've run at 26.2 miles. I skipped that. My previous long run was 20 miles. I was supposed to run 21, but had to pull up short (see previous blog post). Then I was scheduled to run 24 miles, however I was in South Beach for a Bachelorette party, and while I got a 12 miler in, it wasn't even close to 24 miles. But, training must go on. So, on Monday, May 12th, 2014, in the light rain, I left the office early and went for a casual 27.2 mile run. Skipped the marathon and just went for a 27 miler. No big deal, I mean that's pretty normal.
So, I started with my fellow runner KP as we ran two miles from the office to our apartment where we picked up Hubey. From there we ran back to campus to drop off KP, then continued on to Kasota via bus farm. We looped around and headed back to campus after 15.2 miles for a feed. Yes, our first feed mid-run! We are finally at the point in training where we need to get accustomed to consuming gels, liquid, and bars and then heading back out to run without having time to digest.
After a 20 minute break where we changed clothes, since it had been raining the entire run, we headed back out for another 12. We planned an out and back towards Ottawa. A couple miles down the road Hubey felt a bit light headed so we had to stop for a moment. It was actually quite a sight to see as he was squatting down on the side of the road and I was frantically taking off my clothes because it had stopped raining and thus the long sleeve under my tshirt was completely and utterly unnecessary. We walked for the next couple of minutes until Hubey felt better then continued on. This is where things got weird.
Runners are a strange breed. They are different. They think up strange and unusual stories, sayings, rituals...whatever you would like to call them in order to keep them entertained during their long runs. They sing songs. They talk about penguins. They spend so much time either by themselves or with each other that they have no other choice. I had yet to get to that point. I heard Hubey talk about this "state", he told me stories, talked about songs they sang, yada yada yada but I had never actually gotten to that point...until this run. When we were six miles out on our final leg of the run, we started singing, at the top of our lungs mind you, "WHOAHHH WE'RE HALF WAY THERE, WHOAHHH LIVING ON A PRAYER, TAKE MY HAND WE WILL MAKE IT I SWEAR, WHOAHHH OH LIVING ON A PRAYER." We alternated lines. We repeated it multiple times. It was fantastic.
Then, once we turned around and started heading back to campus I realized, and exclaimed out loud over and over and over and over and over... "this is the furthest I've ever run... nope, this is the furthest I've ever run... nope, this is the furthest I've ever run..." This commentary continued for a good couple of minutes. Then Hubey started to tell me stories and I would chime in a say, "you know what?!?!" He was say, "what?!?!" and I would respond, "this is the furthest I've ever run...this is the furthest I've ever run..." Also at this point, I started to slow down, so in hopes to get me to pick up my pace, Hubey ran a good 15 yards in front of me so a couple miles, still chatting the entire time though. It worked...slightly.
Once we hit 26.2 miles we high fived. Boom first ever marathon done. But we were still a mile away from campus with one large hill in the way. I will admit, although it hurts my soul, I became a little dog and walked up the large hill before finishing the run with a smile on my face. There you go, I skipped the marathon and ran 27.2 miles. On to the next accomplishment.
So, I started with my fellow runner KP as we ran two miles from the office to our apartment where we picked up Hubey. From there we ran back to campus to drop off KP, then continued on to Kasota via bus farm. We looped around and headed back to campus after 15.2 miles for a feed. Yes, our first feed mid-run! We are finally at the point in training where we need to get accustomed to consuming gels, liquid, and bars and then heading back out to run without having time to digest.
After a 20 minute break where we changed clothes, since it had been raining the entire run, we headed back out for another 12. We planned an out and back towards Ottawa. A couple miles down the road Hubey felt a bit light headed so we had to stop for a moment. It was actually quite a sight to see as he was squatting down on the side of the road and I was frantically taking off my clothes because it had stopped raining and thus the long sleeve under my tshirt was completely and utterly unnecessary. We walked for the next couple of minutes until Hubey felt better then continued on. This is where things got weird.
Runners are a strange breed. They are different. They think up strange and unusual stories, sayings, rituals...whatever you would like to call them in order to keep them entertained during their long runs. They sing songs. They talk about penguins. They spend so much time either by themselves or with each other that they have no other choice. I had yet to get to that point. I heard Hubey talk about this "state", he told me stories, talked about songs they sang, yada yada yada but I had never actually gotten to that point...until this run. When we were six miles out on our final leg of the run, we started singing, at the top of our lungs mind you, "WHOAHHH WE'RE HALF WAY THERE, WHOAHHH LIVING ON A PRAYER, TAKE MY HAND WE WILL MAKE IT I SWEAR, WHOAHHH OH LIVING ON A PRAYER." We alternated lines. We repeated it multiple times. It was fantastic.
Then, once we turned around and started heading back to campus I realized, and exclaimed out loud over and over and over and over and over... "this is the furthest I've ever run... nope, this is the furthest I've ever run... nope, this is the furthest I've ever run..." This commentary continued for a good couple of minutes. Then Hubey started to tell me stories and I would chime in a say, "you know what?!?!" He was say, "what?!?!" and I would respond, "this is the furthest I've ever run...this is the furthest I've ever run..." Also at this point, I started to slow down, so in hopes to get me to pick up my pace, Hubey ran a good 15 yards in front of me so a couple miles, still chatting the entire time though. It worked...slightly.
Once we hit 26.2 miles we high fived. Boom first ever marathon done. But we were still a mile away from campus with one large hill in the way. I will admit, although it hurts my soul, I became a little dog and walked up the large hill before finishing the run with a smile on my face. There you go, I skipped the marathon and ran 27.2 miles. On to the next accomplishment.
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