Saguaro Labor Day 8-miler

I hate running.  The only thing I enjoy about running is the way I feel after I stop running.  My body is finally getting used to the act of running, and I can definitely run much farther now than I could a year ago... but I'm dreadfully slow, I get bored, and it's just not very much fun for me.  I'd much rather be riding my bicycle, traveling further distances and going at much higher speeds.  Despite all of this, I am signed up to run a half-marathon in October which goes straight up the highway on Mt. Lemmon.  In other words, I'm paying money to wake up before sunrise, and run 13.1 miles uphill at high elevations, and probably be miserable for multiple hours.  I can't really explain the thought process that led to that decision.


So I'm scheduled to run this race in October, and have been trying to psyche myself up to really start training so that my life will be a little bit easier come race day.  Given how much I loathe running, it should go without saying that my training has been seriously lacking.  I don't run often enough, and when I do run, I never run for long or far enough.  So what do I do?  Josh and I decided yesterday that we were going to participate in the annual Labor Day run at Saguaro National Park, which is an 8-mile race around the paved loop road in the park- which is incredibly hilly and has no shade whatsoever.  This way, I have to pay for an entry to the race (meaning I'm not likely to quit before I get to the end because I'd be wasting my money), I have hundreds of people around me also running (subconscious pressure not to royally suck and/or come in last), and hey, I get a tshirt out of the deal too.  


Oh, and did I mention that this course is hilly?  

I went into this race with no expectations or goals other than to get through it. I knew I would be slow, and I knew that I would have to walk quite a bit.  I decided not to carry anything with me because there were water stations on the course every 2 miles, and I figured that that would be plenty of hydration along the way.

We ran off with the pack when the gun sounded and I was immediately passed by everyone around me, and continued to be passed by countless runners for the next few miles. I think I maybe passed two or three people at one of the aid stations. Aside from being slightly put off by the fact that I was running but still being passed by everyone, I was feeling good. I ran every uphill and never stopped running until I got to the base of the big hill at about mile 3.5, then started walking to get up the climb, feeling pretty good about being almost halfway done with this mess. 

About midway up the hill to the water station, I started to feel really hot and lightheaded. It hit me really fast out of nowhere and I almost felt like I couldn't stand up anymore. I briefly stopped twice to put my hands on my knees and try to cool down, but there was no shade anywhere and the sun just felt like it was hitting me in the head with a hammer. I knew the water station was close, so I forced myself to keep walking, but MAN it was rough. As soon as I got to the water station, I flopped down to the ground and sat on my butt... a park ranger came over and brought me some water and a cup of Xood, asked me how I was doing, checked my pupils to make sure I wasn't dying or anything, and told me that they could have somebody come to pick me up if I decided not to continue. I insisted that I felt good, my legs felt good, I just needed to make my head cooperate with me. It was so frustrating to sit there and watch people come up the hill and pass me. After drinking about 5 cups of water and throwing 3 more on my face/head/back, I decided to give it another go. Mr. Park Ranger told me that he was radioing my number to the next station and that they'd be watching for me, just in case. I probably lost almost 10 minutes between staggering up the hill and sitting at the water station. 

I left the station walking, with a full cup of water in my hand. I walked almost the next mile, sipping on my water and trying to stay as cool as possible. Finally around mile 5 I was able to pick up my pace and start jogging again. By this point, a lot of people had slowed down and started walking the course so I was actually able to pass a good portion of the people who had passed by me at the water station. I felt surprisingly decent, and was careful to walk most of the uphills so as not to get too hot again, and definitely walked the last two water stations and poured lots of ice water on myself. The rest of the course was pretty uneventful, I was just trying to stay consistent and get through it. I was able to pick up my pace and pass about 5 people in the last few hundred yards, so despite being almost at the very back of the pack, I came into the finish feeling strong.


My time was 1 hour, 49 minutes, 48 seconds.  I was number 631 out of 660.  In other words, I was really damn slow and pretty damn close to coming in last.  Usually I think I'd be sort of pissed about this, but I'm okay with it for this one.  Considering that I haven't run much lately, and have only ever run this distance once before, and I'm not used to running hills... I'm not too upset with how I did. The fact that I'm not very sore right now probably means that I could have pushed myself harder, but considering my issues with the heat, I'm happy just to have pulled through and finished.  


The moral of this story is that I need to carry more water with me.  And run more in general.  But I'm pretty sure Mt Lemmon is going to suck no matter what.