AirForceRunner suffers at Sulphur Springs 25 km

[AirForceRunner]

I’m doing this report up ASAP as I don’t want to forget a thing. This report is less about the race than it is about the lessons learned.

Preamble
I’ve been sick all week with one seriously nasty bug that kept me away from work for the entire week. After a week of aggressively taking everything under the sun to get rid of it, it shifted to my chest. I thought I’d shaken it. I haven’t.

Pre-race
With the excitement of my first shallonge on my mind, I had a hard time sleeping the night before the race. I finally hit the sack around 12:30, with the alarm set for 3:20 AM. I wasn’t stressing that, because one bad night sleep does not make a difference. I hit the road at 4 am, hoping to catch the start of the 100 (which I did). In the time before the race, met up with Doonst, B_squared, Casual Runner, Alfie, DGrant and my old training partner from Kingston (Andrew).

Race
We all take off together, and I decide to take it conservatively of the start, and I let the fellow shallongers drift away a bit. After the 5 km initial leg, I’m still comfortable, and not far back of the others. Andrew has since been left behind. We head back out for the 20 km leg, and I decided to try and stretch it out a bit to reel the guys in. I catch Casual, and we swap position back and forth for awhile. This is where the ugliness begins. The heat is picking up, and the humidity is playing havoc with my lungs, which begin to fill up. I stop, bark out 3 big coughs, spit, and carry on. It wasn’t long before they’re full again. If I can compare it to anything, it’s like running with your nose plugged, and a giant mouthful of cotton balls. No matter how hard you try, you just can’t get enough air in. This is where the walking started….it was necessary to stave off the tunnel vision…and it became somewhat epidemic.
Andrew caught me at an aid station around 11 kms, and left a second before me. I tried to quit here…funny, huh? I actually mouth the word ‘I’…and said I’d give it one last try. I should have quit. More on this later.
With the lack of air getting through, my form fell apart, and when that happens, the pain begins. My right achilles tendon began a sharp pain every step, but I just chocked that up to the hilly course. It wasn’t altering my already bad form and wasn’t slowing me down (I was already going slowly), so I soldiered on. I walked every uphill and some flats, and tore down the downhills.
The finish kinda snuck up on me, so I gave it what I could, which wasn’t much, but was too much. I crossed, stopped, and that’s when I started seeing stars. I sought out Andrew, told him I was messed up, and then sorta wandered around. I babbled something to the fellow shallongers, felt the knees buckle a bit, and went looking for water. I did not want to go down, because I was afraid I wouldn’t get back up. It’s a bit blurry around this part, but Andrew walked me back to my car to I could cool off and hydrate. This helped, and I felt a little more coherent. I got changed, grabbed the shallonge trophy, and returned to the race site to present it to the winner, B_squared (congrats!). Stuck around for a beer with the boys, and then hightailed it home.

Post Race
This is where it gets a bit scary (for me anyways). I weigh myself each morning (habit), and this morning, I was 167 lbs. Despite all the early hydrating , drinking 2 cups at every aid station, and nearly 2 litres of fluid after, I was down 8 lbs. Factoring all the extra fluids, I was probably down 10 lbs at race finish. Explains nearly passing out. As I type this, my right Achilles is twice as thick as my left one, and has purpley-red discolouration on both sides. This is where I look back to the 11 km aid station. I should have quit. I didn’t. Pride, as they say, is a *****.
I discovered a great deal about myself during this race, and learned a lot more about longer distances. And I have have never suffered like this in my entire running life….not even close.
Congrats to all the Shallongers who whooped me today. I realize this reads like an excuse laden report…its not. Let’s make it clear that even if healthy, I would still have been beaten. My fitness is not there. Let’s just say that two 10 km runs in a day DOES NOT equal a 20 km run. My fallacy was my downfall.

[Tori]

That sounds like a doozy! Get lots of liquids and electrolytes in tonight. That was a huge weight drop! Your lung issues sound similar to what I suffered through last fall, it may be a wise idea to head to the clinic to have it looked at. It may require some antibiotics and an inhaler.

[b_squared]

AFR it was great to meet you and thanks for all the chuckles. That is a tough course under the best of circumstances and you were up against the wall with your chest, and the heat was no help. Get well soon and plot some revenge.

[Mid_Packer]

AFR, yes a tough day, I too was suffering in the humidity. Met you on the trail and ran with you for a bit--before the 11km station.
I was carrying a bottle and when I add up what I drank from the bottle, the stations, the water bottles after (and the 2 beer after) I had about 2.5 to 3 litres and it was a long time before I could pee. So I know how the heat portion felt for you. Sorry to hear of your injury, rest up there still some more season to go !

Dave

[Doonst]

Tough one for sure AFR. I know how being even a little bit sick can knock you down hard in a hot race. You looked pretty shaky at the finish but I had no idea. I hope you recover well and come back for the next big shallonge.

