Hit the wall on a training run today, suggestions?

[Raenstoirm]

I did my first half marathon last month and outside of a rather major shoe issue (lost a few toenails because of a too tight toe box despite training it that pair of shoes for a few weeks, so I had to slow way down near the end ), I didn't have any "running" issues. I have my second half marathon next saturday. I did my final training 10 mile run today. The first 6 miles were fine. I was 1 minute under my goal pace, so I wasn't going too fast or anything. Around mile 6 I got "tired." I don't really have a word for it, I just felt off, so I stopped in the closest potty room to pee and give myself a few minute breather to get over whatever was going on. It was all downhill from there. That tiredness spread and by mile 7 I just couldn't run anymore. I have been tired and "good God are we must be almost done or I am going to keel over" exhausted before, but this was different. I had to use every ounce of strength I had to not allow myself to sit down on the pavement right where I was. I walked the last three miles and very slowly at that (it was a 5 miles out and back course so I had to get back to the start to get into my car). As soon as I hit mile 10 I collapsed onto the nearest bench and couldn't get up for 10 minutes. I have no idea if this was physical or mental, but it sucked! It has never happened before, so i have no idea what might have caused it and how to prevent it. I carry jellybeans on my runs for a brief pick-me-up if I need a little something to keep going, but they did nothing to help this situation. I also had plenty of water on me so I don't think it was dehydration, but it could have been I suppose. I bought a gatorade on the way back to my car and drank the whole thing just in case. Any ideas how to prevent this for next week? The sweep on my race is 3:30 so if something goes wrong and I have to walk at the pace I did today I will get swept!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

If you bonked at 6 miles it was not something that you did today. My advice - look at what you did/ate the last few days (especially yesterday) for answers. This assumes that you are not ill.

The only time that something like this has happened to me is when I was getting sick. A common cold can destroy your runs.

 

[huckleberrykate]

Also take a look at your nutrition and fluid intake right before and during your run. I know some people have issues with electrolytes and use salt tabs to help. I can not do that, but do drink very small amounts of Gatorade or Powerade cut with water to help during long runs. I have difficulty with taking in enough nutrition on long runs and found eating a bite or two of some kind of bar like Clif or Powerbar every couple miles with fluid it keeps my energy up. I know many people who use Gels or Powerblocks for energy during runs also and they seem to help. Good luck!

 

[taratru]

Wait...you were going faster than goal pace on your long run? Why?

Beyond that, it sounds like a fueling/hydration issue from before the run. Did you sleep well? and remember that sometimes, you can just have a bad run. So if after thinking about all those other things, you still can't figure it out, just chalk it up and move on. No need to dwell on it.

 

[bumbershoot]

Wait...you were going faster than goal pace on your long run? Why?

I wonder if she means under in the other way? As in her race pace is 10 minutes but she was going 11 minutes?

 

[goofeygirl]

Along with what the other posters said....it could be a number of things.

If you were feeling ill, like a cold coming on than that can totally take you out of wack. Everything is difficult.

Not having enough nutrition or hydrating yourself properly is another. I know when I have done 13 miles on my own (not in a race) I am notorious for not fueling properly. I feel like sidelining it all the time sometimes...this always happens when I didn't eat a proper meal the night before and didn't eat anything when I started and didn't hydrate myself properly.

For a race, I prep for it days before in what I eat and drink. No alcohol of course.

It could also be that dreaded awful unexplainable mental wall. I did the full this year as part of the Goofy challenge and hit the mental wall at mile 21. From there on in the race became a dreaded long drawn out chore. I was feeling really good before but that mile 21 hit me bad. For the last 5.2 miles it was as though I had to do the whole thing over again...they were dreadful. My head was low and I was miserable.

Stopping for a potty break is a real downer sometimes. It can take you out of your mojo mode. I often stop at pop's and most of time I can keep going because its normal for me. I do recall a race I was in where I was doing a great pace and had to stop, stand in line for a pop and then lost my mojo after that...it was gone. It was a downhill race from there on in.

So there can be a few reasons for this. My guess is you didn't eat the proper foods leading up and or a cold.

 

[cewait]

Its hard to say.

I also focused on the minute under goal pace and wonder if you were pushing too hard. I am not sure what you last race pace was or what you training goal pace is. Absent a harder than trained for training run or an illness that is coming up today or tomorrow, I vote mental.

You had a less than pleasant experience in a race last month. I see that you also faded in the last half of the last half due to shoes; but may also have been a mental/physical pushing too hard issue as well. Regardless, you were running well yesterday and then convinced yourself that you needed a break. Once you lost that mental game, you were not going to have a good run from then.

This weekend, just relax and run. Forget about yesterday and just go. Start off slower than you think you can go for the first 6-9 miles. Anytime you feel like you want to stop for a longer break, try to think of reasons to keep moving. Fight the mental urge to slow up.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

The OP ran a half last month. You don't lose your conditioning that quickly unless you are just sitting on the couch every day. One minute under goal pace at 6 miles, then a total bonk - that bonk cannot be contributed to pace or conditioning, IMO.

Coach may have it right - it could be mental for the reasons that he stated - but at 6 miles for someone conditioned for 13? That is not something that I have seen. We are all different, so it is possible, but there would have to be other contributing factors, IMO.

But I also agree that long runs are supposed to be fun - as in, the most fun run of the week. If you are in pain at the end of your long run, you need to slow down or introduce walk breaks (or both).

 

[cewait]

The OP ran a half last month. You don't lose your conditioning that quickly unless you are just sitting on the couch every day. One minute under goal pace at 6 miles, then a total bonk - that bonk cannot be contributed to pace or conditioning, IMO.

Coach may have it right - it could be mental for the reasons that he stated - but at 6 miles for someone conditioned for 13? That is not something that I have seen. We are all different, so it is possible, but there would have to be other contributing factors, IMO.[/QUOTE]

I agree