Tell me about your worst run ever...

[mollyjean]

...and how you didn't let it shake your training.

I officially had my Worst Run Ever last weekend.  I had 14 to do so I decided to run the actual marathon course, out and back 7 miles.  Well, the first 9 miles of this course is rolling hills.  So I basically did non-stop hills.  When I got home, I puked (I would have earlier but couldn't find a bag in my car on the drive home  ).  And then I laid in bed sipping water, eating crackers, and feeling SO THANKFUL that DS was still napping and DH was home to make sure I didn't die.

WTF?!  I know the hills killed me and the fact it was 80 degrees at the start didn't help but I'm feeling a little defeated.  Can anyone share a victory story about the "bad runs" to make me not terrified of 16 this weekend?

[zoidberg]

I have gotten seriously, puking sick after 2 runs (I suspect dehydration).

This past saturday I had 11 miles. My hip started acting up around mile 6 and progressively got worse. I ended up having to walk about 2.5 miles just so I could get back to my car.

[zoidberg]

And I guess my victory story is that I plan to go back out this weekend and try again.

[Wines Not Whines]

I'm sorry you had a bad run! They happen to everyone, truly. 

I remember two particularly bad training runs: 

1) The first time I attempted to run 13 miles. I didn't make it. I don't remember the details, but it was bad and I gave up at 10 or 11 miles. I had all kinds of doubts about my ability to run a marathon if I couldn't even run 13. But I had a redo a few days later and I ran the full 13 with no problems (and then went on to run a marathon!). 

2) My first 20 mile training run was miserable. Around mile 16, I wanted to give up SO badly. I remember wondering if passerby would be alarmed if I laid down on the grassy area next to the trail for a while. I seriously hoped a large sinkhole would open up in front of me, so I could stop running. The only thing that kept me going was that I had to make it back to my car. I didn't feel nearly that badly during the actual race. 

[mollyjean]

Those sound awful! I'm sorry gals. But they make me feel better, lol. Last weekend was actually my second 14 miler.  The first one made me feel like a million bucks! I was on cloud nine and ready to take on the world afterwards! Perhaps I was a bit overly ambitious this time around...

[savan]

I puked for 4 hours after my second half. I started before I even made it back to the car, puked again in the car on the way home, and spent the next few hours alternating puking and laying motionless in bed. It's how I learned that not only do I not need to chug liquid for the last few miles, but I definitely don't need to continue chugging for 30 minutes after. I was so afraid of dehydration that I went too far in the other direction.

[mollyjean]

savan! Dude, you may have just nailed it. I ran out of water three miles to the end and the Starbucks gal I stumbled upon downtown filled up my bottle with freezing cold goodness. I sucked it down in minutes. I had already slowly had plenty (but I drink a LOT when running) so maybe it was that last 16 oz super-chug?

[G22]

My attempt at 18 miles for the first time a few weeks ago was truly the worst. I had hip pain around 10-11 miles...I should have turned around here and finished. But I kept going....

I hit 16 miles and then spent the last 2 miles alternating between crying, wishing I had a phone so I could call my H to pick me up, and hoping as I passed through the police station parking lot that I could get a ride back to my car from a cop.....oh and I walked pretty much the last 2 miles.

It was bad bad bad. I'm praying my 20 miler goes way better in a few weeks!

[G22]

Aug 21, 2013 21:35:56 GMT -5 Wines Not Whines said:

2) My first 20 mile training run was miserable. Around mile 16, I wanted to give up SO badly. I remember wondering if passerby would be alarmed if I laid down on the grassy area next to the trail for a while. I seriously hoped a large sinkhole would open up in front of me, so I could stop running. The only thing that kept me going was that I had to make it back to my car. I didn't feel nearly that badly during the actual race. 

This sounds eerily familiar to my story above. I figured if someone was watching me, they probably thought I was dying. lol 

[mollyjean]

Aug 21, 2013 21:59:04 GMT -5 G22 said:

My attempt at 18 miles for the first time a few weeks ago was truly the worst. I had hip pain around 10-11 miles...I should have turned around here and finished. But I kept going....

I hit 16 miles and then spent the last 2 miles alternating between crying, wishing I had a phone so I could call my H to pick me up, and hoping as I passed through the police station parking lot that I could get a ride back to my car from a cop.....oh and I walked pretty much the last 2 miles.

It was bad bad bad. I'm praying my 20 miler goes way better in a few weeks!

It will! In fact, I may just plan my 20 miler around a police station because that seem like good advice  Thanks for commiserating with me.

[G22]

mollyjean, our bike path goes right through the PD parking lot. I now appreciate that more than ever on my long runs. Just in case. Haha

Also this post makes me feel better than I'm not the only one out there having awful long runs. lol

[hannahb]

I think in every training cycle I've been through there's always one run the just sucks and shakes my confidence up.
That being said my worst run ever was a local 7 mile race. It was stupid hot, I had drank the night before, I went out too fast, I had horrible GI issues. There was one part where I actually considered jumping in the harbor and swimming to the finish (Im in baltimore, you don't want to get in the harbor).

[shauni27]

mine was the last half I did--it was so hot and humid. By mile 4 I was already getting goosebumps and had to slow to walking once or twice a mile. By mile 8 I was shaking and crying. By mile 13.1 I was shuffling along enough to cross the finish line and then fainted and threw up. I kept saying (through tears): "I am never doing this again. This was awful. I think this might be worse than childbirth."

[kams]

Is a training cycle complete without a few of these?? It happens to all of us - don't worry! I try my hardest to decide why it happened, and how to fix it (not always possible). It won't be long before you do a great 16 miler & you totally forget about this!

