So...10 miles. In 90 degree heat. No major injuries to report, no new blisters (I can't tell you how much I swear by the combination of Nike Lunar Glides and Dri Fit socks and about a half a cup of talcum powder on each foot). I was just under a 10 minute mile at 1:38. And I didn't puke up my Powerade! Life is good.
But I had one strange, awful moment about two hours after I finished running my first double-digit run with my team.
It was 9:30 am, and I was happily watching my 6 year old's Little League game (he also was having a good day--my little switch hitter got three nice hits!) when I suddenly and desperately needed to relocate from the bleachers to the lovely Weston Regional Park ladies' room. All I can say is, I'm glad I went when I went. My presence was most definitely required.
After that lovely visit, as I was walking back to the stands, I began sweating profusely--you'd think I was still on mile 8--and shivering. It was in the 90s by then and I was shivering!
A nice mom on my son's team saw me looking like, I don't know, a heroin addict in withdrawal (confession: I'm a huge "Intervention" fan so I actually have an idea of what a heroin addict in withdrawal looks like), and brought me a cold Dasani, which helped tremendously.
So did eating the saltiest hot pretzel they had to offer at the concession stand. (I actually said to the teenager working there, "No, can you give me the one that's completely white all over?") Man did that salt taste good! And just like that, I was all better again.
I returned to the bleachers and after thanking the Dasani mom for her kindness and convincingly explaining to her that I was a running addict, not a drug addict, I enjoyed the rest of the game, my 3 1/2 year old's ballet practice an hour later--and the two hour nap I took when all of that was over.
So, that weird, sweaty moment during the baseball game aside, I'd say I survived my first Florida 10 miler. Next time, I think I'll have some super-salty pretzels, or maybe just a big container of Morton's, waiting for me right after my run, though. The body does strange things when it gets low on electrolytes.
I've read about "doing the salt" on runner's world. They say put one of those restaurant packets under your tounge before and at some interval during your run. I guess knowing what that interval is would help.... back in a minute.
ReplyDeletewell it just says in the last half. I haven't gotten to that many miles yet; my long run yesterday was 7.7 (supposed to be 7.5 but I got a bit lost in a neighborhood).
ReplyDeleteI dont do long distances yet (3-4 miles only), but I have "bonked" from low blood sugar. Now, I try to come home and have a protein snack to get me through until the next meal.
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure it was low electrolytes and not low sugar. Between the banana in my cereal pre-run, the Jelly Belly sport beans during the run and Powerade, and the fruit and cheese post run, I think I had plenty of food and sugar! I'm definitely looking into more salt options! Kristen, congrats on your 7.7 run--that's big!
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