Saturday night I actually went to bed early and slept well all night. I set my alarm for 5 am but ended up waking up around 4:30. Not seeing much reason to go back to sleep I decided I would just get up. I went down to check on Charlie and he was actually doing well. He gave me the green light to go ahead and make the journey. So I set off to pick up Lisa and head to Nags Head. Once we got to the Dream Center…where the event begins…I wasn’t extremely nervous. I had a few butterflies but was so in awe of the number of people around. Hugs, well wishes and laughs going on all around you has a much needed positive effect on the nerves.
The plan was to run with Lisa for a few miles and then just get in our own groove and do our thing. Run our own race, as Matt put it. We heard the gun go off for the first corral. That’s a fitting term for it as we were literally corralled like livestock to the front as each group was given the green light to start their race. It got to be our turn to start and from the beginning my legs didn’t feel quite right. This isn’t unusual as I am a slow “starter-upper” when it comes to running. I find it takes about 2.5 miles to get into my groove. My legs felt like lead. We started off very slowly. Lisa and I kept pace for about the first mile. Even though my legs never did warm up, around mile 2 things got just a tad easier. I was looking forward to mile 6 as I knew once there it would be easier.
Re caught up with me and just as I was about to take off on another jog, she said she needed to walk a bit. I was certainly not going to argue with her! So we made the pact to walk for mile 11 and pick up the jog at 12 all the way in. It’s been suggested many times by Adam that throughout our training we take part in an ICE BATH. I’ve never been brave enough to try it. At mile 11.5, I was begging for one! This is how I knew what trouble I would be in, if I finished this thing. Re kept assuring me we would finish, even if we were crawling! I believed her, knowing she would drag me behind her if she had to! That’s what “Things” do for each other!
On the way home it occurred to me that I had just finished all that running, had burned all those calories and was hungry. I’m having a BURGER, I exclaim. And so I did. It was the best burger I’ve had in a very long time. Still proclaiming I’m never doing this again all the way home. The next day I review the results. I see my time. 2:46. I know I can do better than this. After all the full marathon winner beat me by more than 20 minutes. What? I can’t possibly go down like that! This can’t be the best I can do. Ok, when does training start for the Flying Pirate half in April? Yes…I’m hooked. I suppose there are worse things to be hooked to than running. I’ll take it! In April I will finish in 2 hours.
That’s the new goal.
No comments:
Post a Comment