Annual Event

I did 5 circuits of the 3 mile course at Coleen's Sweaty Ass Run in Olathe last night. It's kind of funny that earlier in the day, when someone asked me how far I planned to run, I had mentioned that I would knock out 15 miles and then assess how many more I wanted to complete.  Well, when it came time to 'assess' how I felt, I felt like the first three letters of that word.  It was time to quit.

I had taken in a Vega Orange Zest Gel shot. It was pretty good tasting, but I'm not sure how well it sat.  I also had a banana, a couple of small pieces of watermelon, and a few chips dipped in hummus. Really not much in the way of food.  By the fourth circuit, I had developed a bit of digestive discomfort, which by the fifth lap, became a stomach ache that hurt every time a foot hit the ground.

It may have less to do with the food than with the drink.  I tried my own sports drink, then switched to a tea I had brought.  Next I tried the run's sports drink.  Then water.  Then,with stomach hurting, switched to flat ginger ale.  I wasn't dehydrated. Instead it felt a little bit like too much water/liquid in the gut.

The drive home was less than pleasant.  It was 9:30 ish and I was really tired and felt quite ill.  My stomach was upset, and I kept looking around in case I needed to pull over and throw up.  Luckily I made it home without too much drama.  I knocked down a glass of rice milk with hemp protein and called it a night.

With all the above being said, 15 miles shouldn't kick my butt like it did.  I've done plenty of longer runs in much more strenuous settings recently.  But there is something about the course layout, the time of day (evening vs my usual a.m.), and the charge of running in an actual event that always seem to make the Sweaty and Frozen Ass runs much more challenging.

I have very few other organized runs that I'm considering doing. Maybe the Hawk 100 marathon.  I'm also looking at the Big Bend Ultra.  But Coleen's runs are always on my list.  Unless there is a blizzard, I'll be back for more this winter.