Run with the Foxes - half marathon race report
I'm starting to think that this shirt is not so lucky after all (see facial expression).
On a whim, Ben and I decided last night that we would run the half marathon in the Run With the Foxes at Morgan-Monroe State Forest. Granted, I haven't run more than 6 miles since a month ago at Boston, and I ran my first two consecutive days in a row just Thursday/yesterday.
To recap Boston, I left the race pretty injured. More injured than I was in Chicago. That's two marathons in a row (Boston and Chicago) that I've come very close to DNF-ing due to injury.
If you remember giving me help on my Boston race-day outfit via Facebook, this is what I wore:
Let's rewind a little to this morning. First of all, Ben and Ted decided to ride their bikes up to Morgan-Monroe... crazy already. I slept in and drove the car up there, we signed up for the race, and things were good. I wasn't sure how the whole thing would go, since I'm pretty lacking in the endurance department. Yesterday's run on the cross country course felt awesome, despite a little heat and humidity, so with a soft trail surface, it wasn't unreasonable to think that I could run 13.1-ish on the trails. Right? After all, I ran Tecumseh successfully without much training or endurance base, and it was great!
The other half of me was saying that it was the dumbest idea ever and that I am going to screw up my IT band/knee again, worse than Boston. Injuries are horrible and I probably don't respect them as much as I should. Sometimes, when I get burned out on running, I don't mind being injured (because I usually am). But knowing that I
can't run, even if I want to, is beyond frustrating.
Throwing aside all better judgement, I made my way over to the trails this morning, signed up, and off we went. I ran with Rebecca, Chris, and Evan for the majority of the time. I randomly also ran into one of my Rolls-Royce intern buddies from 2006, Ben. Also good. [Have I really not seen you in 4 years?]
At mile 1 I slightly rolled my ankle, but it happens all the time. I felt like we were taking a decent pace on the trail, but it was soft and forgiving enough that I didn't think it'd bother my knee. There were quite a few sticks, rocks, and roots.
At mile 2, well - I didn't quite make it to mile 2. At 1.5 miles I hardcore sprained my ankle on a bunch of roots. I have never even come close to a sprain, but I achieved it today!!! I couldn't think about anything but how much it hurt for about a solid minute, and thankful that all of the above-mentioned people stopped briefly for me.
Let me repeat:
It.Hurt.So.Much. I was speechless. All I could do was stand there like an idiot and groan. I didn't even have time to look down to see a non-swollen ankle. It was completely bubbly by the time I even bent over to inspect it. I didn't really have much of a choice but to limp back on my own after making sure that the rest of the group didn't lose too much time by stopping for me. I passed Rebecca going in the other direction, and (she is amazing) she gave me her car key - girl came pre
pared! She had athletic tape and ibuprofen in her trunk.
Evan said at the finish, "Yeah, but I know your personality and I know you thought about finishing." Yep, definitely considered walking it off and trying to run the next 11.6 miles on the ankle -- countless times. As I hobbled back, every minute or so, the thought would enter my mind that I should try - or that I could - still walk it off and keep going. I could probably turn around any second and just continue running. I even tried a few painful jogging steps. I'd be behind, but I would at least finish.... I have never DNFed before and did not intend for it to be today.
It was like one of these moments.
In the middle of thoughts like this, the highly logical (more intelligent?) part of me would force me to lean down to look at my ankle. It obviously hurt pretty badly, and no denying that it was swollen. Fortunately, my shoe served as a little compression in the time it took me to get back to the start. The swelling wasn't really that convincing (that I should quit), but when I'd poke on it, the resulting pain was argument enough.
Rinse, wash, and repeat this cycle for the next 1.5 miles, or what was probably about 30 minutes.
If anything, this has to be the universe telling me that I shouldn't have attempted this run. I'll never know, but maybe this injury prevented me from causing a worse injury later in the race. Well played, Universe.
When I got to the finish, I saw Allison and Claire waiting at the end, since they'd completed the 5k a little earlier. (Allison's baby, Tommy, is really cute - like, puppy cute!) Get this - when I was approaching the turn where these two girls were, it was a huuuuuuge downhill to get to the finish line. The course marshals there would not let me not-finish! Like, they wouldn't let me DNF and take care of my ankle! All the while I am hobbling along just looking for a way to get some ice and the tape from Rebecca's car. Talk about adding insult to injury (literally. Or is it adding injury to injury in this case?). They were completely adamant about me hobbling down the hill to the finish line and giving the timers my pull tag, as if it could not possibly wait 10 minutes while I put my ankle back together. Fortunately one of the guys that had finished his race was nice enough to take it down there for me. Allison let me use her stroller as a way to elevate the ankle. I still have yet to figure out how to tape, as easy as that sounds. It only took me 2 tries to get it sort of right?
After taping, I hung around with Claire and Allison to watch everyone else finish. The race organizers didn't exactly have any ice, but they did give me a plastic fruit bowl and showed me where the cold water hose was. Eh, that sort of worked.
Run-wise, everyone else did great!! Craig ran the 10k and Evan in the 10 mile, while Ben, Ted, Ben, Chris, Rex, and Rebecca were in the mini marathon. I can't tell Rebecca thanks enough for having that stuff on hand and letting me have some! A huge thank you to Rex also for giving me a ride up the hill!
Result: I'm couch-ridden for the next few days, but taking care of the ankle and all of the other injuries remaining from Boston. Ben's upset that this incident only supports my hatred for trail running, and now I've experienced my first confidence-shattering DNF.
All in all, Adidas shirt, you're NOT a lucky shirt. Good thing you're pretty.
Declare your passion – People run for millions of reasons, and we want to know yours! Head to www.runningday.org and let the nation know why you run, be it raising money for charity, keeping your waistline in check, or getting to that bagel at the 5K finish line.
Bring a runway to work – Swap your loafers and heels for sneakers and you'll be dressed to the nines for National Running Day. Your feet will thank you for it, and it will be that much easier to step out for a short jog during lunch or on your way home from work.
Morph your friends into running fiends – Friends don't let friends just walk on National Running Day! Invite a pal or two—the more the merrier—to hit the road with you. They'll be hooked in no time!
Change Happy Hour to Running Hour – Shake things up by adding a run to your post-work plans. Head out at 5:00 p.m. with some co-workers and relax over miles instead of cocktails.
Strike new ground – Seize the day and take the road you've never traveled. Who knows? You might find a new favorite running path to spice up your summer.
Give the gift of happy feet – Donate to organizations that support youth running, likeShoes That Fit. They’ve assisted in getting 800,000 pairs of sneakers on little feet – just think of all the miles you’ll help them run!
Make running run in the family – They have your eyes, but what about your endurance? Leave the bikes and baseball bats in the garage and run around the neighborhood with the kids. Keep things interesting with a short race to see who is the fastest.
Choose a running resolution – Kick off a new fitness goal on National Running Day. It can be anything, including adding five minutes to your next run, running a new distance, or signing up for a road race.
Take advantage of the great outdoors – Running outside beats spending all your time on the treadmill. Step out the front door and away from the gym to take in a bit of nature during your afternoon run.
Treat yourself like a champion – Set yourself up for success by indulging in your favorite post-run snack, sporting your lucky t-shirt, or helping your feet to a new pair of sneakers.
