As a teacher I often use "non-examples" We'll be studying something, like how to write a research paper, and I'll make one that has some problems or use one from a previous student, and we go over in class and grade it using some guidelines that I draw up. My hope, from that experience, is that they'll know what to do.
So, here is my non example for you. Perhaps you can spot where I went wrong.
So, Sunday, I got up to do my long slow run.
Normally I eat pasta or something bready the night before and then having a high-carb breakfast about three hours before I run. Then, right before I run, I either take a gel or two and some water OR about half an energy drink before I run.
This time, however, I skipped dinner the night before since I wasn't hungry. And so it was that my last meal was some fries around 2 pm the day before. ANYhoo, I woke up kind of late and so, after nibbling down a cliff Z-bar (about 220 calories) I got dressed and headed out. I didn't eat any more because I didn't want that big "sloshing" feeling in my stomach and I didn't want to delay running any more since it was likely to get warm out.
Sweet Baboo asked me if two 10-ounce bottles of Nuun (read: 20 ounces of water, electrolytes, no carbs) would be enough.
"of course," I said, "besides, it's not very warm out."
About 2 miles into my run I was thinking to myself, gee, I sure wish I'd brought a gel, but then, I wouldn't have had room for my spare key or chapstick I was carrying in my hydrations belt.
By mile 3, I felt, shall we say, a bit weak. My first though, "I'm dehydrated." So I drank about half of my Nuun. By mile 5, I felt a little weaker still. "Gee," I thought, "I wonder if I should have gotten some more nutrition in before starting this run."
By mile 6 I was nauseated, and by mile 8 I was weak and more than a little dizzy. I was running a quarter mile and then walking a quarter mile. It was the longest 10 miles I've ever run.
So tell me, boys and girls, what grade would you give me for 1) insight, 2) planning, and 3) life-threatening and stupid behavior?
I don't fail. I succeed at finding out what doesn't work.
...
