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You are here: Home / Uncategorized / race report: tour de pain {8.11 & 8.12.2017}

race report: tour de pain {8.11 & 8.12.2017}

November 9, 2017      18 Comments

Remember this one folks? The Tour De Pain? Three races in about 24 hours?

How could we forget?

There’s really nothing easy about Tour De Pain. It’s a fairly grueling, August challenge, and while it’s not exactly fun, it’s cool to see exactly how much one can endure throughout the series of races.

4 Mile Beach Run

Guys, I don’t think I have ever run a hotter, more humid, more miserable race. It was close to unbearable. I can say that pretty confidently, as someone who trains and races in one of the hottest states in the country. It was brutal.

I got there early enough to snag a parking spot, but it was still rather far from packet pickup and the race start, due to some nasty construction in Jacksonville Beach. By the time I got my bib and tank, dropped everything else off in my car and went back to the start line, I was already dripping. Yuck.

Usually, being on the ocean affords a gorgeous breeze, but the air that night was hot. And the sun was blazing.

On the plus side, the sand was hard packed and very level. That definitely helped with my hips and my gait. Usually, after a beach run, my legs are sore and achy, but not this time.

The course is two miles out and two miles back, with one water stop at the u-turn. I think this was the first time I’ve taken hydration during such a short distance. It would have been foolish not to.

The way out was fine, and we did have a little benefit of some of the shade from the buildings, but the way back… Ugh. At one point, an emergency vehicle sped towards the finish line, and I made the decision to not push. It wasn’t worth it. I plugged along, focused on one thing: getting it done.

When I crossed the finish line, I grabbed a quick drink and hustled back to the car. I wasn’t interested in anything but something to eat and a shower.

Race #1. Done.

5K Road Race

The 5K road race starts in the very early morning and at a location a little closer to my home. I still had to set my alarm and be out first thing.

This portion of the race is fairly easy. We run on a familiar course and it’s mostly shaded – sure, it was early and I was tired, but it was great feeling the road under my shoes and getting to stretch it out on the asphalt.

I was really, really happy to see that finish line.

Two down, one to go!

1 Mile Sizzler

We spent the time between races at one of little man’s friend’s birthday parties. I was hoping that Mr. PugRunner and little man would come with me to the final race, but it had been a long day for them and they wanted to get home. Totally understandable and it was a good thing we had brought two cars.

The weather was, as the name of this particular race indicates, sizzling. The final one mile takes place in the heart of downtown Jacksonville, starting at 4:30 in the afternoon. It’s an awful time to run, especially in August, but it also makes for a rewarding finish!

There are four waves that go out for this run, to keep crowding on the course to a minimum: Masters Men, Open Men, Masters Women and Open Women. Since I am 40 this year, I finally got to move out of the last wave and into the Masters Women group. Not being in the last group took a bit of pressure off of me and I was glad for that.

Runners make two loops around a big block, before kicking it to the finish line at the Landing.

I had some technical difficulties during this mile. I was adjusting my music on my phone before the start, got caught off guard by the gun and couldn’t get my phone back in my armband. I had to do the whole mile, clinging to my phone for dear life. It totally distracted me from what I was doing and knocked me out of my groove. Boo.

It was still pretty exhilarating to charge down that final straightaway and know that the 24 hours of running were over and it was time to celebrate!

With bling!

And beautiful views!

And pizza and beer!

While it’s always a difficult series, I do love the challenge Tour De Pain presents. That final finish line is a welcome relief, but the journey to get there is even better.

Do you have a summer race series in your town?

What’s your least favorite time of day to race?

