Running in Lawrence

Since I did my long ride earlier this week, Troy and I planned to do the long run together - outdoors at last! He had 3 hours and I was just under that with 2:45 on the schedule. We were unsure of the weather, as snow flurries/rain were in the forecast, so the plan was to talk this morning and figure it out.
I slept in a little bit (7ish), got up and made some tasty Buckwheat pancakes. Mmmm. And did some work on the computer while waiting for Troy to call.

I got the call around 11, and Troy was ready to roll. Since he had to head to Lawrence anyway, the plan was for me to meet him out there and we would do our run out and around Clinton lake. I quickly got myself together, but probably should've grabbed a little something for lunch. Anyway, I was out the door in about 20 minutes, heading to Lawrence.

It took me forever to get out there due to construction on I-35 and my brainy idea to ditch through NKC - uh, H-E-L-L-O, there's a massive Snake Day parade down there today. So, I had to weave my way around all the parade traffic and construction, finally getting to I-70!

It wasn't until we actually got out of our cars and started layering up for the run, that I realized how cold and windy it really was out there. Ugh...and we have to spend 3 hours in this? I added another layer, covered my ears, made the sad discovery that I did not have my iPod, did a little whining about the cold....and we were ready to run. Troy outlined the route, and the plan really was that I would just follow along. He's faster than I am, so we weren't trying to stay together, it's just nice knowing someone else is out there too. We headed out at 1:11 p.m. (not that I'm exact on my running time or anything). I would say the temp was in the low 30's, but with the wind chill, I'm guessing it felt like 26 or so. Winds were strong, and - luck us - we started out on an uphill INTO the wind.

I was feeling hungry at the start, which really isn't a good thing, but I had my 3-hour bottle of Perpetuum and a bottle of water. Aside from feeling hungry, I really felt pretty strong and ready to put in a good run. So, I hit that initial climb with determination, paying close attention to breathing and form. Troy was a considerable distance ahead, but I could still see him, which was good. That initial uphill stretch was about 3 miles, so it was really nice to reach the top of that and hit a turn and a downhill section that took us into the Clinton lake area.

About an hour later, I had more than warmed up and was able to lose one of my layers. I wished I didn't have two bottles to carry, but perhaps I'll remember to bring a fuel belt next time. I was feeling really good and it seemed that I was keeping a good pace going. We passed a golf course club house, but otherwise, the route was pretty bare and open. Troy passed me a bit later and told me there was a Stop sign ahead where I would turn around. My face was so cold I felt like I couldn't really talk, plus I was starting to feel a little "light" in the brain area.

When I hit that stop sign and turned around, I was shocked to find that I had been running with the help of a tailwind. No wonder I was feeling so strong there for a bit! Now I was head on into the wind, and it wasn't pretty. Almost immediately after that, I started to feel really dizzy and a bit off balance. I checked the level of my Perpetuum and it was about 1/2 gone, so I had definitely been fueling. Troy told me when we passed that he was gonna stop at the clubhouse and then run an extra stretch along the bridge (to get his additional time in). My plan was to keep going - I might also mention that he told me where I would be going at that point.
So, I'm running along, trying to keep a nice pace into the wind. My only goal at that point was to get back to the clubhouse. I figured I would see Troy again there and may confirm the directions for the route.

I got up to the clubhouse, and Troy hadn't come out, so I kept running. At this point, I'm feeling pretty bad. I've been double-timing my fuel, and it's not 2/3 gone, but I still feel extremely dizzy and my legs feel hollow. I would walk a minute and then start running again. Finally when I glanced back at one point, I saw Troy coming behind me. I got up to the place I thought I was turning and just stopped and waited for him. I did some stretching and tried to shake out the dizziness. I knew I asked him for directions a couple times, but apparently it was more than I remember because Troy told me later he had to tell me like 6 times where to go. Oops...I was out of it! He got a water for me, and I'm pretty sure I was telling him I didn't need it. Thankfully I took it, because I did end up drinking all of it on my way back (good thing one of us was coherent! thanks Troy!)

We parted ways again. I just couldn't wait to hit a turn that would take me out of this wind!!! Finally, I reached a turn AND a downhill stretch that would take me back into this valley type area OUT of the wind. I was a happy girl. Once I hit the valley area, it was nice and flat, and the wind wasn't blowing in my face. I even felt a bit of sunshine peeking out. I was starting to feel better!

I got back to the point where we had crossed over into the "park", and remembered that Troy said we would take a different route back. I did not, however, remember what that route was, so I called him. Poor guy was still on the bridge, which I knew meant that he was still getting beat up by the wind! Anyway, he told me a couple roads to take back, avoiding a big climb back the way we came, and I continued on. I was pretty ready to be done running and get into some warm clothes! The route back was just a little bit hilly, and I was so happy to see my turn onto the main road - our cars were parked a ways up this road, but it was nice to know that the end was near!

2 hours and 55 minutes later, I jumped in my Honda and started it right up! I quickly ditched the soaking wet layers for some nice, dry clothes. I mixed up my recoverite drink and gulped it down. After a few minutes thawing out, I got out of the car and did some stretching, while waiting for Troy.

Wahoo! We both finished our longest run before St. Louis. We were spent, cold, tired, and STARVING (of course), so after a few minutes recounting the fun, we decided to grab a bite to eat before calling it a day! Good work, Troy! That's your longest run ever...wahoo!