Wednesday 4 May 2011

The Afterwards


This time, the after the 10K wasn't quite as much fun.

Last year, when I walked it I felt so awesome after.

Physically I was a bit rough, sure, but I was high as a kite and starving! Went out with some friends that evening and could have devoured what I normally take home half of.

This Sunday? Not so much.

I don't know if it's the difference from training v/s not or from running it v/s walking it or if it was the remnants of my evil cold but I wasn't hungry.

Made sure I drank though and did all my stretches and bath and whatnot and lay down on the couch.

Ended up taking a bit of a cat nap during the day, but I think that was more being tired from the six something wakeup than physical exhaustion.

Physically, my body felt about the same as after the walk. The same post-accident trouble spots were a bit sore as I'd expected. My stomach wasn't terribly amused and I didn't get a hint of hunger until nearly 8 that night. (I also haven't been eating as much the last week or so with my cold, so hunger's not a very familiar thing of late.)

I think it was probably the stress and sickness from the last two or three weeks just haven't left me at my best, but I'll see.

Imagine I'll be running another race at some point and will see how I feel after that. Felt fine after the one I ran in December as far as I can remember, so maybe this one was just an anomaly.

I was a little disappointed with my time, which is a lesson to me to never expect anything.

I'd hoped to knock a good five or ten minutes off my December time but actually ended up being three minutes slower so that bummed me out the tiniest little bit.

Got some great congratulations from some of my friends but my family were all out of town so didn't hear from them which also bummed me out the tiniest little bit.

I felt like I had enjoyed the experience of walking the TC10K more than I enjoyed the experience of running it, and I'd strongly encourage anyone and everyone to walk any big race like this to experience the crowds and support and energy. It's pretty amazing.

So this hereby concludes my three day long babbling about how I spent my Sunday.

The End.

(Probably.)

2 comments:

Single and Picky said...

I personally find I am not hungry after races. But I normally do eat what I can get in my mouth. I have learned for me - a lot depends on the race, my exhaustion, the temperature etc. After struggling through my Houston marathon in January and just barely finishing, all I wanted to do was die. I actually had a hard time eating for a few days afterwards. Other races I haven't had the response.

Each race is it's own animal. Sometimes you're like a gazelle in the sahara and sometimes you feel like a lumbering elephant or something similar.

I really encourage you to just keep doing it - if the process of running makes you happy. The PR (personal records) and all that doesn't matter.

Btw I ran the Victoria Half a few years ago - your retelling of that reminded me of that race. Let's just say while it was a personal best, it was not a race I ever plan on repeating the course was torture for me.

Victoria said...

Fair point, the idea that each race is different. Good to remember :) I was rather elephant-like this time!

Sorry our course wasn't a fun race for you! I think a fair chunk of it is probably a similar course :) Yay on the PB though ;)