Hilo to Volcano 50k Run : Pain Redifined

http://www.trailguru.com/wiki/index.php/Track:3Q69

User: Hilomike
Category: Running
Start: 2009/01/24 06:00
Finish: 2009/01/24 12:42
Duration: 06:42:34
Distance: 31 miles
Min Elevation: ~5 ft
Max Elevation: 3848 ft
Calories: ~4000



I prepared well nutritionally for this race. My stomach didn't give any issues before, during, or after. I also didn't feel hungry. 2 days prior: normal-sized meals, heavy on starches. 1 day prior: normal breakfast, large-sized carb-heavy lunch (greek pasta salad, potato salad, thai tofu salad, sprouts), normal-sized carb-heavy dinner (whole-grain pasta with pesto and eggplant).

I wasn't physically ready for a decent pace. Need to pick up the pace and distance. More intervals. More strength training. More cross training.

My iPhone wouldn't start tracking at the beginning of the race so I had to edit the stats. It also missed half of the race, recording about 16 miles.

My sister Teri did a great job supporting me. She drove my Titan for the first time, stopping every odd mile and sometimes every mile marker. She kept me hydrated and fed with Gatorade, room-temp Coca-Cola, Werther's Original and bananas.

The other thing that failed were my legs. I felt great for the first 15 miles. I kept a great pace, just over 10 min miles, looking to speed up a bit on the second half to just under 10.

At mile 17, I hopped onto my tailgate to change my socks and shoes. As soon as I sat down, both my legs cramped up big time. Both calves, both hamstrings. I immediately jumped down and forced my legs straight. That was a BIIIG SUUUCK! I was scared. I ran for a mile or so and realized the shoe-swap was a bad idea. The fresh socks was a good idea.

I am not running in my old Saucony's anymore. They put a lot of pressure on the sides. Instead of swapping shoes, I might opt for swapping insoles. My legs kept cramping up everytime I tried to run again.

Greg caught up with me and his positive attitude really motivated me. He had his wife wait for me at the next stop to give me a li hing mui seed and a gu gel. Teri went to get me some seeds of my own from a Mt View store (I think that's where we were).

I began to feel the muscular strain of my longest distanced, highest altitude gain. About 22 miles in, along came joint and ligament pain. I finally was able to run without cramping up at around mile 28. But the pain in my feet and knees was too much strain to run for more than a 1/4 mile.

I met the infamous marathoner Michael Brown along the later part of the run. We were fairly close in pace so we may train together. He's shooting to qualify for this season's Ironman, 20-29 age group.

My iPhone and iPod Shuffle survived the entire race too!

At my first marathon, a lot was learned about pace, nutrition, hydration, the power of encouragement and the human spirit.