Today was a long run -- 2-1/2 hours. I got started a little later than I wanted, but getting up early is not so easy when you work at a wedding the night before and don't get home until 11:00 or after. This run was designed to be a trial run for Ironman. I was supposed to realistically run at Iron pace. In my head, I'm thinking....this is easy! Iron pace is nearly one minute slower than marathon pace. Sure easy. :)
I started off with an hour warm up. I was barely 10 minutes in and it was already hot. Sweat was starting to roll off my nose and my skin was starting to feel like my clothing was melting into it. Maybe 2 miles into the run I realize I didn't bring any salt tabs. No biggie. I've done years of marathon training without salt. Not even five miles into it I was halfway through my water. It was going to be a long day.
After an hour I got to do 45 minutes at Ironman pace. I had set my Garmin between 8:30s and 9:00s hoping to stay close to 9:00s. This was the best part of the workout for me. I didn't have to worry about heart rate and could just run. It was very hot, but there was a bit of a breeze in my face and I was going downhill. I arrived at my car 10 miles into the run and restocked the water, grabbed another gel and headed out to finish up the last hour plus of the run.
The next phase of the run was to go faster than race pace. I thought, sure this will be easy. I only need to go under 8:45s. I was just fried, though, and things were starting to unravel. I couldn't believe how HOT I was. I was playing mind games with myself: just run to the wooden part of the path, make it to the underpass, let's make it 100 steps and then you get a break. My Garmin wouldn't stop beeping at me. I was literally yelling at it to SHUT UP!!! I was drinking my water every 2-1/2 minutes. I would stop every time I could find shade. My legs and head were saying no more. But my heart told me to keep going. I was worried I was ruining my insides. Seriously, I was a mess.
With 29 minutes left in the run I found myself sitting on the ground. I don't know how I got there. I don't know how long I stayed there. Reality hit me. I always wondered how people were passed out and looked like hell on the side of the road in races. And here I was sitting on the path less than 3 miles from my house. I picked myself up and ran some more. I stopped again not even five minutes later and a couple on bikes passed me. They didn't say anything to me, but I must have looked bad to them because I saw them again a few minutes later. They were waiting on me to make sure I was okay. Man, I must be looking bad.
Finally I made it to the cool down and I shuffled back to the car. I ran into Grace, who I've run many marathons with and she was just heading out on her run. I told her to be careful. It was HOT! I finished my run, finally: 15.85 miles in 2-1/2 hours. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't fast, but it was done.
I'm starting to learn that Ironman training is a lot like therapy. Yep, I'm seen a head shrinker. And I hated it. They cut you down and make you feel like crap and then build you back up to a new person. Ironman training is the same way. You have to be broken mentally and physically to learn how to deal with all situations on race day. This run really shook me, but Coach thinks it was a positive experience. All I know is, I think there's only one long run left....
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