Water! (Running in the Heat)

Today was my last long training run before the Cascade Pass-Stehekin run, and I learned some valuable lessons about hydration. I've run in the heat before, but not with as much elevation gain and therefore not as long. I spent half of my day dehydrated and light-headed, not to mention thirsty.

Today was slated to be a high of 86 degrees mid-afternoon, with the day starting out around 59 degrees. I got up at 3:30 to eat breakfast (a large piece of wheat toast with almond butter and half a banana), went back to bed, and got up for good at 4:26. Because I was having John shuttle me, leaving my car at Red Town Trailhead on Cougar Mountain and starting at Sunset Way at the base of Tiger--that's a lot of driving--I was aiming for a 5:45 start. Right on time--it was nice a cool when I started my run.

At the peak of Tiger 2, I found fresh tiny bear poop cylinders, and then shortly after starting down the TMT I found this pile. I was on alert and talked to myself from time to time.

On the Bypass Trail just beneath the summit of Tiger 1, I entered a dark forest with no undergrowth. It was similar to and in the same area as where I saw three bears several weeks ago.

Looking back on the Bypass Trail, which puts you on the summit of Wester Tiger 1, the dark forest is a stark contrast to the open top.

I've been to the top of Tiger 1 several times, but I've never had a clear day. I was delighted!

Trust me, Mt. Rainier looked huge from my vantage point. The picture just doesn't do it justice.

Tiger 1 has a "hiker's hut" with aluminum siding. I've never peered inside, assuming it is full of mouse poop. The Bypass Trail comes up in the dark area right next to the hut. I suppose it is for shelter from the rain.

I got a compression sleeve for my hamstring, and it felt great. I headed up the High School Trail from Sunset, and then made my way up West Tiger 3. By the time I got to the top, I had sweat dripping into my eyes. Note to self: wear a Halo headband to channel the sweat to the sides and keep it out of my eyes. I have at least five of them! I thought wearing a hat, I wouldn't need one. I was wrong. Sunscreen in the eyes in not a pleasant experience. From the beginning of the day, I was drenched in sweat, so I never really noticed the heat. Plus, most of my day was in the forest, so I was in the shade.

Filling my bladder to the full 50 ounces, I took two to three sips of water every ten minutes like I usually do, and felt fine for about four hours. When I made my way over to Squak Mountain, I found myself thirsty. My water has electrolytes and carbs mixed in (Tailwind), and it just wasn't quenching my thirst. By this time, it was probably around 10:00 or 10:30, so the day was starting to heat up. Two sips turned to three or more. By the time I hit 18 miles, I was starting to get concerned about having enough water. I just couldn't get enough. I could reach behind me to pat my bladder inside my vest and know that I still had fluid, but still. What I really wanted was just plain water.

Making my way down Squak on Margaret's Way, I hoped that there would be water at one of the buildings in the parking lot. I was delighted to see three beautiful tanks of water cooler refills on the back step of one of the buildings. Unfortunately, no one was there. Next door, there is a gravel pit, and I saw someone exiting the parking lot, so I ran over there only to find it deserted. I wasted a good ten minutes in pursuit of water. I still had some left, so no big deal.

What a beautiful sight! Too bad no one was home at the buildings in the Margaret's Way Trailhead parking lot. Water has never looked so enticing.

I still had four miles on Cougar Mountain to go at this point, and I ran out before I crested Shy Bear Pass. By this time, I was really thirsty. There was a race on Cougar today, so I hoped I would get lucky and pass an aid station and make a plea for a cup of water. Alas, the race was nearly done by the time I got there, and the only aid station was in the parking lot, and it was dismantled by the time I arrived. I had water in the car anyway.

Back at the car, I texted John to let him know I'd finished, and he wisely advised me to sip not gulp. It was hard not to, and to be honest, I did gulp at first. I just couldn't get enough. I drove to Matthew's Thriftway to pick up more water after nearly going through all of my 20 ounces of water and 20 ounces of recovery drink, all in a matter of 15 minutes. I got more water for the 45-minute drive home, and those 20 ounces were gone well before I got there. While in the Thriftway, I began shaking from the chill of the air conditioning, and I was still breathing hard from my run. I noticed even my breath was shaky. The checker gave me a concerned look, and I tried to be as pleasant and normal as possible. My right eye began to twitch.

Getting in the car, I lost my balance just opening the door. I sat in the car and nearly lost my composure. I realized that I was hyperventilating, so I dropped my head against the steering wheel and breathed deeply. I ate a few pop chips and drank some more water and calmed down. I simply cannot allow that to happen on the PCT. For a few minutes, I was so light headed, I didn't think I could drive. But I got a hold of myself and the hydration and salt from the chips began to take its effect.

Side note: when I first arrived at the Thriftway, I thought I might need my pole to walk in the grocery store--which is when I realized that I had leaned it again my car when I first finished, and never put it inside the car. I rushed back to the trailhead and retrieved my forgotten pole. Foggy brain.

I have planned to refill my bladder every ten miles or so on the PCT and have planned stops at year-round water sources every ten miles or so. I was thinking 20 ounces each time, but now I think I will do at least 30. I will also drink up with just plain water when I refill my water bladder. I have a collapsible bottle with a filter built into the cap, which I will use to filter my water and then squirt it into my bladder.

My run took over nine hours. I took it slow, babying my hamstring on the the downhills, which totally trashed my quads. They were jelly like on Squak--it was not pretty. I just couldn't afford another stumble. I figured sore quads was a small price to pay for a happy hamstring.

The first day of my two-day PCT Section J run will be 50 miles, nearly twice the 27 miles I did today. I am concerned about having enough daylight, let alone water. I think it will be a good idea to find a place to stay close to my start on Steven's Pass, be it camping or otherwise. I'd like to start in the dark, hiking, and have my husband join me until it gets light enough to go without headlamps. Then he can take them back to the car with him. I will have a headlamp with me for camp, but I don't want to use up the battery in the morning of the first day.

As with all my training runs, I learn something from every one of them. Today was all about water and hours of daylight.