holy mother of all that is good and right in this world
i hurt the kind of hurt that should only ever really be reserved for the day after defeating monsters such as marathon. ultra-marathon, and mega-ubatron-super-long distance running.
yesterday was the 12th annual brew to brew relay run. 10 people running 10 legs consisting of 3-5 miles. easy. fun. kc to lawrence......... basic running joyousness... right?!
right. unless... of course....... you believe yourself to be a brilliant planner/schemer and concoct for yourself a 15 mile course running strategy with your running buddy, Liver Guy, who runs, easily, one minute per mile faster than you do.
which, because i apparently, do, indeed, believe myself to be brilliant and masterful of all things running related...........???!?!?!......... concocting such a running strategy is just what i did.
it went down like this...
10:30am-ish rolls around, Liver Guy meets me at the leg 4 starting point, and, like the genius runner i am........ we set off.
with sub 11-minute miles.
the plan was to run legs 4, 5, 6 and, leg 7.. my official leg of the race. it would total 15ish miles, we'd get to run together, in that whole misery loves company way, and we'd be marathon training heroes... conquering the 15 miler together.
the problem, however, was that one minute mile difference between our running.... and it wasn't liver guy's fault. au contraire... it was all me.
cuz i was running sub 11-minute miles. consistently. for many distances..... and i was loving it!
but my body... on the other hand......... not so much.
i would get into the run, mile by mile, like normal... but really, as horrible as it was near the end (really, really horrible, especially having to grab onto a rope at mile 14+, look down a rather steep/rocky embankment, and find a way for my legs to maintain what little strength they had left in them so that i could repel down to the gushing, flowing, white-water-rafting river below me only to get into a boat, be pulled a cross said river, and climb back up out of the riverbed... to finish out my 15+ mile run) ..... as horrible as all of that was..
it was really just kinda mostly fun. i've never run with someone before.. especially someone who runs faster than i do (something i may want to not do in the too near future, come to think of it, cuz... ouch), which means i never knew i even could run faster... which means i never knew i really am progressing as a runner and OMG like totally hello! how cool is that!!?!
so.. i give you my splits......
leg 4 = 2.3 miles
10:50
10:16
3:05 (.3 mile)
leg 5 = 4.96 miles
10:59
10:33
10:45
12:12 (hill)
10:26 (.96 mile)
leg 6 = 3.31 miles (of hills)
12:21
11:44
11:00
3:11 (.31 mile)
leg 7 = 4.65 miles (including repelling down to the river, going across it in a boat, and climbing back up the other side)
12:51
13:14
11:44
15:01 (ha. yeah who's tired? mmm--that'd be me!)
6:55 (.23 mile... repelling down to boat)
6:02 (.42 mile... climbing up riverbank)
like i said..... i started my run out way too fast. like mega-ubatron-fast, and, to nobody's surprise, least of all me... i hit a wall. with a thud.
and i'm still paying for it.
but the pain, while unpleasant, is mostly kinda funny, in that whole "i totally did this to myself" way.
besides....getting your ass kicked by a run every once in a while's good for you..... right??!!?!
Comments
DATE: 12:47 PM
Great job, if you've got the base (which you do) running with someone who runs faster is a GREAT idea.Now find someone who runs 2 minutes faster than you, and run a 5K with them.
Posted by: Okolo | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 8:15 AM
sounds like it was delicious pain for you.awesome job runner-girl. you need to give yourself a little more credit!
Posted by: Running Chick | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 7:55 AM
FIFTEEN MILES!! I would have spent weeks agonizing about this on my blog, whining, moaning, fretting, freaking...you make it look so easy! I'm thrilled if i can run FIVE! so high FIVE over at ya!! (and why is it "liver" guy? did he have a transplant? Does he like liver? Or look like one? confused...)You totally rock.
Posted by: jeanne | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 6:53 AM
You will be a faster and stronger runner for doing this! Good for you.
Posted by: Kurt | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 6:08 AM
Well LMRP sounds like fun to me. It's a good kinda hurt right?
Posted by: Bob | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 9:05 PM
rapelling?those were great splits.you doin' so well!!keep at it.
Posted by: Bolder | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 9:01 PM
Liver Guy?!? I may be switching my sig. And you have no idea how well you did yesterday. I was also struggling at the end. We are going to have to work on our pacing b/f SD. But yes, that little rappelling episode did throw me off pace. And the boat - kinda felt like Washington crossing the Delaware. And the various road kill in all stages of decomposition. You just don't get that at the TNT training runs - usually.
Posted by: Kevin | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 8:56 PM
You totally rock. :)I hope you had a nice big ole beer at the end of that sucker.
Posted by: Running Jayhawk | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 6:55 PM
Your run sounded like more fun than misery. And the best thing is you're looking back at it and smiling. Great job!!!
Posted by: qcmier | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 5:22 PM
Awesome job with the relay! That sounds like so much fun. Great job!
Posted by: Rae | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 9:30 PM
I want to be the first to call that one day, you are going to want to qualify for Boston. Go speedracer!
Posted by: Nic | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 8:51 PM
Wow. I can't even envision the repelling to the water and climbing the embankment part. But...you DID IT!!! How nice to have that under your belt. Sounds like the sub-11-min.-mi.-runner-pants owes yourself a massage.
Posted by: RunningErin | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 2:40 PM
huh ... i never would have guessed. you looked perfectly cheery and fine to me.
Posted by: Josh | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 1:03 PM
okolo said it. there's no better way to improve than to train with someone who's faster than you. i used to think i was pretty fast and ready to race, but once i started riding with some of the local clubs and getting SMOKED, i had a much better idea of what i was up against.i've done nothing but improve since.
Posted by: J | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM