Worlds Worst Race (opposite of AW)

[shauni27]

I ran my fourth half on Sunday with my only goal being to enjoy the 13.1 miles. 

Not so much.

It was SO hot.  Started out at 8 am already in the high 70s.  And humid.  And not a cloud in site.  My 100% frozen water belt bottles were melted before we took off.  By mile 3 people were already walking a LOT.  By mile 4 I started getting cold chills and had to stop and walk (would rather be safe than sorry!).  Drank at least double the amount of water and gatorade that I normally do for a half.  By mile 5 (first big hill) which I can normally run and that most people run up, almost everyone around me was walking.

I kept taking it slow ("no time goal, just finish!" i told myself) and having to walk because of the feverish chills I was having.  It was miserable.  My whole body just felt exhausted.

I kept going, walking a lot, knowing I was getting closer.  It was discouraging seeing the time at mile 10 and knowing that at that point during this race last year I was cruising across the finish line. 

Kept going.  Chills.  Walking.  Running. 

Finally finished and they were OUT OF WATER.  They had some cups of warm water that they were giving out so I took one and just kept walking.  Made it out of the finishers shoot and saw my husband and burst into tears.  I knew I was going to pass out soon if I didn't sit down, but it was a giant, sunny, huge field.  No shade.  So I said "let's just walk to the truck and get out of here."  But I couldn't make it.  I collapsed sort of on the side of the road and just literally couldn't move.  The medics brought me some ice and coconut water and pretzels, all of which made me feel worse (except the ice).  Got lifted into my husbands truck and couldn't even buckle myself in.  It wasn't that my body was tired, it was that I felt like I was going to faint.  Finally made it home just in time for me to projectile vomit everywhere (lovely, eh?) 

All in all my body has never felt worse.  It was the most miserable experience of my life, and if I wasn't already planning to take a SERIOUS break from running, I certainly am now!  I don't even want to do the 5K I have in 2 weeks!

[thom]

So sorry dear! The heat can be so hard on your body, especially early spring/summer. Hope you're doing ok now. I get a sick stomach when really dehydrated, so really keep up your fluids the next few days. Congrats on finishing, and enjoy a nice break.

[tuggyruns]

Way to finish a tough race! Sorry to hear you got so sick though! You'll get through this and have a renewed view of what is possible now that you pushed through this!

[clseale]

Oh, I'm sorry. You've had a rough run of it lately. That sounds miserable. It's getting ready to get so horrible, weather wise. Sounds like the perfect time to take a much needed break. Hope you feel better soon!

[shauni27]

I am just so glad it is over with and I can focus on something other than running races!

My friend who has finished first place for females the last three years in this race (1:20 last year) took 1:57 this year because of the heat. It was so brutal.

[coconutbug]

Ugh, that sounds awful. Congrats on finishing though and hope you recover quickly!

[wambam]

That sounds AWFUL. Shake it off lol.

[adcobe]

You did awesome for finishing! Heat is so brutal on the body. Take the break from running and don't feel bad about it!

[grk2012]

That sounds ridiculously awful! Glad you made it through.

[skwcm80]

Wow!! You should be proud that you made it through the race, it sounds like the conditions were horrendous.

[Brit]

Wow, that sounds like a horrible experience. I'm so glad that you are ok. I'm surprised that they didn't black flag the race!

[libbygrl109]

Wow, it's fantastic that you were able to finish under such horrible conditions. Please take care of yourself today, and enjoy your break.

[lb2006]

glad you are okay - i've had a half-marathon like that. Always the 1st weekend in June.

After one particularly BAD year with temps in the 80s and no shade, they opted to start the half at 6am for races going forward. MUCH better

[cinco]

That sounds miserable. I'm glad you are okay!

[breezy8407]

That sounds awful. Glad you are okay. You still did it though

[pixy0stix]

Damn. You made it without dying, that's something, right? I'm making a mental note to myself not to do any summer races.

[taratru]

That sounds horrible! I can't believe you powered through. Get some rest the next couple of days!

[shorty20]

Oh no, I'm so sorry it was so rough!  Glad you're okay though!

[gt7301b]

That sucks, I'm glad you are okay. You affirmed my plan of avoiding races longer than a 10K from June -August.

[shauni27]

Last year this race was PERFECT running weather--high 50s and low 60s. Previous year it was mid 60s. Early morning races at the start of June in New England should be wonderful for racing, but we have been having serious heat this spring!

I am taking it easy, slept in this morning, LOTS of liquids, no exercise for the next few days (scheduling conflicts) and a massage for tomorrow...I cannot WAIT for that massage, despite lots of walking, my body is SO sore!

[LWoods]

Oh gosh! Good job finishing, but take care of yourself!

[sadlebred]

It sounds awful!

[humpforfree]

Oi! That sounds so bad.. I can relate- my Saturday half turned 10k was exactly the same.. All the way down to chills and feverish by mile 4/5. I'm sorry. super impressed that you finished!! I could barely run/walk the last mile of 6 much less 13!!

[venice2007]

Oh my goodness. Rest up!

[beckbech]

Amazing that you even finished in those conditions. That kind of weather is brutal, especially if you're not acclimated to it. Hope you're feeling much better!

[shauni27]

Jun 3, 2013 18:57:29 GMT -5 humpforfree said:

Oi! That sounds so bad.. I can relate- my Saturday half turned 10k was exactly the same.. All the way down to chills and feverish by mile 4/5. I'm sorry. super impressed that you finished!! I could barely run/walk the last mile of 6 much less 13!!

I wish ours turned into a 10K that would have made life SO MUCH BETTER.  Hope you are feeling better too!

[Deleted]

Glad you are okay. Heat and humidity are nasty to be running in.

[thebulldog]

I am so so sorry you went through that.

i be typing from me phone. typos and grammer dont count.

[blndsnbrdr]

That heat and humidity sounds absolutely horrible! Great job on pushing through and that completely sucks that they were out of water!

You also get props for keeping the projectile vomit in until you got home!

[enfuego23]

I'm so sorry to hear how awful your race turned out - heat affects me in the worst ways too:(