Runner Insight

Do What Ya Gotta Do 

Last year I ran in a little 4 mile race that took place in an area of town I am not as familiar with.  The Missoula Roots Run is in conjunction with the Missoula Roots Festival:  lots of live music, arts and crafts and plenty of food!  Having lived in Missoula all my life, I knew the area but had not run in this particular part of town since the mid-90’s.  So while I “knew” where I was, I was still a little bit nervous about running this race and staying on the race route. 

The race started at 11 a.m. which I thought was kind of a late start for the end of August.  But as it turned out, it was quite pleasant: not too hot yet with blue, sunny skies.  

The time was getting close to the start of the race, so T positioned me somewhere in the middle of the group of runners off to the right side.  

We were waiting for the bang of the start gun to go off when Anders, the owner of our local running store “The Runners Edge,” announced that we had to wait a few minutes to start the race as there was a train crossing right on the road we were starting on.  

As we stood there, a gal who was waiting next to us said she has seen me running out by her house.  I commented on the hill we would be running less than a mile into the race.  I told her I had not run hills in years, and was not sure how I would do.  She told us about what a fellow runner had advised.  

He said, “If you want to be good at running hills, Run Hills. If you want to run fast…Run Fast.”  

This was such a straight-forward concept, but very profound at the same time.  How many times do we say “I wish I could….”  But how simple it is, really: If we just simply did it, eventually we would get good at it.  

Me, personally, however, I do not wish to be good at running hills…

How ‘bout it?

-Vision Runner 

P.S. The hill was fairly easy, and I also ended up with lots of help on the race route as people were so generous when they saw I was using my white cane.  I am so grateful for the kind and loving women who took the time during their run to make sure I was okay and following the right route.  Sure makes me proud of my fellow runners! 

And I finished the four miles in about 46 minutes…Not too bad for a blind runner.

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Slogging through Ice Puddles

I just couldn’t stand it anymore…it didn’t matter what the weather was like, I had to get outside and run this past week!  Even though the path I use still had some snow cover and patches of ice in shaded areas, I simply decided that it didn’t matter. If it was too bad, I would just turn around and head back home.

As it turned out, I landed in an ice puddle just as I exited our alley!  Well, I didn’t have to try and avoid puddles any more since my feet were now members of the “Polar Bear Club”. 

It felt so great to be outside again: breathing in the fresh, crisp winter air.  There was one place on the trail that could have been a child’s wading pool…and I managed to run right through the middle of it, splashing freezing cold water onto the front of my running tights.  Luckily, the weather was in the high 30’s to low 40’s.  I just gave a loud yelp and vowed not to hit it again on the way back!

It had been about 10 days since my last outdoor run, and I was more than ready.  The day before I had run on the treadmill for 40 minutes, and because of my limited eyesight and elusive balance, I had to hold onto the treadmill as I ran. This makes running on the treadmill, which is already a tedious task, more trouble than it’s worth. I would rather slog through ice puddles than run on a treadmill any day!

So you don’t have to let a few ice puddles get in the way of having a great run – I certainly didn’t.

How ‘bout it?

-Vision Runner

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For those of you paying attention, back in September I was telling you about my first marathon and the events of race day. Well, I never got around to publishing part four, the final part of my marathon adventures, because a lot of miscellaneous stuff came up. But for those of you that have been waiting, clenching the edge of your seat, only removing yourself from the glow of your computer screen for bathroom breaks and to open holiday and birthday gifts . . . Your patience is about to be rewarded!

Here it is…the long awaited conclusion and results of my marathon race day.

You’re Welcome!!

Part 4 Missoula Marathon 2007 Race Day

Well, as you’ll recall, I had just had a pit stop, where T poured cold water on my neck and changed out my neck wrap for a fresh cold one. 

It was hot – 90 plus degrees out – a record breaking summer for western Montana! The sun was intense, and there was no shade to be found. 

I was running along, nearing the 20 mile mark, when I noticed my right foot was feeling numb.  I stopped to examine it and as I felt my ankle to see if it felt swollen, I flexed my toes on my right foot…Whoa!!! Big mistake!  My whole leg started to cramp up.  I never get cramps, so when this one started, I panicked a bit.  I pushed my toes back down and furiously rubbed my right leg, and luckily, with that immediate and intense attention, I was able to avoid a full blown cramp.  But of course, this whole situation had me worried – a lot.  Would I be able to finish the race? If I ran on my numb foot, I could injure it even worse and not even realize it. Would it hurt to walk on it? Could I keep myself safe and healthy, or was it too late?

Obviously I couldn’t run on a numb foot…that was just too dumb, so I started walking because I didn’t want to risk twisting my ankle and being unable to finish the race.  With my ever-present cell phone, I called T.  I think she was surprised to be hearing from me.  I said I didn’t know if I could go on.  We had a bad connection, so when she said, “What?  I didn’t hear you…,” right then and there I decided not to repeat my negative thoughts, and instead I told her I was going to have to walk some of the last 6 miles due to my numb foot and leg cramps. 