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Comments

  1. Rachel says

    November 9, 2017 at 12:32 am

    Sounds like a great race series! Congrats!
    Rachel recently posted…How to Run Marathon Distance Races Your Way!My Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      November 10, 2017 at 4:14 pm

      I always go back year after year, so it’s pretty darn fun.
      runswithpugs recently posted…smarter living with smarty pantsMy Profile

      Reply
  2. Deborah Brooks says

    November 9, 2017 at 12:39 am

    Sounds like a tough one! Nice job finishing strong. August seems like a tough month for that type of race
    Deborah Brooks recently posted…Eat, Play, Run San FranciscoMy Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      November 10, 2017 at 4:15 pm

      Definitely tough, but I’m always glad to do it. August is flat out hell! I guess that’s part of what makes the challenge so challenging. They used to have TDP Extreme that combined a half marathon and something else, but it wasn’t as popular.
      runswithpugs recently posted…smarter living with smarty pantsMy Profile

      Reply
  3. Kimberly G says

    November 9, 2017 at 2:48 am

    Great race report and I love that photo of you running!
    Kimberly G recently posted…Need Motivation? Spectate a Marathon!My Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      November 10, 2017 at 4:16 pm

      It’s one of my faves. Sometimes I look awful. And sometimes, I am really happy with my image!
      runswithpugs recently posted…smarter living with smarty pantsMy Profile

      Reply
  4. Kimberly Hatting says

    November 9, 2017 at 4:02 am

    Sounds fun! I love challenges series races…and we all know I love the heat!
    Kimberly Hatting recently posted…Hillbilly Hike 10K Race RecapMy Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      November 10, 2017 at 4:16 pm

      I don’t LOVE the heat, but I am used to it. It’s pretty freaking exhausting sometimes, but we are getting to the time of year where that hot summer training pays off.
      runswithpugs recently posted…smarter living with smarty pantsMy Profile

      Reply
  5. Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home says

    November 9, 2017 at 12:29 pm

    Congrats! This sounds fun but the heat would make it tough!
    Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…8 Rockin’ Songs for Your Running PleasureMy Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      November 10, 2017 at 4:18 pm

      Definitely! It’s a great way to end the summer racing season, though!
      runswithpugs recently posted…smarter living with smarty pantsMy Profile

      Reply
  6. Andrea says

    November 9, 2017 at 2:16 pm

    I’ve never ran a race in super hot conditions. I think I’d pass out. Good for you for gutting it out. Most miserable conditions I ever had was in early May running a Spartan race and the high was like 40. Still had to get in the water. One of my teammates was so cold we all had to huddle around him to keep him going.
    Andrea recently posted…Strength training for runners | Why it’s different than weight trainingMy Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      November 10, 2017 at 4:19 pm

      I guess it all speaks to what you’re used to. We don’t have a lot of cool weather here, and so we have to tough it out in the summer months.

      Oh, brrrr. I don’t know if I could have gotten in water at 40 degrees! That’s inhumane!
      runswithpugs recently posted…smarter living with smarty pantsMy Profile

      Reply
  7. Stacie Seidman says

    November 9, 2017 at 4:02 pm

    Ugh, that’s rough in that weather! But I love the concept. I wish they did something like this up here, I would totally be down for that!
    Stacie Seidman recently posted…Thursday’s ThreadsMy Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      November 10, 2017 at 4:22 pm

      It’s always interesting to see what different areas offer or don’t. I love everything our local running scene has – we are really lucky for it.
      runswithpugs recently posted…smarter living with smarty pantsMy Profile

      Reply
  8. Angela @marathonsandmotivation.com says

    November 9, 2017 at 6:39 pm

    Congratulations on this! I hate running in the heat, so my favorite time to run is early in the morning!!

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      November 10, 2017 at 3:17 pm

      We definitely don’t have much choice about the heat where I live. Even at 4:30 AM, it’s just awful!

      Reply
  9. Kathryn @ Dancing to Running says

    November 10, 2017 at 3:15 pm

    Despite the heat and humidity, this sounds like an incredible race series. Congrats on pushing through and finishing!
    Kathryn @ Dancing to Running recently posted…2017 Dulles Day 10k on the Runway RecapMy Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      November 10, 2017 at 3:16 pm

      It’s super fun, but challenging! Just the way I like it!

      Reply

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Welcome to Runs With Pugs. My name is Jenn and this is the story of my love affair with running and finding myself through fitness. From C25K to marathon, from triathlon to SUP, from broken leg to the recovery journey... I'm sharing it all. I'm a wife and mother of one, living in NE Florida, in love with travel, adventure, and food. Oh. We have a grumble of pugs, too. Thank you for joining us! We're glad to have you along for the ride!

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