I was a little worried about this race, since I have really done very little running the last week and a half, and since I literally had to force feed myself yesterday because I just don't feel like eating. Not only that, but this is a brutal course of mountain terrain on a graded dirt road...some pretty steep inclines and declines the entire 15 miles. Three of my children ran the 5K, and 2 others joined me for the 15 miler. We ended up getting there slightly late, so I had to run to the start, and we were still 4 minutes late getting going, and the race wasn't chipped. So I got my time off my garmin, instead of off the clock. I decided that because of my shins and with an upcoming 70.3, I'd better not "race" this run...and being late only solidified my decision. So I ran the first 9 miles with my friends at a very slow pace. It took 1:42 to get that far. Then I went off by myself, because they were getting really tired and doing too much walking. BRUTAL course!!! I still tried to keep it easy, though, and finished the race in about 2:41, fighting not only the steep uphills, but a nice headwind and an occasional burst of rain. It was about 12 minutes slower than I ran it last year. After that, I decided to run back to meet the girls, but about 3/4 of a mile into it, I was suddenly hit by a nasty cluster headache, so I went back to the finish and forced myself to drink water and gatorade. This headache was a bad one, leaving me totally nauseated and with cold chills. By the time we made it home, it was all I could do to keep from vomiting and I was all wrapped up in blankets and was shaking like a leaf. I forced myself to drink some mineral-spiked water, then rinsed off in a warm bath, and went to bed. After about 90 minutes, I woke up feeling better. But I am WIPED OUT. Those headaches take a lot out of me. I went and bought some pizzas at Costco for all my little racers, but I could only eat one slice. I had a scoop of ice cream, but I didn't even really want that. So I think I should probably try to eat more, but it just doesn't sound good. Weirdness.
Anyway, I ended up with about 17 miles of running, and the race itself was fantastic - I felt really good the whole time! My legs didn't give me ANY problems, which is such a relief! I'm looking forward to feeling better tomorrow, and starting next week with a good run. :D |