18 and Life!

** UPDATE!!  Pics have been added of me and the run!  Thanks to the one, the only, Ken "Trail Zombie" Childress!**

Saturday runs are somewhat ritualistic for me.  I have a pretty set ritual that starts at all kinds of unreasonable hours.  The first part of the ritual begins the night before, when I lay out the gear I think I'll need.  Then I shower and apply whatever ointments I am currently using for the aches and pains.  Then I carefully clean off those areas that I am going to tape.  They say to use alcohol, but since I don't really drink, I chose to use Sea Breeze.  Then I put KT Tape on.  Lately, this has included taping my foot where it has been hurting, my knees and my elbow.  Then I set my alarm and crawl into bed for the few hours of sleep.

My alarm starts a new round of rituals.  The required slapping of the snooze, of course.  The panic when I realize I've slapped it a couple of times too many, causing me to be late.  Then I get up and start with my skin layer.  Underwear and compression shorts tops the list.  Then whatever ace bandage wrappings I decide I need come next.  Then shirts and shorts get pulled on.  Finally, if it is cold, I put on my outerwear.  Finally, I round up my "expendables" for the run, grab my wallet and keys and head out, trying to get to our starting point early enough that my slow tukis is not the last one in.

So, today's run was no different.  Last night I checked the weather and knew it was expected to be in the low 20s and planned accordingly.  I laid out my headlamp, windsuit, compression shorts, ace bandages, both sets of gloves, my hat and my shirts.  I also laid out my nutrition for the run.  I showered and put tape on.  It was later than usual and so I skipped the ointments, although I usually use Tiger Balm.  I put the tape on my foot and my right knee and my right elbow, which has been pretty sore lately.  Then I set my alarm and crawled into bed.

Strangling the alarm because I had finally had a nice dream (They've been pretty rare in the last 9 months), I got up and started my morning.  The first thing I do is check the temperature.  18 degrees.  Fahrenheit.  14 degrees below the freezing point of water.  Now that's cold and for an instant, I thought about just forgetting it and crawling back into the bed.  Instead, I wrapped my right knee and my right arm, pulled on my compression shorts, my shirts and my windsuit pants.  I pulled on some homemade sleeves made out of some old socks, my wind jacket, an additional jacket, 2 sets of gloves, my hat and headlamp. 

The other day, I was at one of the big-name Athletic stores in town picking up some stuff and I pass by the nutrition aisle.  I see something different to try and so I pick it up.  It's by Gatorade and I trust them with my drink, so I figure why not try this.  So this morning I put my Gatorade Series Pro 01 Prime Nutrition Bar in my pocket along with my bottles of Gatorade.  So I have my fluids, my nutrition, my gear and I am about as ready as I figure I am gonna get.  I stop off at McDonalds again for the same pre-run meal and Iget to the starting point a little after 7.  It is still 18 degrees and it is still dark.  I get things together and get stepping off.  By this time it is 7:10 in the morning and I am on the course.  My legs are fine, my arm aches a little, as does my foot.  But it's not bad and I am off at a decent walking pace.  Around the first mile, I miss a turn and go long.  Recovering, I move on.  Before I even realize it, I've covered 2 miles.  I see Kathy Hoover pull up and she asks how I am.  The hills and the headlong segment into the rather breezy north wind are certainly making me tired, but my new gear is holding up very well.  Better than I had expected at these temps.  I tell her I'm doing ok, tired, but not even chilled, except in the face.

I move on out and by the time I make 3 miles, I realize that without being really aware of it, I've been moving at near my 5k pace and I think, wow, I could keep this up for a while longer, but then I think that maybe I should slow down a bit.  So I do.  At 3 miles, my foot isn't bothering me too much and I am feeling good, so I go ahead and try the new nutrition.  It's delicious.  The flavor is called Chocolate Chip, but the taste is kinda like a rice krispie treat combined with cinnamon and spice oatmeal, sprinkled with chocolate chips.  I find it very tasty and easier to eat than the tigers mile I normally carry.  I eat half of it and take in some of my Gatorade and keep on going.  Shortly thereafter, I had a squirrel come within a foot of me and stop and look up at me.  I think he was hungry and thought I was a nut. 

At 4 miles, I am beginning to feel my foot ache more and I start thinking about shortening the run again.  I stop and eat the other half of my nutrition bar and look at the map to start planning accordingly.  I hate doing it, I feel the desperate need to finish the full length of the run, but when you run hurt, you have to make some concessions.  Today's came a few steps too late for me to get back under my own power, although I didn't know it at the time.  I made the turn that would have shaved 3/4 of a mile from the total and headed down to make it back.  As I neared mile 5, I knew I still had too far to go and the pain was really beginning to ramp up in my foot.  I kept going as long as I could, crossing the 5 mile mark.  Finally, I end up sitting down as I am afraid if I don't, I could jeopardize further training efforts. People who know me know I absolutely hate not making it back to the finish under my own power.  I hate the idea of accepting rides while I am on the course.  But I ended up having to call for a ride today.  I had reached the end of what   While I am waiting on a ride in, I sit and reflect.  I know I have gone further than last week.  I also know that I had a great time off the start, even with a hurt foot.  I've tried new nutrition and found that it is something that will work for me.  And even more than all of that, my new gear for cold weather performed better than expected.  Above and beyond anything, I am thrilled with that.  18 degrees plus a constant 5-10 mile per hour wind gives a wind chill around 9 degrees F as an average.  And in all of that, I could stand or sit still for a short time without any major chill.    It was not that long ago that I was terrified of hypothermia.  After this morning, I know I am good for upto 3 hours in subfreezing weather and I know what kind of gear I need to wear to be so.  I went further on an injured foot in these crazy temperature, to boot. Maybe it sounds crazy, but I feel more alive, not being afraid of the cold anymore.

Nutritional Facts on the Gatorade Nutrition Bar:

Calories    230    Sodium    170 mg

Total Fat    4 g    Potassium    430 mg

Saturated    1 g    Total Carbs    39 g

Polyunsaturated    0 g    Dietary Fiber    2 g

Monounsaturated    0 g    Sugars    16 g

Trans    0 g    Protein    10 g

Cholesterol    10 mg        

Vitamin A    20%    Calcium    30%

Vitamin C    45%    Iron    6%