Pass the Midol, cuz I got cramps

[bluegoose]

Just a quick run-down of my marathon this weekend in Sacramento.

I've been preparing for it since finishing cycling season in July. To date, my longest run was 20 miles, about 4 weeks ago. I've had a few minor overuse injuries, including shin splints, foot neuroma and hip flexor strain, but most of these have healed nicely in the past 3 weeks. So basically I had no excuses going into this weekend.

Weather was great (53° at start) until about 10:00 when the temps jumped up to almost 80 degrees, about 20 degrees warmer than what I usually run in.

At the half marathon split, I was in decent shape, on pace for a 3:50, close to my target of 3:45.

Then the cramps hit me. About mile 17 I could feel things start to tighten up a little bit, but was able to work through it. At mile 20, both quads, both calves and my left hamstring all sequentially began cramping up on me if I tried to go faster than about 9:15 per mile. So my pace dropped significantly for the last 6 miles, also reducing me to a walk every mile or so.

I've never felt that kind of pain before - a searing pain in my quads with every step. The joints were all fine – absolutely no pain whatsoever. But the muscle pain was pretty unbelievable.

So I hobbled across the finish line with my 8 year old son who met me 100 yards up the trail. About 45 minutes slower than I had hoped, but I'm not really bothered by that. It felt good to finish, especially with how freaking hard it turned out to be.

[pelagius]

I have no desire to every try a marathon but it really is an impressive feat. Good work, bluegoose even if it was slower and harder than expected.

Are you going to do another one?

[BigPiney]

way to tough it out and finish.

That is a killer when temps soar. Your body doesn't seem to know how to handle it.

Congrats on your first, and good luck recovering.

[bluegoose]

I have no desire to every try a marathon but it really is an impressive feat. Good work, bluegoose even if it was slower and harder than expected.

Are you going to do another one?

Give me a few days or months to think about it. Right now I say no. But thats mainly due to the fact that I was stuck on the toilet last night for 20 minutes because I couldn't stand up and no one would help me.

[SteelBlue]

I'm impressed with the gutsy finish goose.

[cougjunkie]

Sounds like Vagisil or Monistat is more in order for your Pussitis.

Just kidding, congrats on gutting it out.

[Teenage Dirtbag]

Cramps are the worst. My first marathon in SLC, I was on pace for 3:50, cramped at mile 18ish, and had to run/walk it in to a 4:28 finish. It was depressing.

There is hope, though. I trained a bit harder for the next one and finished in 3:46. Take another shot at it!

[bluegoose]

Cramps are the worst. My first marathon in SLC, I was on pace for 3:50, cramped at mile 18ish, and had to run/walk it in to a 4:28 finish. It was depressing.

There is hope, though. I trained a bit harder for the next one and finished in 3:46. Take another shot at it!

That sounds exactly like my day on Saturday.

I think if I ever do it again I will start my specific training program a month earlier and work in 2 more 18-22 mile runs. I only really got 2 or 3 runs in that were over 2 hours. I feel like it cost me in the end, as my muscles weren't accustomed to the pounding on the pavement for that long.

That, and plan for the heat a little better. Aside from one run that Steel and I did where the temps were in the mid-80's, I literally haven't run in anything over 60 or 70 degrees this year.

[Teenage Dirtbag]

That sounds exactly like my day on Saturday.

I think if I ever do it again I will start my specific training program a month earlier and work in 2 more 18-22 mile runs. I only really got 2 or 3 runs in that were over 2 hours. I feel like it cost me in the end, as my muscles weren't accustomed to the pounding on the pavement for that long.

That, and plan for the heat a little better. Aside from one run that Steel and I did where the temps were in the mid-80's, I literally haven't run in anything over 60 or 70 degrees this year.

Are you a heavy sweater? I am pretty much drenched 7-8 miles in, and getting dehydrated sets me up for cramps big time. I've also noticed my calf cramps are worse if I run/walk too much. It's better for me to just keep running, even if it's slow.

[BigPiney]

That sounds exactly like my day on Saturday.

I think if I ever do it again I will start my specific training program a month earlier and work in 2 more 18-22 mile runs. I only really got 2 or 3 runs in that were over 2 hours. I feel like it cost me in the end, as my muscles weren't accustomed to the pounding on the pavement for that long.

That, and plan for the heat a little better. Aside from one run that Steel and I did where the temps were in the mid-80's, I literally haven't run in anything over 60 or 70 degrees this year.

That reminds me of when my wife ran Boston. Training in the spring aroudn here is cool. Then we show up at the race and it was 85 at the start. and a whole hell of a lot more humid than the single digit humidity we have around here. I thought my wife was going to die.

[bluegoose]

Are you a heavy sweater? I am pretty much drenched 7-8 miles in, and getting dehydrated sets me up for cramps big time. I've also noticed my calf cramps are worse if I run/walk too much. It's better for me to just keep running, even if it's slow.

I am usually a very light sweater, but I did notice that I was pouring it on pretty good on Saturday. I took my Sportband off several times to let it dry out as I was afraid it was going to let moisture into the display.

I'm sure I was dehydrated. I do have a Nathan hydration belt with 2 10oz bottles, but opted for a GU-only belt this week, figuring that I would eat a GU just before the water stops and then drink some water and electrolytes at each station.

Especially later on, I couldn have definitely used the extra water and am kicking myself for not taking the bigger pack. I don't mind carrying it at all. I just figured I wouldn't need it with water stops every 3-4 miles.

And I agree with you on the jog/walk thing. In fact, my legs typically feel much worse if my pace drops below 9:00 miles or so.

[Teenage Dirtbag]

That reminds me of when my wife ran Boston. Training in the spring aroudn here is cool. Then we show up at the race and it was 85 at the start. and a whole hell of a lot more humid than the single digit humidity we have around here. I thought my wife was going to die.

Dude...we get it, your wife ran Boston. Why do you insist on rubbing it in our faces? Geez!

[BigPiney]

Dude...we get it, your wife ran Boston. Why do you insist on rubbing it in our faces? Geez!

When my wife ran St George in 3:23 she didn't have any heat related problems. That is a good time of year to run and it starts early enough that you generally don't have to worry about the heat.

But when she ran The Boston Marathon, it was hot.

I have never seen so many people at aid stations. She said that there were people stopped and dropping out at the first aid station that at the 5 k mark. As a result of the heat they also added additional water stops so that after the 5 k mark there was a water / gatorade stop every mile. So every even mile they had them on the right hand side of the road on the odd miles they were on the left. So as she ran she zig zagged along the course getting fluid at each stop.

Even with the added water stations, she (My Wife) said that every aid station was full. I mean this is THE BOSTON MARATHON. These aren't a bunch of bozos out there. They had to qualify for the opportunity to run (something some around here will never do apparently), and yet they couldn't handle it.

My Wife started around position 9600 out of the 20,000 plus people that started (based on qualifying time), but finished the Boston Marathon in around 4000 th place. So that means the she passed at least 5000 people that qualified faster than her.

So there.

[Teenage Dirtbag]

They had to qualify for the opportunity to run (something some around here will never do apparently),

Don't be so hard on yourself, you may get there eventually. I believe in you!

[BigPiney]

Don't be so hard on yourself, you may get there eventually. I believe in you!

Well that makes one of us.