I was scheduled to run a 10K this morning. Piece of cake, I thought. Bottom line, I did not run the race and when I tried to “run my own race”, it did not go well….here’s the scoop from head to toe.
- Head/cognition: I had all of my running gear ready to go (belt, sports beans, hat, bib – check that box). Problem was – I was riding my bike to the run (approximately 10 miles from my home). Night before: tires checked, bike bag placed with running gear, lights charged (pretty dark in the morning). Looks good, yes? One piece missing: bike lock. It usually sits in my bike basket in it’s proper place. Half way to the run, I realized I did not have the lock – ok, the nice guy at the info desk yesterday told me that have bike valet at the race and would give me a ticket (he did qualify that I was the first person that asked about riding their bike…. Hmmm). So I took my chances and low and behold – bike valet was places to “lock your bike in”. What I feared – so, instead of risking bike theft, I figured, OK, ride home and run the 10K – no problem…
- Learning: Always put things in the same place and put them back when you use them. Have a check list, especially for when you go your usual routine.
- Heart: I was pleased to see that I was getting some good exercise riding my bike. My Garmin watch linked to my iPhone told me my heart rate was in the 140s going up hills and back down to the low 100s on the straight away. Goody!
- Learning: the fact that I did have an elevated heart rate with good recovery (all good) demonstrated that I was just not having a scenic lolly gag bike ride. I was trying to get to the race.
- Stomach: Had my usual pre morning muffin… Nice flax seed with carrots and raisins. I figured, this would hold me for a 6 mile run, I even had some sports beans and yogurt covered raisins in my pack (oh yeah, there was a 10 mile bike ride before the run, duh).
- Learning: Proper fueling is important for every race and oh yes, don’t forget EVERYTHING you are doing (bike ride included).
- Legs: Ah yes…
Here is a little tidbit I found that hit the nail on the head. Rubber Legs!! Gumby – that was me.
“When you work out harder or longer than you are used to, your muscles must adjust to the increase in intensity. Exercising causes slight damage to your muscles, which encourages them to increase in both size and strength as they heal, John Ivy notes in his book, “The Performance Zone.” If you injure your muscles more extensively than normal activity causes, your legs may feel rubbery when you first end your exercise session. Rubbery legs are more likely to occur when you increase the intensity or duration of your workout. It also can happen if you do activities that primarily require the use of your legs, such as running or riding your bike.”
Reference: https://www.livestrong.com/article/550714-rubbery-legs-after-exercise/
Overall Lesson: Don’t wing it – have a better plan.