Running on Empty
My 1/2 Marathon training schedule had me running 12 miles this weekend. A lot of training schedules only run up to 10 miles before the race day, but I wanted to run 12 miles before the race mainly to convince myself that I can in fact do it!
I usually run on Saturday but I was busy yesterday morning with Gabriel and then Eli had a baseball game last night, so I decided to bump the run to Sunday. Since the forecast called for perfectly, clear sunny skies and temperatures around 85, I thought running Sunday evening when it cools down would be best. It was a good plan.
I wish I had stuck to that plan, I'm regretting that I didn't.
After church this morning I was feeling all energized and perky and I decided not to wait until this evening to run. Knowing I would be up against heat that I am not used to, I had Matt send the boys out to specific points at certain times to give me water. I would get water at 6 miles, 8 miles, and if I needed it, I would just carry the water bottle from mile 8 to the finish. That all went as planned.
What I failed to plan for was the fact that I was running on empty. For breakfast this morning I had a cup of light yogurt, a cup of black coffee, and a Heavenly Donut. When I came home from church, I intended to grab a peanut butter sandwich and a protein bar, but didn't. I just stretched and raced out the door.
5 miles into my run I was dominating! I was a machine! Well, that is what I was telling myself. My pace was what I hoped and I was pretty sure I would meet my goal of finishing 12 miles in 114 minutes. I've been running an average of a 9:30 mile to date, and it looked like I would have no problem with that today. My times for the first 5 miles were 9:25, 9:34, 9:18, 9:25 and 9:28.
I turned the corner at mile 5 to a decent hill climb and blazing sunshine. I was running along the road at high noon and there was no respite from the sun. I was really hot and very thirsty.
By the time I reached the boys at 6 miles I thought I was dying of thirst. Mile 6 took me 10: 04. I took a few swigs of precious cool water and told Eli to meet me at the next point in 20 minutes. This is where things started to get ugly.
I ran the next mile pretty slow, and actually switched to a walk when I hit a shady patch twice. I got on the shaded trail that would lead me to more water and decided I couldn't do it. I was too hot, too tired, and too thirsty to press on.
I started to cry. I have never walked during a training run before and I've never not finished the distance I was aiming for.
I tried to recite a scripture from Isaiah "run and not grow weary, walk and not faint, soar, eagles, trust". My brain wasn't even working properly.
Mind won the battle, I decided I couldn't run one more step and I walked briskly to my water stop. I took the bottle from Eli. I was trying to decide if I wanted to grab the water and walk the .25 miles back to the house or grab the water and try to finish. I opted for the latter. I decided run, walk, or crawl I needed to press on.
Miles 9-12 were the most difficult miles of my life. My times ranged from 11:36-12:18. I walked about as much as I ran, I guzzled the rest of the water, and I think I was actually talking to myself in an audible voice saying "you can do this", "just finish" "don't give up", "if you pass out one of the other runners out here today will find you and drag you to safety".
I walked into the house 2:06 after I started. My face was beat red from the sun and my eyes were filled with tears. I finished 12 minutes later than I wanted to. That in itself was not so bad. The part that was so frustrating for me was that it was so hard. So much harder than it has ever been. I have never walked before. I have never felt so spent.
Apparently, the 500 calories that I consumed this morning for breakfast wasn't enough to keep me strong enough to cover the 1400 calories I burned during the run.
The point is I didn't have to run on empty, I could have taken 5 minutes to eat something before I headed out and most likely I would have done a whole lot better. I have a kitchen filled with food that would have been the perfect source of energy to fully equip me for the run, but I chose not to use what I had right in front of me.
How many times have I taken off for my day without taking 5 minutes to take from the source of wisdom, peace, love, encouragement, endurance and understanding? How many times have I found myself exhausted halfway through a difficult situation because I was running on empty?
Not only did my failure to properly prepare for my run today cause frustration and pain for today, but it has caused a cloud of doubt to enter my mind as to whether or not I can finish the race in a few weeks.
I think this is true in life as well. I allow my challenging day one day to cast doubt on what I can handle the next.
