Week 10- Maybe Hot Wings Create a Wall ?

     Due to Scheduling issues I spent this week running 5 hours earlier in the day then I usually do which when you enter a full Gym at 4 or 5 in the evening it is (at least mine) packed with the after work crew, which is cool to see. When I show up it is usually empty and I like it that way. I spend most of my work day with people all around me asking for help with different projects/problems and most of my time at home with a 1 and 3 year old that do nothing but try and come up with questions about why stuff is the way it is (as cute as it sounds it is still mentally draining.) So at the gym I'm there to work so i keep my head phones on most of the time even if they are off just so I don't get the random jogger next to me on a treadmill wanting to discuss who I'm voting for or how crazy am I to be running on a treadmill for 2 hours. I also get a few looks because lately I've lived in some form of compression gear due to being in the biggest part of my training schedule and trying to cut down recovery time wherever possible. So during runs I wear 2XU Calf Compression which everyone seems to think are leg warmers. And I sleep in 2XU full bottom compression, But i can almost run everyday so I really don't care what they think if it works.

                                                               My Normal Gym View

     I took an extra days rest before my long run. Then made a grave error in judgment. I ate hot wings a couple of hours before my long (11 miles) run which I can only assume led to the wall I hit right after mile 7.

I started the run as normal a gel during my pre run stretch and warm up. My legs felt tired and it took almost 3 miles to get into a rhythm. By then I already was 3 minutes off my goal and getting worse by the minute at mile 6 I took a 2nd gel and started to feel like I was going to be OK then Mile 7. The wheels fell off. I had to slow my pace to a crawl (slowest mile in the last month) I couldn't keep the sweat out of my eyes my stomach starting bubbling with hot sauce, then it got bad. My legs tightened up and my stride shrunk. So I decided to do something I have never done before. I jumped off the treadmill and used the restroom. I then jumped back on wiped the sweat out of my eyes, took a quick gulp of Gatorade and turned up the treadmill to just under my normal pace and jumped on and fought through the last 3 miles. I kept repeating a line I heard during a Iron man Kona a few years ago from Mirinda Carfrae said during a interview "Everyone feels hurt and pain, NO ONE wants to keep running but the difference between winners and losers is when they feel the pain do the stop or do the keep going"  So I choose to keep going even if I didn't meet my goal time I finished my workout and I always tell myself someday some workout I decided to finish and not quit will be the difference between winning or losing. My run is in the chart below (Notice the wall dip during mile 7.

     I also wanted to send a special shout out to @IronTexasMommy, She is someone everyone should follow on twitter. She is super quick with helpful advice and always has something positive to add. She is also getting ready for a ultra 50, which is awesome !!