So we pushed back the next meeting time, and I told her I would call again when I was getting closer.  I was more than a little bummed by my set-back, but at the same time, I was glad that I was able to walk, and even run some when the numbness subsided, and I felt my foot was okay. 

All along the way, volunteers were there to hand out water, power aid and gels, and the crowds were so supportive. 

At one point, a volunteer on a bike came up to me and asked how I was doing.  I told her I was walking due to some cramping in my right leg.  She gave me about 6 Pringles potato chips for the sodium and, can you believe this: her own personal water bottle!? How amazingly generous and compassionate!  She told me I could leave her water bottle at the next aid station, and she would get it there. I was so grateful for her care and attention. 

By now, I knew it was true what I had heard about the marathon: that it was really two races: the first twenty miles, then the last six.  Because my last 6 miles were hell.  It seemed like it was taking forever. 

My next pit stop was near the mall with about 3.2 miles to go on the bike path that I was very familiar with.  There again I met T, and this time our good friend Marty was there too.  They got me a fresh cool neck wrap and water.  T walked with me for awhile, but I really wanted her to be at the finish line, so I said I would be fine and started to run for a bit, and she peeled off to head towards the finish line downtown. 

The enthusiastic crowds at the mall gave me a much needed boost of energy, and I ran for quite some time before I had to walk again.  I was very aware of my time: that it was going to be well over 5 hours before I would cross the finish line.  Of course my objective had now changed, and I was only concerned with finishing, and doing it in under the 6 hours required to be an official finisher. 

So with my run-a-little/walk-some-more strategy, I plugged along on the path that had no shade at all.  The sun was beating down on me, and I knew it had to be getting close to 100 degrees! 

As I was approaching the turn that would take me over the Orange Street Bridge, I could hear the music playing and the crowd cheering, and in my brain I did an imaginary back flip with excitement:  I knew I was just about there! 

As I got to the bridge where the finish line was, I was looking around.  I could see balloons tied to the side of the bridge, but I was expecting so much more.  According to what the website had said, there was supposed to be a huge balloon arch.  Oh well…I was just excited to be on the bridge.  I gave it my all, running as fast as I could, high-fiving the onlookers as they stretched their hands out and shouted words of encouragement.

I finished strong, running at a sprint towards the finish line.  I was never so happy to be done with a race in all my life. 

I was a marathoner!  Albeit a bit of a dazed marathoner, but an undisputed one, nonetheless.  My finish time was: 5:28:00.

T came to the finish line and escorted me to get my finishers medal in the shape of a star, and then on to the food:  to the re-fueling station to replenish my glycogen stores!  I was  wobbly and very tired, and with the temperature hitting the mid 90’s, of course I was overheated.  I sat in a folding chair under a tent, and chowed down on watermelon and bagels.  The pasta and salty nut mix were just what I needed. 

After I regained some of my strength, I turned to T and said with absolute conviction, “I’m never doing that again!” 

“I was hoping you would say that,” she replied. She knew how hard this whole marathon training process for the past six months had been on my body.

Then it was time to head for home.  But there was one small problem with that plan: I could not get out of the chair.  My legs had stiffened up.  But T managed to pull me up to a standing position.  I didn’t want to hang around as it was hot, did I mention it was hot?  And I needed my Starbucks fix! 

So we stopped at my favorite coffee hangout, and I showed off my medal to anyone who would look!  At one point I asked T to tell me what it said on my star-shaped medal. 

She looked at it and then said with a straight face, “My Little Sherriff.” 

“WHAT!?!” 

Of course it didn’t really say that, but I have to admit the shape of the star medal did look like one of those kids play tin sheriff badges. To this day, we still laugh about that.

Once we were home, I had a soothing bath and tried to take a nap, but my legs were too sore and every time I moved they hurt. So it was not very restful.  I got up, and within a few hours my legs felt better.  It wasn’t until I tried to climb the stairs that I realized just how sore they really were.  And don’t even get me started about going to the bathroom!

That evening, T and Marty took me out to our favorite steak house for my celebratory dinner.  Yes, I wore my medal, and if it was socially acceptable I would have worn it as a badge of accomplishment everywhere I went for a week or two!  But I was content to wear it to dinner, where I did talk to several other marathoners and half marathoners who had run in the race, and we all agreed it was way too hot! DUH! I don’t know if anyone running a marathon could really stay hydrated in that heat.

Oh yeah, that balloon arch that was supposed to be at the finish line? It was there, big as life.  I didn’t see it when I ran under it, so imagine my surprise when I saw it in the photo. What’s that all about? You’d think I was blind or something….

How ‘bout it?

-Vision Runner

P.S. If you’re getting value out of this blog, you can do me a favor by linking to us and mentioning my blog to friends and co-workers. Here’s the link information for this particular article:
Title: Marathon Training: My First Marathon – Race Day Part 4

URL: http://runnerinsight.com/2010/01/12/marathon-training-my-first-marathon-race-day-part-4/

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