I started and finished the Madison Marathon's half marathon today. Some of my freshman health majors had decided in the fall to do this race together, and today it happened. As I had promised them at the time, I finished last in the pack---to protect their egos, of course!
Mile 1: Wow--running down Williamson in the middle of the street with several thousand other people---don't get to do this every day!
Mile 2: See Endurance House Luke, my peeps Lynette and Patti, and Berkeley Running Company David...am still running about an 11 minute mile. Life is good.
Mile 3: People on Sherman are giving out beer. WTF?
Mile 4: Begin to remember that running hurts my feet.
Mile 5: Enjoy a walk break chat with Biah from Chicago more than I should.
Mile 6: Start to remember how much the last half marathon hurt.
Mile 7: Start to remember how long I couldn't walk after last half marathon.
Mile 8: Begin to compose resignation note to coach, telling him I think I'm not cut out to go long.
Mile 9: Begin to edit previously composed resignation note.
Mile 10a: Wonder if pain in feet could be relieved by loosening shoe laces. Stop to bend down, only to realize laces are double knotted and hands are swollen enough as to be dysfuctional. Try to suck it up and wash it down with water from fuel belt bottle, only to discover cap thing is stuck. Remember that students are waiting at finish line for me, their teacher.
Mile 10b. Here's Melissa--a surprise, just in the midst of this falling apart mile. I am delighted---and distracted from my pity party. She takes my cap and glasses, which are adding to being overheated. I hug her. "Keep going!" she says.
Mile 11. Movin' Shoes aid station. They're excited b/c I am wearing a Movin' Shoes t-shirt. I am excited because it's mile 11.
Mile 12: Frontrunners---the most tasteful aid station on the course, organized by gay guys.
Mile 13: Why does mile 13 feel like 3 miles? How the bleep will I ever do IM? Melissa magically appears again 3/4 mile from the finish. How does she know where the hard spots are?
Mile 13.1...Running down the chute...first time I've been in an event big enough for this...whoa---it's like being a rock star! See Betsy, see swim coach, see finish line. Do not cry, do not need medical aid....find students, find Melissa, put note to coach in draft box....maybe I won't resign from training just yet! Walk 3 miles home.
Up side:
10k time 6 min faster than first half marathon.
No trips to urgent care or PT forseeable as a result of race.
Learned more about running ettiquette---for the price of 5 or so minutes off the final time.
Learned about going out too fast and walking too little.
Had interesting social experiences.
Saw my fabulous freshmen at the finish---all of whom had done well and survived!
Down side:
Overall time was not significantly faster than last half, even though I didn;t go in injured and have been having good traning runs. A mystery? Or a scientific phenomenon to be explored?
Didn't have the same kind of magical, mystical, emotional experience I did in the first half marathon last fall...perhaps because there were so many runners around...perhaps because there's nothing like the first time.
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6 comments:
I love your entry of the race today. Thanks for reminding me about the beer aid table--I'd forgotten about that.
Congratulations, and I hope you find a great job! ;o)
Big events are always interesting in Madison, and usually because of beer!
Glad you had a good day. Hang in there, and one day you'll hear the words "You are an Ironman."
Hey Juice, me again. I see you list IT Band Syndrome in your ailments. Care to share anything you did to help it?
Much appreciated.
Jay
Great job on the race.
Thanks for the encouraging words, Collin, Jay, and Waddler!
As for IT Band Syndrome...here are things that work for me:
1. rest. 2. stretch. 3. advil.
4. ice. 5. rolling it out on a foam roller---hurts, but helps. 6. check shoes to make sure they're not causing the issue. 7. avoid running on cambered roads whenever possible. 8. pull back when that "IT feeling" begins to come on (running through it won't make it better...)---that is: rest, ice, stretch, roll, advil...If you're in Madison, WI., and can connect with the Sports Med PT service on Science Drive, they can give you helpful exercises...It's a common and frustrating problem, but can be healed!
Thanks for the tips. I think I have a contact at Sports Medicine, so I'll give that a shot.
Regards,
J
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