Crash!

There are several terms for it but I do believe that this picture sums it up beautifully.

I'm not exactly sure if that's what happened yesterday but it may well have been. 

I ran after work for the first time in a month.  I have been doing the early morning thing but the 5am wake up calls were taking their toll  It's been hot in the mornings, let's not kid ourselves, but nowhere near at hot and humid as it is at 5pm.  I had 13k to run.

So I ran at an unfamiliar time and it was really really hot.

There is one other variable to add to this mix.  I'm not sure if it helped or made things worse. 

Yesterday, I tried a salt tablet experiment.  I was told by several very experienced runners that salt tablets help with dehydration, electrolyte balance and swelling.  Someone like me who is a heavy sweater could definitely benefit. 

So I figured I'd try them and figured a weekday 13k run was a better time to try them out than a 28k long run.  You know, just in case...

I took one before heading out the door.  I did not take my usual edisk. 

Fifteen minutes later, I was sweating but not nearly as much as I usually would be by that time.  Even crazier was that, when I squeezed my hands, my fingers weren't swollen.  At. All.

So, as directed, I had my second one at 30 minutes. 

By that time, I was keeping up my pace but really wilting in the heat.  I was drinking as much as I normally do but I felt weaker than I thought I should.  I took a third one (as directed) at 8k.

Feeling weaker by the minute, I stopped and walked.  I hate when I do that and it's been weeks since I've had to.  I cooled off a bit and resumed.  Weakness took over again. 

Could it be my blood sugar?  I ate a package of fruit chews, walked for another minute and started up again. 

Damn it! 

The last four kilometers were rough.  I made it but, if anyone I know had driven by, I would have hopped in their car without a second thought. 

I don't know what happened. 

Option One - I am no longer used to that kind of heat and it did me in.

Option Two - I don't do well with salt tablets.

Option Three - my blood sugar was 6.0 when I got home so it was probably on the low side by the time I ate those carbs.

Option Four - I hit the proverbial wall. 

The good news is that I was not too bothered by the whole experience.  I did not question my running ability.  I did not wonder whether I have the strength to run a marathon. 

I just chalked it up to a bad run and was grateful that it happened on a Tuesday night rather than a long run.  

What did I think of the salt tablets?  I'm not sure yet.  I definitely did not sweat as much as I normally do but I did sweat which is good.  If I hadn't, that would have scared me.  My fingers did not swell at all despite the heat which is a first - that impressed me.  I was thirsty during the run and afterwards but not as much as I normally am. 

But, because the run was a dud, it's hard to know why.  So I'll try them again but not during my 28k run this Friday.  Just in case...