The Restorative Effect Of A Fig Newton
Knocked out at 19 of 20 today. Mike cruised on past the car to MP the final mile while I collapsed like a rag doll.
I fumbled into the seat, reclined it flat and stared up blankly at the car's ceiling, heart pounding. I raised the water bottle above me and shakily poured the sweet water down the spout producing some relief. Survival on my mind, I shakily dug into Mike's lunch box and found the Fig Newtons. Trembling, I brought one to my mouth and took a bite. In an instant my eyes opened and the lights came back on. Sugar started coursing through the blood vessels delivering small little bits of carbohydrate to the starved cells. My brain started to function, my breathing eased, and life was good yet again.
How quickly one can feel better when provided with food and water.
Today we:
1. Ran the course backwards
2. Experienced strong winds up abrupt hills
3. Ran the 1st half pretty quickly
But only I:
1. Felt the negative effects of the 7:49 to 7:12 progression from mile 4 through 9
2. Instituted a regression as I slowed the pace to 8:49 by mile 13.
3. Felt like throwing up at mile 14.
4. Thought about lying down in the road at mile 16.
In a role reversal, Mike kept the monologue as he chatted breezily into the teeth of the wind up the steep hills that were obviously created by some recent tectonic action since I couldn't account for their presence. I was stunned, astonished, flummoxed. I should have just stopped, thrown up and rolled into the gutter.
Other than that it was good run. 19 miles @ 8:07 pace. 148 HR.
I fumbled into the seat, reclined it flat and stared up blankly at the car's ceiling, heart pounding. I raised the water bottle above me and shakily poured the sweet water down the spout producing some relief. Survival on my mind, I shakily dug into Mike's lunch box and found the Fig Newtons. Trembling, I brought one to my mouth and took a bite. In an instant my eyes opened and the lights came back on. Sugar started coursing through the blood vessels delivering small little bits of carbohydrate to the starved cells. My brain started to function, my breathing eased, and life was good yet again.
How quickly one can feel better when provided with food and water.
Today we:
1. Ran the course backwards
2. Experienced strong winds up abrupt hills
3. Ran the 1st half pretty quickly
But only I:
1. Felt the negative effects of the 7:49 to 7:12 progression from mile 4 through 9
2. Instituted a regression as I slowed the pace to 8:49 by mile 13.
3. Felt like throwing up at mile 14.
4. Thought about lying down in the road at mile 16.
In a role reversal, Mike kept the monologue as he chatted breezily into the teeth of the wind up the steep hills that were obviously created by some recent tectonic action since I couldn't account for their presence. I was stunned, astonished, flummoxed. I should have just stopped, thrown up and rolled into the gutter.
Other than that it was good run. 19 miles @ 8:07 pace. 148 HR.
posted by Andrew at 5:57 PM
3 Comments:
So all that talk about wanting to lie down on the pavement wasn't just an act? Re: the reversed roles, I was just trying my best to distract you from the warm breezes and gentle rises...
Running at that pace would knock me out, too! Moderation, gentlemen, moderation!
Man, you have a way with words!
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