So, the other day I did a thing.
With all the race cancellations from the COVID-19 pandemic, lots of organizations are turning to virtual races, and the Marine Corps 17.75k originally scheduled for 28 March 2020 was one of them. Those who had already registered for the race have the option to defer their registration until next year's race, transfer it to another upcoming race in the area, or run it virtually. In addition to the in-person-race-turned-virtual, the race coordinators opened up another strictly virtual run that's open to anyone.
So what's a 62-year-old retired Marine who
- is overweight
- is pre-diabetic
- has high cholesterol
- has bad knees
- is still suffering from injuries to two parts of her right foot
- did a face-plant four months ago and still experiences minor issues from the concussion
- had a post-run heart rate situation a month ago that resulted in a possible cardiac incident
do? She signs up to run that virtual 17.75k, of course! Had to represent Team RWB. 😀
Oh, have I mentioned I've never run that far before, or even walked 11 miles at one time?
The significance of the 17.75k distance is to honor the Marine Corps' birth in a Philadelphia tavern on 10 November 1775. Birthdays are a big thing to Marines, and always celebrated in a big way. How could a retired MSgt not jump at the chance to earn a finisher's medal and t-shirt?
So, that's the 'thing' I did.
Honestly, the morning I set out to do it, I hadn't convinced myself that that would be 'the' day to attempt the mission. I figured I'd go out and see how I felt, walking that first 3/4 mi or so to get off the potential toe-snagging sidewalk and across a main thoroughfare into the quiet subdivision with smooth asphalt roads. Once there, I eased into a jog and settled into a slow pace that felt comfortable, and just went with it. I started out later in the morning than I usually do, and since I was probably going to be out there for a couple of hours and the temp was expected to rise, I made sure to wear my CamelBak for hydration, and tucked a snack into the case as well.
Since I was attempting something that would no doubt be taxing for me, I opted not to go to a halfway point and turn around, but instead just trotted up and down the same several block area so that I would never be more than a mile or so from home (and within a half mile from the library so I could take a potty break if needed. I should have, but didn't). My heart rate was pretty steady in the 140s, so I was comfortable shooting for the 11.03 mile that I needed.
I started to feel a bit rough around mile 9. The temp was indeed rising, and by mile 10, my heart rate had pushed into a dangerous zone for me, so I had to dial it back. I didn't change my gait, but even though I could have crawled faster than I was trotting at that point, it was a mind thing. After making it that far, I wasn't going to NOT finish.
And finish I did. It wasn't fast, but I got 'er done.
I'm not advocating that anyone take risks with their health, and had I really felt I was in danger, I would have stopped and made a phone call. I constantly check my heart rate when I'm working out, and I made sure that I was never more than a few blocks away from a couple of friends who could come to my rescue. I always have a whistle attached to me somewhere, and was running in a large housing area where someone would surely see or hear me if I called out or blew an SOS.
My heart rate was a little weird when I finished, but not nearly as bad as it had been the previous time I had concerns. 💓 It did drop down to a moderate level in a reasonable time frame, but each time I got up and walked even a few paces, it would start to spike again (not to a dangerous level, but definitely higher than it should have been). I have no doubt that it wouldn't have been a problem if I'd slowed down earlier and even walked for a bit so as not to exceed my sweet spot. Exceeding max HR for any length of time isn't smart at any age since it can cause damage to the heart, and since there's no glory in that, lesson learned.
Completing a half-marathon is still on my bucket list, 13.1 miles. Based on recent experiences, I doubt I'd be able to run the whole thing no matter how slow, but since I proved I could do 11.03 miles, I'm pretty sure I could go the slightly longer distance by sticking to intervals, or even walking the whole way. I don't know if I'll sign up for an official race, but I do plan to go the distance, maybe with a friend or two along for company after quarantine and social distancing are no longer the plan of the day. 😷
Never quit.
~ Marie Anne
With all the race cancellations from the COVID-19 pandemic, lots of organizations are turning to virtual races, and the Marine Corps 17.75k originally scheduled for 28 March 2020 was one of them. Those who had already registered for the race have the option to defer their registration until next year's race, transfer it to another upcoming race in the area, or run it virtually. In addition to the in-person-race-turned-virtual, the race coordinators opened up another strictly virtual run that's open to anyone.
- is overweight
- is pre-diabetic
- has high cholesterol
- has bad knees
- is still suffering from injuries to two parts of her right foot
- did a face-plant four months ago and still experiences minor issues from the concussion
- had a post-run heart rate situation a month ago that resulted in a possible cardiac incident
do? She signs up to run that virtual 17.75k, of course! Had to represent Team RWB. 😀
Oh, have I mentioned I've never run that far before, or even walked 11 miles at one time?
The significance of the 17.75k distance is to honor the Marine Corps' birth in a Philadelphia tavern on 10 November 1775. Birthdays are a big thing to Marines, and always celebrated in a big way. How could a retired MSgt not jump at the chance to earn a finisher's medal and t-shirt?
So, that's the 'thing' I did.
Honestly, the morning I set out to do it, I hadn't convinced myself that that would be 'the' day to attempt the mission. I figured I'd go out and see how I felt, walking that first 3/4 mi or so to get off the potential toe-snagging sidewalk and across a main thoroughfare into the quiet subdivision with smooth asphalt roads. Once there, I eased into a jog and settled into a slow pace that felt comfortable, and just went with it. I started out later in the morning than I usually do, and since I was probably going to be out there for a couple of hours and the temp was expected to rise, I made sure to wear my CamelBak for hydration, and tucked a snack into the case as well.
Since I was attempting something that would no doubt be taxing for me, I opted not to go to a halfway point and turn around, but instead just trotted up and down the same several block area so that I would never be more than a mile or so from home (and within a half mile from the library so I could take a potty break if needed. I should have, but didn't). My heart rate was pretty steady in the 140s, so I was comfortable shooting for the 11.03 mile that I needed.
I started to feel a bit rough around mile 9. The temp was indeed rising, and by mile 10, my heart rate had pushed into a dangerous zone for me, so I had to dial it back. I didn't change my gait, but even though I could have crawled faster than I was trotting at that point, it was a mind thing. After making it that far, I wasn't going to NOT finish.
And finish I did. It wasn't fast, but I got 'er done.
I'm not advocating that anyone take risks with their health, and had I really felt I was in danger, I would have stopped and made a phone call. I constantly check my heart rate when I'm working out, and I made sure that I was never more than a few blocks away from a couple of friends who could come to my rescue. I always have a whistle attached to me somewhere, and was running in a large housing area where someone would surely see or hear me if I called out or blew an SOS.
My heart rate was a little weird when I finished, but not nearly as bad as it had been the previous time I had concerns. 💓 It did drop down to a moderate level in a reasonable time frame, but each time I got up and walked even a few paces, it would start to spike again (not to a dangerous level, but definitely higher than it should have been). I have no doubt that it wouldn't have been a problem if I'd slowed down earlier and even walked for a bit so as not to exceed my sweet spot. Exceeding max HR for any length of time isn't smart at any age since it can cause damage to the heart, and since there's no glory in that, lesson learned.
Completing a half-marathon is still on my bucket list, 13.1 miles. Based on recent experiences, I doubt I'd be able to run the whole thing no matter how slow, but since I proved I could do 11.03 miles, I'm pretty sure I could go the slightly longer distance by sticking to intervals, or even walking the whole way. I don't know if I'll sign up for an official race, but I do plan to go the distance, maybe with a friend or two along for company after quarantine and social distancing are no longer the plan of the day. 😷
Never quit.
~ Marie Anne
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment on my post. Much appreciated!