Today I went on an incredible running adventure to close out 2022. My first 20 mile long run happened to fall on New Year’s Eve and I wanted to do something special to commemorate how far I’ve come in my training and keep myself engaged over 20 miles. My solution was the “Coaster Run”.
The Coaster run
The Coaster is a commuter train that runs along the San Diego county coast line. It passes through several of the area’s iconic beach cities such as Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas and Solana Beach before heading south toward the city center. It just so happens that the distance between the Sorrento Valley station and Carlsbad Village station is almost exactly 20 miles. For $5.75, I took the train to the Carlsbad Village station and ran back to my car in Sorrento Valley.
The adventure begins
I arrived at the train station early since I’m not familiar with the ticket process. If I missed this train then it would be an hour and a half before the next one, thereby eliminating my long run that day.
After all my planning I still came close to missing my train. I didn’t know that the Northbound train would come on the far side tracks. There were two sets of tracks but I didn’t see any signage that said which side to board from depending on your destination. Well, it turns out that the train runs opposite of automobile traffic so I was on the wrong side of the tracks when the train arrived. Thank goodness I had my running shoes on because I had to run to the end of the tracks, cross over and then run to the nearest first open door past the engine car. Several other people had made the same mistake and were running too. Everyone made it on but what a panic moment!
Before the train arrived I put on my hydration pack to adjust it and then set it on the cement bench next to me. When I moved the pack the cement was all wet and so was the bottom of the hydration pack. I took the bladder out of the pack and inspected it, squeezed it and tried to find a leak but I couldn’t. However, there was definitely a slow leak somewhere in the seam. I had no choice but to keep going and plan to conserve fluids during the run. It was going to remain cool, so at least I did not need to contend with heat.
It was so cold and gross feeling when I first put on my pack to start my run. It took no time at all to soak my lower back and it was still cold from the ice I’d put it in earlier. The show must go on though, so I took off and hoped I’d work up a sweat fast enough not to notice it for too long. Little did I realize that this was nothing compared to what was to come.
Starting in Carlsbad
The one “ask” I had for my marathon training plan, besides staying healthy, was that I would not have to run in the rain for my 20 mile runs (there are two on my schedule). I’ve already managed to avoid running in the rain during this entire training cycle. I checked the weather multiple times a day for the entire week preceding my run. The weather guy on TV also said that the rain in the forecast would come in the evening. However, my weather app showed a chance of rain in Carlsbad. I was confident that it would not rain though. Southern California is notorious for incorrect weather forecasts. I thought I might experience some drizzle or misty air near the beach but I didn’t believe it would rain.
Boy was I wrong. Apparently, Carlsbad did not get the memo that rain was supposed to wait for the evening hours. The drizzle started within my first first mile. Then, it got a bit heavier but it was still okay. By the time the big drops started I was already so wet that it wasn’t worth stopping to unpack my rain jacket. Rain was dripping from the brim of my hat and I kept using the sleeve of my pullover to wipe the water off my face. Thankfully, the temperatures were mild and there was no wind. I also felt a sense of confidence knowing that I had a jacket with me if I got cold. Although I didn’t end up using it, I was thankful that I went back to the car and put it in my pack before the train came.
I kept finding that my pace was much faster than my goal conversational pace, although I did not feel like my heart rate was elevated. Whenever I would notice my pace picking up I would try to rein it back in a bit, especially during the early miles. Something about the rain made me want to quicken my pace.
I’m not sure how long I ran in the rain but it was somewhere close to 7 or 8 miles. At one point I was running up a hill in the bike lane and there were cyclists coming my direction from up ahead. The rain was coming down in big drops at that time and I reached up and swiped away the water from the brim of my hat. I looked ahead and the cyclist gave me a hang loose sign and yelled, “Get at it!” as he rode by. It was an awesome boost of morale that I really needed at that moment. Thank you, dude on the bike, wherever you are! You made me feel like a badass athlete at that moment.
The return route
Before I started the run I was concerned about safety while following this route. I’m used to running on designated bikeway paths or quiet neighborhood streets. This route follows main roads through very busy parts of town with lots of traffic and tourists, not to mention it was a holiday weekend.
