10k + 85 degrees and Humid Equals Exhaustion

07 Jun 2008

10k + 85 degrees and Humid Equals Exhaustion

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10k Race

Ran a 10k on Thursday after being volunteered for a team that needed sub 45 minute runners. I hadn’t done as much distance training lately as I’d like to have, but I stay i pretty good shape and thought, “why not?” Well, there were about 60-70 people in this local race and most were pretty good runners, although there were a few people just looking to knock out that first 10k, which is great!

My Strategy

I normally start out a 10k near the front of the pack, but not too close because I don’t want to burn out and get passed near the end of the race. However, this time there were probably 10-20 people that nearly sprinted out the gate which put me further in the back than I’d liked to have been. I wanted to try and keep up, but better judgment prevailed and I kept with my strategy.

Struggles

Well, for the first time I can remember, my second wind didn’t kick in when it normally does, which is somewhere around the 2 mile mark. Normally, after my adrenaline settles and I get my legs underneath me, I get a really strong surge from the 2-4 mile mark and then at the 5-6 mile mark. This time, I started feeling worse and not better…I was also feeling very lightheaded. I started to get worried I wouldn’t gain any ground and would start losing more than I was willing to accept. I kept pushing though and kept my eyes on another runner I often race against, to make sure I wasn’t letting up too much.

The Finish

Finally, after battling through what felt like severe dehydration (the humidity and heat was really starting to get to me), I caught a slight second wind around the 4.5 mile mark and used it to gain some ground and pass 5-8 people I knew I could beat. I kept the “one foot in front of the other” mentality and promised I wouldn’t quit. 49 minutes after I started, after what felt like the longest final mile EVER, I crossed the finish line. In the last 50 yards I heard footsteps and there was another person behind me that tried to beat me, but luckily I was able to kick it up a gear and stay ahead of him. I finished with an overall time of 49:42, which is about 4 minutes off of my own PR, but the winner only ran a 43 minute race, so I wasn’t that far off. I finished in 16th place overall and our team in 4th.

I’ve got a 10 miler next Friday but I will be ready for that one…thank God it starts at 6:30am and not 8.

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http://twitter.com/nhangen/status/ Nathan Hangen

my latest 10k blog is up: http://www.nathanhangen.com/blog/10kexhaustion
Nathan Hangen

my latest 10k blog is up: http://www.nathanhangen.com/blog/10kexhaustion
http://kelownagurl.blogspot.com Kelownagirl

Sounds like awful conditions. I don’t know how you run in humidity – I would wilt.
admin

Well, to be honest I wasn’t really as ready for the race as I’d liked to have been, but it was more of a training race for this coming 10 miler. Thankfully it starts at 6:30 am so it won’t be too hot yet.
http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5 Chris Guillebeau

Hey man, keep it going. 10k is a weird distance, I think. Combining that with 85 degrees and humidity can be tough.
http://NathanHangen.com nathan

10k is a tough distance because it is such a hybrid, and I seem to do better as the race gets longer. I’ve done 1 half, but I’d like to do a few more and then go marathons and up from then on. However, I would like to hit that sub 20 5k, sub 40 10k, and sometime BQ time.

In the end though, I just love running and races are a GREAT way to challenge yourself. A year ago I’d never be doing this.

Thanks for stopping around Chris and let me know if you get within that 3:10:00 time, I’ll have to join you in Boston.