Minutes after fleeing my air conditioned office today I found
myself at the bank Mississippi River prepping for 800 sets with Bill. The temperature on the floodwall was in the
90’s, zero wind and high humidity… perfect day for a… SWIM… damn. The heat waves rising from the asphalt engulfed
the water bottles I set out and by the time I finished my “warm up” you could
have cooked pasta in them!.. after a 4
mile warm-up I was so soaked that I stopped back at the car and changed out my
shirt and hat for round two. Bill
arrived just then and we trotted down the half mile to our starting point
feeling a bit like cows being lead to slaughter.
SATAN’S 800 #1 2:53
I take off… a little fast… but man I felt great that first ¼
mile... then it hits me, the full blast of sun shines down and is absorbed instantly.
I stare straight and focus hard, trying
to block out the thought that steam may soon start piping out my ears!.. watch
beeps… pace hit… one down… Bill and I trot
down the path and acknowledge the mutual feeling of pain.
SATAN’S 800 #2 2:59
I’m off… a little fast again… this may come back to bite me
I think… this time the heat hits much harder as I’m running into the sun, I
find myself longing for the feeling that steam would come out of my ears as now
I’ve progressed to feeling much like a hot dog in the microwave!... the only comfort I find is that no one is
around to hear the high pitched squeak I make gasping for air on the last 100
yards… watch beeps, I collapse into myself never so happy to have a short
recovery break.
SATAN’S 800 #3 2:59
“HOLY CRAP, this is only the third one?” I think to myself
as I look down and find I’m only about 200 yards in and already melting into
the ground... I’d say the progression on
the first three 800 sets was much like a steak being grilled for dinner, I’d
gone from rare to medium to very well done in a matter of minutes, George Foreman
would be proud!... but as the last
couple hundred yards close in I start having stomach cramps and as you may know
I’m no stranger to losing my lunch and all indications pointed to this day
being no different. Just as I start
thinking of throwing in the towel, ironically Bill throws me one… a frozen
towel to be exact that he brought in a cooler.
Man that felt AWESOME!... I feel my skin steaming off heat as the frozen
towel starts to lower my core temp… I feel revived and ready for the next round!!
SATAN’S 800 #4 3:01
Ok, maybe I spoke too soon haha… upon takeoff the awesome
effects of frozen towel evaporated instantly like a drop of water on a frying
pan, by 100 yards into my 4th set I felt cramps and my skin started
to goose bump… my head starts to throb and my mind goes fuzzy as I gasp for air
and beg my watch to beep… it finally does and I collapse again, dry heaving
into the grass a few times before I regain control and stumble along with Bill
to our turn around point… both of us dead tired but determined to finish, a
very proud but possibly not so intelligent moment haha
SATAN’S 800 #5 2:58
Last set, last set, last set… is my montra as I literally give
it everything I have left.. running on fumes and pure stubbornness I feel the gauntlet
of stomach cramps, dizziness and just overall fatigue pressing hard, my form
starts to go to crap and I think I hear angels singing off into the distance…
oh wait, no.. that is just me squealing
again!… just as the everything begins to go dark my watch beeps one last time and all is
right with the world again!
Driving home tonight I thought once again about why I love
to run like I do and I think it’s days like today strangely enough that keep me
going strong. To conquer a challenge that
literally takes 100% of yourself both mind and body on a day where all cards
are stacked against you is something almost indescribable. Being a runner does that for you, it takes
you to that point you thought was your limit and dares you to push past,
creating a new goals and a better sense of self.
…Day’s like this I feel proud to be a runner and to have a
tough training partner that embraces the suck!
Happy Running!
-Cory