I mainly ran in the bike lanes on asphalt but there were many times I needed to run on the sidewalks or step up the curb to let groups of cyclists pass. I tried to run against traffic most of the time so I could see and adjust to the oncoming traffic and bikes. I still ran on a lot more concrete, and even brick, than I normally like to. I find that those surfaces are so hard on my body. I could feel the difference in the impact each time I went from one surface to another.
At one point I was running with traffic and had stepped into the bike lane to avoid a crowded sidewalk. I almost got hit with a parked car door as someone was getting out of their car. I leaped to the side and just kept going. Hard to hold a grudge against them though since I came up on them from behind. Yet another reason why runners should run against traffic.
There were many more stop lights than I’m used to on this route and I needed to stop occasionally for traffic. However, the only time I felt the need to walk any particularly longer distance was when I reached a hill with a false summit. I made it up the main road and then my GPS said to turn left. When I did, there was another hill. It wasn’t particularly steep but both parts of the hill were long and I was fatigued about 15 miles in.
I decided to walk the second part of the hill and keep my heart rate in zone 2, rather than letting my pride get the better of me and push my heart rate up with 5 more miles to go still. In the end, this walk had hardly a blip on my overall time. It’s these kinds of lessons that you learn in training that serve you in the marathon. The experience of training is far more than just physical. It’s strategy and mental fortitude also.
Long run fueling
Fueling was a primary concern as I prepared for today’s run. The train didn’t leave until 9:50 A.M. and I would not arrive and start running until close to 10:30 A.M. This is nearly three hours later than I normally run, so I had to adjust my breakfast and add a snack before my run that I would not normally have. It always makes me nervous when I need to make a change on a long run day.
I ate my normal breakfast around 6:30 A.M. of an Eziekel English muffin, almond butter, beets with balsamic vinegar and hemp protein powder in my coffee. Then, around 9:00 A.M. I left for the train station and ate a Skout protein bar as I drove. Then, I had a banana on the train.
During the run I took in 6 gels; 4 Huma gels and 2 Maurten’s 100 gels at the 4, 7, 10, 13, 16 and 19 mile points. I drank my electrolytes in the bladder slowly but I still ran out about ¾ mile from the end. The only fluids I was able to take in with my gel at mile 19 was enough to wet my mouth. I probably would have had plenty if I didn’t have a leak in the bladder.
Following the run my legs were extremely tight. I could not stop moving for quite a while. I stretched and walked around the parking lot for about a half an hour while drinking my Skratch recovery drink and eating the two Vans Gluten-Free waffles I brought in case I got hungry for food while running. I didn’t feel like eating my Nelly’s peanut butter bar, so I saved that for after my shower at home.
I really feel good about this fueling plan. I didn’t have any GI issues during or after the run and I had good energy the whole time.
Recovery Strategy
It was nearly 3:00 P.M. by the time I got home. I’d brought a dry jacket to put on after my run but everything else I had on was still soaked from shoes to my sports bra. I dropped everything on the kitchen counter and immediately took a hot shower. I wasn’t very hungry so I finished my recovery drink and ate my Nelly’s peanut butter bar.
I would get up every once in a while to move around and get the blood going through my legs. I would also stretch but as a whole I didn’t feel very bad. Later that night my sister and I tried a new vegan restaurant I’d found. I ordered a pizza with vegan meatballs and a side of seasoned French fries.
However, the big win was when I went next door to the doughnut shop to see if they had vegan options. Nothing was labeled that way but I asked the shop owner about the ingredients and he told me that they don’t use any milk, eggs or butter in their doughnuts. Woo hoo! So, I got a glazed doughnut for dessert.
It was a great way to top off a great day and a successful year. Today’s run marks the end of three months of training. I have just one more month to go before the big day arrives and three of those weeks are taper weeks!
Workout
- 20 mile long run at conversational pace
Week recap
- 49 miles run
- 1 cross training on spin bike
- 1 strength training