Dual Dual

Ouch! The Dual Dual race is 40 laps around a track alternating with a partner. Bill and I teamed up for some serious speed work last night. Tempted by Darin and Trisha who were participating was all we needed to sign on the dotted line. This event has been running for 38 years and I have done a couple of other times over 10 years ago. Clearly I had forgotten how wrong it is!

Following a killer leg workout on Tuesday which left my hamstrings shorter than normal if that's possible meant I was going to suffer more than I would know last night. Saving myself for the big event I did no working out beforehand. My run schedule called for a recovery run on Wed. In my mind, which obviously needs some adjusting, I felt like 5 miles on the the track in 400 meter intervals would be the perfect recovery run...yeah smart. I honestly thought I would get enough recovery while Bill ran his lap. I thought anything over 1:30 would be sufficient enough time to recharge before the next lap. The first 5 laps were good and I was thinking this won't be so bad but as each lap continued my legs felt sluggish. My heart rate was sky high in the 180's...hello I don't even do that on my nicely controlled track workouts! Oh well, this is going to be a good lung burner and I wanted to make the most of it. My laps were consistently 1:38-1:42. Bill was not exactly going slow and my heart rate would have just enough time to drop. After Bill and I did 5 miles together I was pretty much toast. My hamstring on my left leg was protesting like crazy. Despite the limp left leg I was able to maintain about the same speed. By the last 3 laps I must have built up enough buffers and began converting the lactic acid to fuel because they were pretty good.

That night I was woke up by pain in the back of my leg. In my fog like state my mind my thoughts went crazy with all sorts of horrible ideas. Did I tear something? Is this going to last? Nice recovery run, smart pants! I think the devious deviation from my rigid running schedule was hard for me to accept. What have I done, have I fallen off the wagon? Funny!

This was certainly no recovery run and in fact may be one of the hardest workouts I have done. I spent 39 minutes in the 178-185 range! I can't remember the last time I ever did that. I paid the price big time though. I had to abandoned my recovery run because my left leg wouldn't move. Thankfully Dr. T got me right in and tore into my medial hamstring and glute releasing some serious knots giving some range of motion. I am sitting on ice right now with the devil Ronda on my shoulder dressed in her spiky red outfit complete with a tail rolling around laughing her head off. She is extremely proud she got me so sore that I can't run! I am secretly smiling myself because it was really really fun. Bill said he feels like someone threw him off a cliff. So.....I think all of you should get your friends (or maybe you enemies), head to the track and put on your own Dual Dual. It's a special kind of workout. Bill and I finished the 10 miles in 1:09:53 on my watch. Bill was amazing since he runs about 3 miles every other day on the treadmill right now. he didn't give me enough rest :)