This time, I felt much more prepared!! Even though, we had camped all weekend, I was getting solid sleep at night and we at good healthy meals.
I was also armed with a new nutrition plan for my run!!! Someone in run group mentioned eating boiled potatoes while running, so I figured, "Why not?? Lets give it a try."
Cheri had a small bag of baby potatoes left over from camping so I quartered and boiled them in chicken broth with a generous amount of salt. When they were cooked, but still firm, I rinsed them in cold water and popped them in the freezer for about 15 min to cool them off quickly!! This was all prepared about 5PM on Monday, and my run was supposed to start at 6 so there was no time to waste!! I boiled 2 cups of potatoes, planning on taking 1 cup on the "maiden voyage".
When they were chilled, I put a 1 cup portion in a small bag and carefully placed them in my pack....I wanted boiled potatoes, not mashed potatoes!!!
Mental preperation once again set in, as I I drove the 20 min to the trailhead on the correction line. My target time to finish the 32 km run was 4 hours and 15 min, but who knew what I might run into (literally) throughout the evening. Thirty two kilometers is a lot of trail to plan out and I knew it would be getting fairly dark by 10; so I didnt have a lot of time to spare, nor did I have a headlamp in my pack....
Water stashing is also an important element of any long run. Sucking the last sip of water out of your hydration pack is a HUGE mental blow when you are not near your planned refill station.
I left the truck with 1.5 liters of water in two bottles and headed south about a kilometer to a fork in the trail, that I planned on passing at least twice during the run. I carefully placed them in the shade of a tree, out of sight from any other hikers who might decide it was worth the 10 cents to take the bottles to recycling. That would be then end of the run for sure!!
Heading back north, there was a long straight stretch of road....BORING, but it allowed me to find my stride and settle into an easy 6:45 pace. At the end of the road, I cut into the woods. The wide trail, that I had only run once or twice before, soon turned into a single track!!
For some reason, while running single track, my pace always increases. The ups and downs as the trail traversed the small creek valley made for fun running. Because most of the run was flat, I left my running poles at home. So it took extra focus running up and down the short hills. As the shadows slowly lengthened, the roots and stumps on the trail seemed to grow taller!!!
About 2 hrs into my run I emerged from the trail and back onto the dump road. My hydration pack usually lasts 2 hrs, so I was trying to ration what I knew were my precious last drops until I reached the truck which was about 2 kilometers ahead.
As I crossed the correctio line just before the truck, I ran out of water. Perfect timing!!! I partially filled my hydration pack, the decided it was time to test out the potatoes. Even though I had been eating my steady ration of 2 dates every 24 minutes, I had been running for roughly 2 hrs, and my body was definitly starting to "talk" to me.
When I finished refilling with water, I pulled my potatoes from my pack. To my satisfaction, they were still boiled and not mashed!!! I did an extended walk interval to my water stash and tested the potatoes....
They were like eating the best Angel McNuggets you have ever put in your mouth!! They were smooth and salty, and not the least bit hard to eat with minimal water!!! My mind wandered from my weary legs to my very happy stomach, and I smiled. Even though they were simply delicious, I was concerned they might cause me to bloat so I saved about a quarter of the 1 cup portion for later in my run.
I refilled my pack with the water I had stored under the tree and continued down the paved trail. The wide path looped around the Dunes golf course and I continued on to Hwy 40. At the 24 km mark, I turned around and headed back towards the Dune, then enjoyed the last of my potatoe snack.
By now, the sun was sinking lower into the horizon and the temperature started to drop. The cooler air seemed to invigorate me as I hit the home stretch. I started to calculate the final distance back to the truck and I could tell I was still going to be about 5 km short of my target.
After completing the loop, I refilled my water pack for the last time from my water bottles and headed into the thick spruce forest onto the single track.
By my calculation, I had to run out to km 30, then run back to my truck, which should be at the 32 km mark. While runnig through the tall pines and spruce, every shadow seemd to be a bear, but none of them moved as I ran past. There is nothing like darkness to improve your pace!!! At the turnaround point on the Canfor Rd, I felt like I was on the final leg of my run. Little did I know there were a few "legs" left.
Heading back into thw woods for the final time, it was now nearly pitch black. In the fading light, I spoted what I though was a large toad on the sandy road. Upon closer inspection it apeared to be a very large "deposit" from an animal that fed mostly on berries...I quickened my pace!!!
I could see the full moon starting to rise through the trees and I remembered how a full moon tends to bring out the "crazies". Well, I was still out here, so it MUST be true!!! Suddenly, I could hear a rustling in the trees and it seemed to be keeping pace with me. The racket intensified as two rodents emerged from the grass and sped on ahead of me, up the trail and into the darkness!! It was confirmed, even the squirrels were a bit psycho tonight!!!
With my heart racing I glanced at my watch...I WAS AT 32.12 KM!!!! Somehow, I had misjudged my distance!!!! I was still well over a kilometer from the truck!!!
Not to look like an over-achiever, I stopped my watch but continued running down the dark path. I did not want Coach Krista to see my time and pace and think I was more fot than I really was!! There is nothing like darkness, crazies, and noises in the woods to motivate a sole runner to new personal best!!!
Once I was back on the paved trail, I walked the last kilometer back to the truck. The cool down gave my mind a chance to deflect on my accomplishments of the night. Not only had I completed my 32 km run, I completed it in just under 4 hours and 8 minutes. Well below my target time!!!
(Sorry for the longer post....on a longer run, there is just more to write about!!! Just wait until day to of the Golden Ultra when I run 60 km!!!) 😀
No comments:
Post a Comment