AM: 50k on the undulating Croom trails, solo. I really should have waited a day to try this, as the weather Monday is/was much better. Entirely too hot and humid for a solo session like this. I had two drop locations, one at the halfway (miles 9 and 24)along the loop, and one at the start/finish (miles 16 and 31), and did two 15-mile loops with a 1+ mile run from my car to the back side of the trails.
I thought I had prepared my drop stations well, but I definitely did not. I made it through 24 miles just fine, and then I tripped over a root going up a hill, and did a nice roll. It wasn't a huge deal, but I was now incredibly more aware of how my body was truly feeling. Things stopped clicking along, and I felt every step from there forward. The last 7+ miles were excruciating mentally.
I love Croom, and I am disappointed in my lack of mental fortitude. I walked a bit in those last couple of miles, and that's just... not like me. To quit like that. I felt sick, dehydrated, tired, and beat up at the end getting in my car. Heading back to my primary drop station, someone had stolen my cooler too, so that put a damper on things.
Oh well. No one ever said running a trail 50k was easy. I guess I just thought I was more durable than that. One fall and all of a sudden mentally I was toast? Come on now. My ego is a bit bruised.
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