It Keeps You Runnin'. Yeah, It Keeps You Runnin'

Here's me trudging through the Spillway on my 25K

So, last Saturday The Guy and I ran our 25K part trail race. It was interesting...

The race started off well. I felt strong, I was keeping up with some of the faster people and it was warm out...A little too warm.

I handled the first trail section and then we hit the road toward Solon. There was one guy who kept trying to run with women and since we were going at a similar pace, I got to hear him creeping on every woman he could, with the same stories and lines, "Yeah. I've been in the air force for over twenty years, so I'm used to do this with a full pack on my back..." After the third or fourth woman, I wanted to head him off at the pass and just say his line for him. Who ever thought of an endurance race as a place to pick-up women?

The Guy finishing up his race on the last trail.

After the 8th or ninth mile, I realized I had been going way too fast, and I was weak and hot. I tried to slow down and I had a belt with bottles of Heet I was drinking throughout the race, but it was too late. I was suddenly so weak and tired, I could barely walk, let alone run. I kept plugging along and even puked at one point, until I got to about the 13th mile mark, where we went through the finish line and were supposed to continue on, but I just couldn't. I felt like I was going to pass-out.

I went back to the car where The Guy was. He had just finished the race a five minutes or so before, and he was changing and was planning to wait for me. I felt so horrible. I was exhausted and weak and embarrassed and pretty much broke down and cried the minute I saw him.

The Guy was wonderfully supportive, as usual. We sat on the grass for a while and he made me drink water. He wanted me to eat, but I was afraid I'd just puke it back up. After we got in the car and started driving home, I got even worse. I was super hot and my vision was all wonky and I realized that I was passing out. I crawled in the back of The Guys car and fainted back there. I came to at some point and kept drinking water and took a shower and then a nap and then drank more.

So, lesson learned? The next time I do an endurance race, don't try and keep up with marathoners and train by running longer distances, so I can get a better feel for how fast I should go. I did love the race and I plan on doing it again next year.