Last Sunday was the culmination of months of training.
Responsibly tucking myself in early on Friday nights so that I could get up for
7 am runs; cutting out some sweets and caffeine; drinking as much water as I
probably should; training sessions before and after work. Yet, with all that
training, almost a month ago, old pains returned and new pains surfaced. It was
too late to take a serious recovery break and heal. But, I was too committed to
call it quits. After encouragement from family and friends, I took it easier on
the training while hoping that the time invested in the past months would pay
off.
Sunday morning was a beautiful 50 degrees. I started off
slowly jogging flat stretches and uphills but saving my knees by walking the
downhills. Then, the thing that I couldn’t train for happened. My left foot
slipped off the side of a curb; and, I twisted my ankle. Thankfully, I could
still walk on it. After about a half block walking, I started running on it. I
kept running. A friend met me at mile 10 and generously applied Biofreeze. Yet,
that only helped me another mile before I had to start walking. Even though I
had reassured my family and friends that I would walk if I had to, the
realization that I had to was depressing. Tears threatened to spill. Somehow, I
kept my head up and walked.
This was the last race of a six race series that we had
started back in October. The Distance Challenge starts with shorter distances –
a 10K, then a 10 mile, a couple of half marathons, then, the 30K, where all the
pains started. The Austin Marathon is the final race in the Distance Challenge.
Only finishers of all six races receive the Distance Challenge finisher jacket.
One incomplete disqualifies the registrant. I wasn’t about to stop now during
the final race!
However, without friends’ support, it would have been very
tough to actually follow through. Just as I would begin internally questioning
if I could really walk the whole way, there would be another friend texting
that they were waiting for me, another friend on the sideline cheering me on,
another friend waiting for me at the finish. And as walkers passed me by, two
friends met me at mile 25 and walked me the final 1.2 miles to the finish line,
where more friends were waiting for me. My first marathon completed in 6 hours
and 45 minutes.
