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Feats of Endurance

As it turns out, I attempted two different feats of endurance in the last couple of days: an eating contest & running a half-marathon. I like to mix it up to keep people guessing, you know? I was actually going to attempt both feats on the same day, but due to some scheduling problems (read: I wanted to sleep in), this was not to be.

The eating contest was a pho challenge in San Francisco - they serve you 2 lbs of meat, 2 lbs of noodles, and you have an hour to eat it. If you finish it within the allotted time, the meal is free. Otherwise, it costs you $22 for the attempt. For the record, this was not my idea, but once the idea was planted, it was a given that I was competing (amongst these friends, I've got one of the biggest appetites).

The run was part of the ongoing training for the October race/run. I get that it's possible to run "only" 10 miles the week before & expect yourself to be able to finish 13.1 on race day. I don't see why that should be the goal, though. Most of the training programs I've seen are 8 or 12 week programs, so you're already committed for a while. Given that, what possible harm could there be in turning these into 9 or 13 week programs and throwing in a 13 mile run? So, in that spirit, I decided to run the 13+ miles at least once before race day. I have enough time before October where that's possible, and again, why not?

So, without actually telling you what happened, here are the things I learned this weekend:
  • 2 pounds of meat is fairly easy to eat. 2 pounds of noodles, not so much
  • It's pretty easy to burn your tongue on broth that's hot enough to cook 2 pounds of meat
  • I can eat at a quick, steady pace for a solid 15 minutes. After that, I hit the wall
  • Even if you stopped eating 20 minutes ago, your stomach can retroactively decide that you were being dumb, and it can take matters into its own hands
  • Either I'm more boring than I imagined, or there aren't that many things to do in the Richmond after you've just had a meal
  • If you bump into someone 3 times as you're running, that person is more likely to smile or greet you than if you only see them once
  • Passing someone as you're running & then watching them take a shortcut so they get back to the starting point before you do is disheartening (Lake Merced has paths running across the middle)
  • I will no longer laugh at the makers of the nipple guards for runners
  • Jurassic 5's "Verbal Gunfight" is a fun song to listen to repeatedly if you're going to run long distances
  • My initial goal of a 12 minute mile for race day was far too conservative (I think the new plan is to finish faster than a 10 minute mile)
Coincidentally, I think that next weekend, I'm going to stick to not-blog-worthy portions of food & distances to run.

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