I usually run on Saturday but I was busy yesterday morning with Gabriel and then Eli had a baseball game last night, so I decided to bump the run to Sunday. Since the forecast called for perfectly, clear sunny skies and temperatures around 85, I thought running Sunday evening when it cools down would be best. It was a good plan.
I wish I had stuck to that plan, I'm regretting that I didn't.
After church this morning I was feeling all energized and perky and I decided not to wait until this evening to run. Knowing I would be up against heat that I am not used to, I had Matt send the boys out to specific points at certain times to give me water. I would get water at 6 miles, 8 miles, and if I needed it, I would just carry the water bottle from mile 8 to the finish. That all went as planned.
What I failed to plan for was the fact that I was running on empty. For breakfast this morning I had a cup of light yogurt, a cup of black coffee, and a Heavenly Donut. When I came home from church, I intended to grab a peanut butter sandwich and a protein bar, but didn't. I just stretched and raced out the door.
5 miles into my run I was dominating! I was a machine! Well, that is what I was telling myself. My pace was what I hoped and I was pretty sure I would meet my goal of finishing 12 miles in 114 minutes. I've been running an average of a 9:30 mile to date, and it looked like I would have no problem with that today. My times for the first 5 miles were 9:25, 9:34, 9:18, 9:25 and 9:28.
I turned the corner at mile 5 to a decent hill climb and blazing sunshine. I was running along the road at high noon and there was no respite from the sun. I was really hot and very thirsty.
By the time I reached the boys at 6 miles I thought I was dying of thirst. Mile 6 took me 10: 04. I took a few swigs of precious cool water and told Eli to meet me at the next point in 20 minutes. This is where things started to get ugly.
I ran the next mile pretty slow, and actually switched to a walk when I hit a shady patch twice. I got on the shaded trail that would lead me to more water and decided I couldn't do it. I was too hot, too tired, and too thirsty to press on.
I started to cry. I have never walked during a training run before and I've never not finished the distance I was aiming for.
I tried to recite a scripture from Isaiah "run and not grow weary, walk and not faint, soar, eagles, trust". My brain wasn't even working properly.
Mind won the battle, I decided I couldn't run one more step and I walked briskly to my water stop. I took the bottle from Eli. I was trying to decide if I wanted to grab the water and walk the .25 miles back to the house or grab the water and try to finish. I opted for the latter. I decided run, walk, or crawl I needed to press on.
Miles 9-12 were the most difficult miles of my life. My times ranged from 11:36-12:18. I walked about as much as I ran, I guzzled the rest of the water, and I think I was actually talking to myself in an audible voice saying "you can do this", "just finish" "don't give up", "if you pass out one of the other runners out here today will find you and drag you to safety".
I walked into the house 2:06 after I started. My face was beat red from the sun and my eyes were filled with tears. I finished 12 minutes later than I wanted to. That in itself was not so bad. The part that was so frustrating for me was that it was so hard. So much harder than it has ever been. I have never walked before. I have never felt so spent.
Apparently, the 500 calories that I consumed this morning for breakfast wasn't enough to keep me strong enough to cover the 1400 calories I burned during the run.
The point is I didn't have to run on empty, I could have taken 5 minutes to eat something before I headed out and most likely I would have done a whole lot better. I have a kitchen filled with food that would have been the perfect source of energy to fully equip me for the run, but I chose not to use what I had right in front of me.
How many times have I taken off for my day without taking 5 minutes to take from the source of wisdom, peace, love, encouragement, endurance and understanding? How many times have I found myself exhausted halfway through a difficult situation because I was running on empty?
Not only did my failure to properly prepare for my run today cause frustration and pain for today, but it has caused a cloud of doubt to enter my mind as to whether or not I can finish the race in a few weeks.
I think this is true in life as well. I allow my challenging day one day to cast doubt on what I can handle the next.
"He gives strength to the
weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and
young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their
strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow
weary, they will walk and not be faint. He gives strength to the weary and
increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young
men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they
will walk and not be faint."
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