I made no secrets. I went to Cincinnati to qualify for Boston. One week before Cincinnati I started to have severe piriformis pain in my hip and lower back. I didn't run a single mile in the six days prior to the marathon. I loaded up on Motrin and whirlpooled and iced and heated and iced and heated and whirlpooled and loaded up on Motrin.
I said goodbye to our dog, Mesa, 4 days before the race. He had to be put to sleep (rest his soul). I wondered if I had plenty of reasons NOT to run this race. I drove 5 1/2 hours to Cincinnati on Friday. I woke up Sunday morning and ran the race. I worried about my hip, that amazingly had gotten just well enough for me to run. I panicked when my right calf began to cramp slightly in the middle of mile 5. I worried some more. I panicked when my slight calf cramp reappeared somewhere during mile 13. I still believed I could qualify for Boston. I ran with the 3:20 pace group for 21 miles. I was withing striking distance of qualifying until mile 22. I didn't hydrate properly throughout the race and bonked during mile 22. I said goodbye to Boston. Still, I realized that a PR was not only a possibility, it was a sheer certainty. I could have walked to a PR. I did walk (about 150 yards or so). I got angry with myself. I reached down and gathered what I could to battle through and ran (jogged) those last four horrific and miserable miles. Inevitably I did finish. I was disappointed. I felt bad for myself. I knew I hadn't run the smartest race, yet I gave it my very best shot to qualify. I knew I would have run smarter if not for the attempt to qualify. I thought I was ready. I don't make any excuses. I did not qualify for Boston.
What did I do? I chopped over 13 1/2 minutes off my previous personal record (PR). I finished 315th of a possible 4,732 runners overall. I finished 58th out of 378 people in my age group. I ran my 3rd marathon in less than 365 calendar days. I got faster for the second time. I persevered. I conquered what I thought I might not be able to conquer less than 2 days earlier. I toed the starting line. I ran 26.2 miles. I crossed the finish line. I learned a lot.
I learned that Boston is now just 10:09 away. I learned that under the worst possible circumstances I can do it. I learned that the mind is a very powerful thing. I learned that not every day is a good day, but even bad days can be good days. I learned that every race, every marathon is different in it's own unique way. I learned that every day should be a blessing. I learned that I love what marathons bring out in me. I learned once again that running a marathon is tough. Running a marathon is humbling. Running a marathon is a lot of things planned for, and a lot more things unplanned for.
I learned. I ran. I finished.
I said goodbye to our dog, Mesa, 4 days before the race. He had to be put to sleep (rest his soul). I wondered if I had plenty of reasons NOT to run this race. I drove 5 1/2 hours to Cincinnati on Friday. I woke up Sunday morning and ran the race. I worried about my hip, that amazingly had gotten just well enough for me to run. I panicked when my right calf began to cramp slightly in the middle of mile 5. I worried some more. I panicked when my slight calf cramp reappeared somewhere during mile 13. I still believed I could qualify for Boston. I ran with the 3:20 pace group for 21 miles. I was withing striking distance of qualifying until mile 22. I didn't hydrate properly throughout the race and bonked during mile 22. I said goodbye to Boston. Still, I realized that a PR was not only a possibility, it was a sheer certainty. I could have walked to a PR. I did walk (about 150 yards or so). I got angry with myself. I reached down and gathered what I could to battle through and ran (jogged) those last four horrific and miserable miles. Inevitably I did finish. I was disappointed. I felt bad for myself. I knew I hadn't run the smartest race, yet I gave it my very best shot to qualify. I knew I would have run smarter if not for the attempt to qualify. I thought I was ready. I don't make any excuses. I did not qualify for Boston.
What did I do? I chopped over 13 1/2 minutes off my previous personal record (PR). I finished 315th of a possible 4,732 runners overall. I finished 58th out of 378 people in my age group. I ran my 3rd marathon in less than 365 calendar days. I got faster for the second time. I persevered. I conquered what I thought I might not be able to conquer less than 2 days earlier. I toed the starting line. I ran 26.2 miles. I crossed the finish line. I learned a lot.
I learned that Boston is now just 10:09 away. I learned that under the worst possible circumstances I can do it. I learned that the mind is a very powerful thing. I learned that not every day is a good day, but even bad days can be good days. I learned that every race, every marathon is different in it's own unique way. I learned that every day should be a blessing. I learned that I love what marathons bring out in me. I learned once again that running a marathon is tough. Running a marathon is humbling. Running a marathon is a lot of things planned for, and a lot more things unplanned for.
I learned. I ran. I finished.
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