August 13, 2011
Rachel
Mileage: 10 miles
Well, my race is in just three weeks! Close enough that even though I had a girls' weekend planned for this past weekend, I couldn't afford to skip my long run. I'm also feeling the need for some variety, so I mapped out a 10-mile run in Breckenridge, thinking that the change in scenery would be great fun.
I passed on all the cocktails and glasses of wine Friday evening, sucked down as much water as I could, and tried to get to bed early. I didn't have a great night of sleep...which I now know was part of my problem. But I pulled myself out of the deliciously luxurious bed I was sleeping in and headed out into a surprisingly frosty mountain morning around 6 a.m.
I had a beautiful run on the first half of my out-and-back route along the Blue River Bikeway which connects Breckenridge and Frisco. I was pretty much the only one on the trail and was loving seeing all the mountain scenery while I ran. I was definitely ready for a quick break when I reached my 5-mile halfway point (and the Gatorade I'd stashed).
It wasn't until I turned around to head back towards Breckenridge that things started to get rough. Within one minute I realized that there is a slight, barely perceptible uphill to the trail (no wonder I felt so great on the way out!). As the realization that it would be like this for the next 5 miles started to sink in...I started to worry, and to psych myself out. Ugh, I hate when I do that.
And then I remembered my friend's question from the previous day as we drove into Breckenridge and saw the "Welcome to Breckenridge, 9,600 feet" sign..."have you ever run at this elevation?" Hmmm...didn't seem like a big deal at the time. I've spent most of my life in Colorado, I run every day at what most people consider high altitude (7,000 feet)...I'll be fine!
Yeah, right! That was the WORST run I've ever had. I did not enjoy one single second of the second half of the run. I nearly passed out, puked, pooped, cried, and stopped. I kept reminding myself of this blog's mantra..."unless you puke, faint, or die...keep going!". And I thought I might. And then my knees started hurting...for the first time in years (the trail was all asphalt). I started worrying that if I kept going, I'd injure myself and not be able to run my race.
I stopped a couple times and walked for 15-30 seconds. But stopping didn't make me feel any better and I was disappointed in myself (I never let myself stop). I'd stop for a second, and then start up again. And after what felt like FOREVER...I finally made it back to Breckenridge and limped my way back to our condo.
Ugh...horrible. I love feeling great after a run, even a really long, hard run. But this wasn't fun and I didn't feel great afterward. I'm trying to just forget about it and regain the positive attitude I had before I embarked on 10 miles at nearly 10,000 feet. What on earth was I thinking??
