The 13 mile tear jerker
I’m not sure what we were thinking, but Mark, the super fast, built for running type guy, who’s been running with me almost every Saturday for the last 5 weeks, and I started our 13 mile run on Saturday afternoon. Earlier on we had tackled an excellent team service project at the Community Harvest Farm in North Grafton, then we decided to meet up again for what would be the longest either of us had ever run, even Mark, the super fast, built for running type guy.
Carie crushed the course, the morning before, and now it was our turn. And I couldn’t have been more prepared and more scared of anything, including the time I rode the highest, fastest roller coaster in the world at the time at Cedar Point – The Magnum XL 200. I’m not in the 8th grade anymore, but this was even more terrifying. What if I couldn’t do it?
So we met at 4:30 pm, and started what we now know as the descent up to our halfway point. For that reason, the first half was really easy. The whole thing was basically downhill, something we might have researched first. So for 6.5 miles, I thought, we can really do this. We wooped that run like David jacked up that dang giant with 5 smooth stones and a trumpet. Then running back it started to get a bit harder. It didn’t seem uphill, yet my legs were getting tired and when we eventually did get to a part that seemed uphill, I found myself ready to give up.
When I stopped running to take a break, I looked at our gps reading, and we had hit 11.11 miles, and it seemed like 2 more miles would never come. I felt nauseous. I felt weak. I begged for Mark, the super fast, built for running type guy, to go on ahead so he wouldn’t have to wait for me. He wouldn’t. He was being challenged too. The last two miles were so fierce. Mostly uphill. All tired. And to make matters worse, we passed my house at 11.6 miles. Couldn’t we just stop a bit early?
Finally we arrived at the 13.11 mile mark, and the run was over. I had nothing left. No legs. No breath. Mark, the formerly super fast, built for running type guy and I walked quietly to our cars, looked at each other with faint glances of satisfaction, and went our separate ways.
I drove to my house and sat in my car for a few minutes. I couldn’t really move and Carie was visiting some family, so sitting in the car just seemed appropriate for the occasion where one can no longer move. I called Carie, told her I finished, and unfortunately, she was on the other end of what happened next. I lost it. For no reason that I know of, and just because I felt like it, or maybe it was because I had nothing left in me…
I just cried into the phone for the next 10 minutes.
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Sounds like you guys might have bonked: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonk_%28condition%29
The wikipedia article doesn't mention it, but one symptom is feeling depressed and grumpy.
You didn't mention what, if any, supplies you guys brought with you. If you can, I recommended something like a Clif Bar or granola bar. It's amazing how even having a little bit of food when you feel like that can really perk you up.
I'm with Ian, on a run this long, you're going to need something like a gel pack
.. i like GU's
YOur body is like a car… like it or not you can only exist on just 'metaphysical' energy for so long… IE will power, etc… but fact is that it seems we come back to the fact that our bodies operate on thermodynamic processes and as a result of expending physical energy you need fuel to supplement it properly when it's running on empty. Looks like you hit your peak! Good man… but a trifle dangerous. What you felt was likely neurological processes being severely challenged due to 'lack of fuel'. I tell my clients, if you're gonna play hard, you need to eat hard, and rest hard… unless you're made of some sterner stuff haha…
I've got no business disagreeing with anybody about the physiological aspects of all this. But there is an emotional-spiritual side too. In addition to the neurology, there's also the fact that after completing a great task, it's pretty normal to feel a dizzying– even overwhelming array of emotions.