Post Race Report - Lessons Learned

Yesterday, I talked about what went well.Today, I'm talking about what didn't go so well during the 2-day run last weekend.

Lessons Learned

Gatorade

While I did train with Gatorade, I didn't train with Gatorade right out of the bottles. I had always mixed it at home and I have the feeling that my home mix was diluted a bit. The stuff from the bottles was not. I used the bottles to fill my back pack and then consumed some afterward to replenish my electrolytes.

While I felt good after the first couple of segments, my stomach absolutely ached after the first day. I had too much sugar and my body wasn't ready for it. For the most part, the only sugar I have is natural sugar, like what's found in fruits and vegetables, so I wasn't used to this much on one day.

My upset stomach on day 2 caused serious problems. I couldn't eat much for breakfast because my stomach was upset and I didn't want to get sick. I didn't have much in between 4 and 5 for the same reason. This means that I didn't have enough calories to keep going, but I also couldn't eat too much because I would get sick.

It wasn't until we finally stopped at a Dunkin Donuts and I got two bagels that I finally started to feel like myself. I think I was a bit grouchy and listless prior to that, but those bagels were just what I needed to keep myself together.

Reverse the route

In retrospect, I probably should have started south in Nashua and gone north toward my home in Concord. That would have provided a couple of advantages.

1. I would have been closer to home when I was more tired near the end. That would have given me extra rest time.
2. I could have stayed with a friend in Nashua which would have lessened the travel time early on.
3. Friends could have met me in Concord and we could have all run the last mile or two. It would have been neat to have more than just one person around when I finished.

Transportation time

Another tough part was the lack of time between segments to rest. I don't know if it could have been helped (except maybe by reversing the route, noted above). It was just tough to only be home for 45 minutes at the most before having to leave again. In some cases, I was only home for 15 minutes before I had to change and go again.

The aftermath

I got home around 6:30 on Sunday evening and immediately showered. After plopping down on the couch for a couple of minutes, I ordered a meat lover's pizza from the local place. I picked it up and had my first beer in a week. It tasted good, but I just couldn't have much because my stomach was still upset.

I spent most of Sunday stumbling around, which continued through the early part of the week. I had the typical quad, hamstring, calf soreness, but I also had the problem with the outside of my foot that I discovered during segment 5/6. I'm hoping that I don't have a fracture, but it's been feeling better over the last couple of days, so I'm thinking not.

I definitely believe that my running shoes gave out. As soon as I'm functional, I'm going to the running store to get them replaced. I've got a half-marathon scheduled for two weeks from now, but I'll play that by ear based on how I feel. No need to prove anything to anyone, especially myself after this crazy run.