This race was horrible for me. My training went so well this summer and I was easily running faster than last year on all my training runs. Last year I ran a 2:54 so this year I thought 2:52 was a realistic goal. Unfortunately I started the race dehydrated and began cramping at mile 3.
I had a tight calf a few weeks ago that pulled on my plantar. It was still bothering me a little a few days before the race and I was so focused on my foot that I didn't even think to do the basics, hydrate and carbo load. I sat in my hot tub several times in the two days before the race to heat my foot, got out and ice it etc. I drank like normal but didn't consider how much I was probably sweating in the hot tub.
At about mile 3 my left butt felt really tight, then my left calf. I wondered if I was running funny because I was worried about my foot and tried to run relaxed. A few miles later my other calf tightened and then a hamstring. I let Melanie get ahead of me going up Veyo. She's a better hill runner but I thought I would catch right up to her. The next 3 miles I stared at her back wondering why I wasn't catching her. I felt like I was slogging through Jello as everything got tighter and tighter, quads now too. Finally at mile 13 I stopped to stretch. All expectations of doing anything great ended right there and I decided I was just going to run and try to enjoy it. The stretching helped a little and I kept going stopping to stretch at aid stations.
As a girl ran out to hand me my Elite water bottle at mile 17 I stopped to walk. She was jogging along trying to give it to me on the go as I was reaching out for it walking. I must have been a sight as I said, "I'm walking. This is not my day," because they all laughed. At mile 18 I started considering whether to even finish.
My husband met me on his bike around mile 21 1/2 . I stopped to stretch and talk to him for about 5 minutes. He said, "Do you think you can finish?" I said, "Ya, I can finish if I walk." I called my kids and told them not to bother being at the finish line so early. Just before mile 23 my foot started to hurt and I decided to pull out. My husband went to get the car parked around mile 23.
By this point I was past running a mile and walking a 100 yards, and had moved onto running 3/4 mile walking 200 yards, etc. It got even worse later. When a man walked out to hand me my Elite water bottle at the 23 mile marker I was caught by surprise. Feeling a little embarrassed to be getting an Elite bottle back with the masses at this point. I felt like I was back in time and hadn't even remembered I was getting Elite bottles.
Then I thought of the 10 year club and how my race wouldn't count for that if I didn't finish. I also thought about how in the spring I decided I would just be happy to run the marathon no matter my time. I also thought of my dad who almost always cramped in marathons and had the kind of finish I was having and he never quit. He would love to be doing the marathon but he's dead. When Brent pulled up with the car I said, "I changed my mind. I'm going to finish."
I ran, walked, ran, walked and got passed by hundreds of people the last 3 miles. I crossed the finish line thinking, "I'm just glad I can run."
I saw a sign at the gas station on the way home that said, "Good judgment comes from experience and a lot of that comes from bad judgment." I laughed because I thought that pretty much summed up my race. I won't make that mistake again.
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