[Darth Tater]

Holy crap man, you gotta take better care of yourself! No race is worth that. (Says the man who had heat stroke after his first marathon...).

[Annelizabeth]

Whhhh glad you made it home safe. Heat really takes a toll eh.

did you end up taking drugs prior?

[AlfiefromPickering]

Congrats .... it was nice seeing you.

[QuickChick]

Yikes, that really is scary. Take care of yourself. I guess it's a good lesson to learn that sometimes dropping out (or DNSing) is the best choice. I wish you hadn't learned the lesson in this way, though. Heal up, ice that achilles, and get better!

[horselady]

Well big (((((((((((((((HUGS to you!!)))))))))))))))))))) Sounds like quite the challenge and you did finish, although you would have been no lesser or a man if you did not under the circumstances.
You have amazing strength and fortitude! Now heal up, look after that Achilles particularily!

[AirForceRunner]

Thanks all...it was tough yesterday. Questioning why the hell we do this, is it worth it, am I cut out for this. The mind plays tricks. While yesterday has led to a re-evaluation of goals for this year, my attitude is already improving. Yesterday, I was through with racing....this morning, if not for my wife smacking me upside the head , I was jumping in the car and heading to Parry Sound for a nice little 5 km race they're having this morning. Funny little game, this running....

So....when is the next shallonge?

[West Grey Runner]

AFR

Sounds like it was pretty tough going being sick and all! Congratualtions on getting it done.

[dgrant]

Sickness + heat is a really tough go. Nice to see you yesterday, and glad your spirits are back up today!

[DougG]

Sorry to hear that Rick. The heat can be b*tch. Hope you have recovered.
You know Rick, for the ONLY time ever in your running career you should have followed my lead and posted dnf.

[Size5]

You gotta know when to hold em, know when to fold em, know when to walk away, know when to run Maybe there should be a line "know when to drink it"

Rough go! Heat sucks. Hang in there though.... and don't just give up on racing based on one crummy sick person's race

S5

[militarybrat]

Rick,
Sounds like it just wasn't your day...
Take the time to heal, there will be many more races.
Nice job on the "trophy"!
Sylvie

[AirForceRunner]

2 days after this event, and its amazing how one's outlook can change.
My goal for this year (and the future) is to get into ultras. On Saturday afternoon, I'd decided I wasn't cut out for ultras. But when I think about what I went through, running sick and dehydrated, and still finished....hell, I think I'm a good fit for ultras.

[b_squared]

2 days after this event, and its amazing how one's outlook can change.
My goal for this year (and the future) is to get into ultras. On Saturday afternoon, I'd decided I wasn't cut out for ultras. But when I think about what I went through, running sick and dehydrated, and still finished....hell, I think I'm a good fit for ultras.

lol, I think your still suffering from the heat ! Oh well, I guess i'll have to find someone else for a 5k shallonge

[Doonst]

2 days after this event, and its amazing how one's outlook can change.
My goal for this year (and the future) is to get into ultras. On Saturday afternoon, I'd decided I wasn't cut out for ultras. But when I think about what I went through, running sick and dehydrated, and still finished....hell, I think I'm a good fit for ultras.

lol, I think your still suffering from the heat ! Oh well, I guess i'll have to find someone else for a 5k shallonge

[AirForceRunner]

2 days after this event, and its amazing how one's outlook can change.
My goal for this year (and the future) is to get into ultras. On Saturday afternoon, I'd decided I wasn't cut out for ultras. But when I think about what I went through, running sick and dehydrated, and still finished....hell, I think I'm a good fit for ultras.

lol, I think your still suffering from the heat ! Oh well, I guess i'll have to find someone else for a 5k shallonge

Now wait....you know me...race addict.
I'd race ya pushing shopping carts full of concrete with our left wrists tied to our right ankles....backwards...blind-folded.....UPHILL!!!
I can't turn down a shallonge, as long as it is geographically feasible.

[HCcD]

lol, I think your still suffering from the heat ! Oh well, I guess i'll have to find someone else for a 5k shallonge

Now wait....you know me...race addict.
I'd race ya pushing shopping carts full of concrete with our left wrists tied to our right ankles....backwards...blind-folded.....UPHILL!!!
I can't turn down a shallonge, as long as it is geographically feasible.

Except the one that was named after him, in his honour, The Airforcey Tri-Fecta Challenge !!!!

[AirForceRunner]

Except the one that was named after him, in his honour, The Airforcey Tri-Fecta Challenge !!!!

Hey now...I had good reasons....another shallonge. LOL!!!

[casual-runner]

Congratulations on finishing - You are a tough fighter. It was nice to meet you.
Great job on the trophy - You definitely have more artistic than running talent ( for not knowing when to quit).
I hope to see you at some trail races when you are 100% healthy.

[AirForceRunner]

You definitely have more artistic than running talent

Isn't there a separate thread for trash talking?