oldold runner wrote:
[...]
That was my WORST race ever, but not my worst PERFORMANCE ever.
Yea big difference
I Don't think many people meself incl wud hav the courage to admit the siches when they have noobed it up. Straight noobery w/o (much) qualification.
SOO... I'll share a cautionary tale.
annual Spring 10-miler race: out in the elements.
First time is modest success without any hitches... (compared to the second time out, focus of this story)
Second time: come in.
undertrained...
misjudging and forgetting the training that went into the success of the first outting...
That is, to say, Underestimating the task involved n' the parameters of no hitches
I wear a new pair of trainers to the race that haven't really been seriously tested and worn in. I don't recall if my feet changed but the shoe was too tight/poor fit.
I had the bright evaluation that, since I was slightly farty the first time out then this (second) time out,
WHY NOT skip breakfast. Conscious decision n' overconfidence, too.
might have not ate much that night b4.
Add to it,
the motivation & personal inspiration I brought going into this the first time is absent this time 'round.
Infact I'd been having vicious arguments/interpersonal strife on many days leading up to, on the very night, and the very morning of the race. (And when I returned!)
Race comes
Into the race shoes start to hurt weather is unexpectedly COLD and WINDEY
Somewhere in a deadmen's land half-ways thru race I'm bonkin', the shoes r hurtin & cutting my ankles.
& it is so cold & windy, I think, I'm going to die.
Stop running n don't even think I can make it walking snail pace. Getting passed by small middleaged n' older ladies. But some Lady comes to my rescue and offers help.
Curiously she thinks I'm just 'nauseous' or something & on the verge of "puking" (she asks if I'm going to throw up, not if I'm cold cut hungry thirsty exausted) as if this a 800/1500m race. Nope it's deadly serious
Her Husband comes along in a car and drives me to safety. Race was long aborted..But more importantly, I learned2 respect the elements, and for longer distances, and everything on up if u come UNprepared it can be life threatening.
I think true whether it is a race or training run somewhere out in the country.
B4 I never was humbled during running like that.
Only on non-running hiking or walking trips in nature or rainstorms or blizzards
The worst race ever?
Would be the type No homo sapein wud want2 have...where there is no happy return to health 2 tell the story...