[clseale]

Sure, I have one from my last training cycle. My 2nd 20 miler sucked. There was not a single mile that I didn't want to stop. Every step felt difficult. I don't know what it was. It's was a bit humid, and everyone seemed to be having trouble. It took everything I had to finish the 20 miles, and if I remember correctly, it was around a 9:10 avg. The following week I busted out a 23 miler at an 8:52 and felt like I could have kept running for another 3 miles. In every training cycle, there is the inevitable shitty long run, you have to shake them off. I'm sorry.

[keweenawlove]

Training for my first marathon. July in Iowa. I did a Saturday night race and I didn't want to wake up early to do my long run on Sunday morning so I thought I'd just tough it out and run my 15 miler at 5 pm. Bad idea. I thought I had plenty of water. I didn't. I ended up dying around mile 7 and walked/jogged in to make it a 9 miler. It sucked. The next week I woke up early, planned a round around several extra water stops, and great 16 miler.

Too bad you’re not just a little closer to me. I have a 15 miler to do this weekend. We could do it together.

[CallingAllAngels]

My worst run was my first (and only, so far) half marathon. I did great until about mile 6-7, when the GI issues started. I stopped at a porta potty around mile 7, but that didn't solve the problem. There were no bathrooms after that point. I ended up walking the majority of the last 5 miles. Every time I tried running, my stomach started bothering me, but really, I just gave up. The race was through mostly neighborhoods in a nice part of town. Many people were out in their yards cheering us on. I fantasized for the last 5 miles about asking someone if I could use their bathroom to poop. I almost wish I had.

[lb2006]

Agreed w/above. Sometimes i end up having more than bad run during the training cycle, but it helps mentally with learning how to deal with all aspects of racing. 

I had a horrible (GI) marathon last fall due to heat & liquid, and what i like to call 'vacation eating' - lesson learned and I had to deal with a lot of mental negativity.  I still loved the marathon despite it - but definitely had to play a lot of head games

[Deleted]

Aug 21, 2013 21:35:56 GMT -5 Wines Not Whines said:

2) My first 20 mile training run was miserable. Around mile 16, I wanted to give up SO badly. I remember wondering if passerby would be alarmed if I laid down on the grassy area next to the trail for a while. I seriously hoped a large sinkhole would open up in front of me, so I could stop running. The only thing that kept me going was that I had to make it back to my car. I didn't feel nearly that badly during the actual race. 

This is how my first 20 mile run felt. But then, the first 21 mile run three weeks later was great.

[runblondie26]

Oy, there are too many to recount. The worst involve bodily fluids of some sort.

[ebeth]

Aug 22, 2013 4:46:23 GMT -5 hannahb said:

I think in every training cycle I've been through there's always one run the just sucks and shakes my confidence up.
That being said my worst run ever was a local 7 mile race. It was stupid hot, I had drank the night before, I went out too fast, I had horrible GI issues. There was one part where I actually considered jumping in the harbor and swimming to the finish (Im in baltimore, you don't want to get in the harbor).

this sounds quite similar to my worst race ever story, which ironically, was a 10K just a couple of months ago.  was out too late, drinking, standing around in wedges, dinner was like 4 crabs and maybe an ear of corn, power was out when I woke up (so no coffee for me. or toast.  not like I had the capabilities to make either in my hungover state), it was crazy hot that day, race started 20 min late, had to stop at mile 2 to let firetrucks and an ambulance cross the course, it was pretty much one of those murphy's law kind of races. The kicker was that it was in my neighborhood and the course was an out and back.  so in the course of this 10K  I passed within 2 blocks of my house TWICE. it took everything I had in me not to just run home, DNF, and chalk it up to a loss.

worst run ever was the day I realized a) I need to eat something before long runs, b) 11AM is too damn late to be starting a long run in DC in July.   the year was 2008. I was training for my first marathon.  it was my first long run. it was only 9 miles. I carried no water or snacks and I had not run 9 miles in nearly a decade.  I made it the full 9 walking 1 min for every 10 running. but I recall sitting on the floor of the shower afterwards convinced I was going to barf and then when I dragged my ass out of the shower laying on the floor wrapped in my towel and telling my BF at the time that I was going to die.  he finally lured me out of my towel and into street clothes with the promise of mac and cheese.  then the place we went for mac and cheese was out of regular noodles so they put the mac and cheese sauce on spaghetti and it was so, so gross.  I couldn't eat it.  so  I got chicken finger instead.

[joenali]

Bad training g sessions can be a good thing! It teaches you to handle adversity, especially on race day!! You already know what suck feels like!!

[Deleted]

All my really bad runs have the same elements--it is too hot to run, my stomach is upset, and a prayer I don't poop myself. The solution is usually a cold shower, bathroom, and rest day.

I hope it gets better.

[shorewife]

My worst runs involved me calling DH to come get me as I sat on the curb trying not to poop myself. Isn't running glamorous...?!

[emuni04]

Training for Chicago in 09, my 20 miler ended up being more like an 11 miler. I did the run while on vacation in Clearwater (FL) and it was SO hot and I was really unprepared (not well fueled, hydrated, etc). My husband and BIL literally had to come pick me up on the bridge that connects St Pete to Clearwater. It was bad. But I went on to run Chicago and finished. It will be okay

By the way, I love your avatar. Go, Hawks!

[jchokie79]

I'm so glad to read about these experiences because I am so afraid that I'll pass out after my first Half in three weeks.

I've only had two 10 mile runs so far and the first 10 miler was bad. I was lightheaded and had shortness of breath and didn't feel well until later that night. The second 10 miler went better as I ate better the day before and the morning of.

Just glad to see I'm not the only one!