Fruit Punched

I hate fruit punch flavored stuff...of all the sports drinks flavors, I always think "gross" and pick something else. After today, I feel confident saying I will NEVER drink it again and I cannot figure out why I thought it would be a good idea to take 2 bottles of the free fruit punch flavored Accelerade at the gym this week. Oh yeah, it was free. And I'd wanted to try Accelerade.

So anyway, yesterday I left my car and my keys at a friend's house just south of Seward Park and rode my bike home, setting myself up to do my monster 20-mile run one-way today and end up at my car. Since I had a couple bottles of the aforementioned Accelerade, I decided to leave one there to have for recovery after the run. BAD decision. It was hot today and I set up one personal aid station along the way and hit every water fountain I could find, but I think I was dehydrated and a bit over heated...my heartrate got too high and I really felt like crap when I got done with the run--actually, started feeling like crap by about mile 13. When I got to my car, I was really thirsty and chugged the Fruit punch thinking it'd be a good start on recovery. I still felt like crap...then felt like crap driving home...but drank some Nuun and forced myself to eat a Mojo bar. When I got home, I iced some of the usual suspects before my shower and laid down because I still felt lousy. Pretty soon, it became apparent that I needed to limp to the bathroom where I did a very good impersonation of a frat party gone wrong, including excretions from each end, a triple-puke of fruit punch, and laying on the bathroom floor immobilized (and sticky/disgusting as I still hadn't showered) for a good 15 minutes. I grabbed my phone and whined to Seujan who called and cancelled my massage for me because I decided I really didn't want to leave the house or drive anywhere. Pretty soon, though, I was able to drink water, had a long shower, and ate some salty chicken soup. Oh, and cleaned the goddam fruit punch barf out of the tub, though I fear the bathroom might smell like it for a few more hours. GROSS!!

All of that being said, I did finish the 20 mile run/walk, got to watch the expensive war machines (aka the Blue Angels) practice, and also had a near obstacle course experience dodging all the SeaFair (aka Nascar on the water) grandstands, fences, workers, and fans setting up on Lake Washington. Sidebar, did I mention that I like SeaFair hydroplane races about as much as I like fruit punch? Anyway...I started out with about 3 miles of running 4 minutes/walking one minute, then went to 9:1 for about 2 hours and 30 minutes, then back to 4:1, and finally walked the last 1.3 miles. I had a lot of downhill and I felt great the first 1-2 hours, but then I just wanted to be done. There were at least 5 places along the lake where I'd much rather have jumped in the water and swam the rest...probably would've been the same speed anyway.

Summary:

First 3 miles, 4 minutes run/1 minute walk:
31:49
Avg HR = 137

13.41 miles, 9 minute run/1 minute walk:
2:28
Avg HR = 143

2.33 miles, 4 minute run/1 minute walk:
0:26:50
Avg HR = 151

1.3 mile walk
0:24:02
Avg HR = 124

TOTAL:
20 miles
3:50:54
Avg HR = 141