Running only 8 of them!!!
Sunday I met up with the Striders for my first group training run of the new year! It was good to see some familiar faces and lots of new ones. I love the spring training runs. Always lots of new people out there training for their first marathons (since The Country Music Marathon is in April). And I find their exuberant adherence to their training plans quite endearing...
Awww... you'll run around the parking lot 2 times to get your garmin to say 18.00 instead of 17.79 because your training plan says you must run 18 exactly? Cute. barf, barf, gag, gag.
No, seriously... I actually love these training plan-and-numbers-obsessed newbies. I find them refreshing.. particularly since I'm always the one that's like... ehhhh... 18 miles? 16 is good enough.
So, anyway, on the way to the run I stopped at the gas station to pick up this:
Be afraid VandyMontana... be very afraid of dudes in sportscoats pushing 5 Hour Energy.
Yeah, that's exactly what it tastes like.
Anyway, back to the present. Over New Years when I was visiting Jeff in Charlottesville, VA, I drank about 1/2 of a 5 Hour Energy thinking that it would help me stay up late. Yeah... it didn't. Bummer.
I never thought about using it when running... I just assumed my heart would explode or something and that it wasn't a good idea... Until... my friend Liz mentioned that she takes them before long runs. And she thinks they help! And her heart hasn't exploded!!
And then last week... I read on a good friend of mine's blog about how they took 5 hour energy on a long run and ran so well and awesome that one of them actually injured themselves!
I mean... that sounds RIGHT UP MY ALLEY.
So, of course, knowing that my training level is no where near where it should be to run 18 miles, I assumed that 5 Hour Energy would power me through.
I met Steve in the parking lot and as we walked up to the group, he asked me... "so how many miles you think you're good for?"
"Ehhh... about 5 hours worth." I responded.
Well shit. That 5 hour energy didn't do anything for me. I mean... I felt fairly decent for most of the run (I ONLY RAN 8 MILES!!!) and it was super hilly... but, I didn't feel a burst of energy or like I had grown wings or anything...
So, when we got back to our cars at a water stop along the way around mile 8.. I felt a little weird being like... hey, yeah.. umm... SEE YA. While I walked to my car and everyone else was starting on the last 10 miles.
All in all I was happy to feel half-way decent on an 8 mile run. Sure, I was disappointed that I didnt bust out 7:30 minute miles for 18 miles and then feel ready to do it all over again thanks to 5 Hour Energy. But, as always... there's a lesson here... you can't fake it.. there's no magic pill, gu, or godawfultasting liquid that can help you push through a long run... you just gotta put in the time and the training. Drats.
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3 comments:
WHAT?!
You must not have drunk it the right way. Did you slam it and then meditate on that idiot running off the mountain?
Very disappointing. Very puzzling.
I've tried 5HE a few times before long runs...I call it 5 mile gut rot. But I still use it. Yep, that was no help at all, I know.
I was just talking about how I took a 5 hour energy once and don't remember taking it. Wow.
My dad swears by them. He has one before every football game he officiates.
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