A few factors contributed to my inability to blow any previous times out of the water, despite the downhill edge. The week before the race my allergies were really bad, I eventually found allergy medicine that cured my symptoms, but it gave me that "medicine head" feeling. I felt like I was walking around with a hang over. But hey, at least my nose stopped dripping and my throat wasn't sore anymore! I missed my last Saturday taper run of 6 miles due to feeling horrible from the allergies and the medicine, so when Tuesday evening ran around I sucked it up and decided to keep the running date I had made with my two training buddies for the half marathon. I almost didn't go... I texted them my complaints of feeling miserable and they asked, "Does that mean you aren't going?" And I said, "No, just whining." I was hoping they would be like, "Yeah, I am too tired, I am going to pass too." But no. They were both ready to get 'er done! So I left work and headed to the trail by a local park.
During that run, after 3 miles, my running buddy asked if my Runkeeper app on my phone was tracking the run (not that it mattered, they both had theirs going and I had my Garmin on me). I like the app though, it gives a cool map and has immediate gratification of being able to upload your screenshot to social media. So, I checked it out, it was working, so I jammed it back into my belt and then........ BAM!! I tripped! It was ironic, because out of the three of us I was the only one wearing a headlamp. LOL I got up and assessed the damage. The brunt of the fall was taken by my left leg below my knee (on the side of my calf). And my left hand was throbbing and had a little road rash on it as well. I felt like the side of my thigh had been hit as well, and there was a smaller scrape below my knee. "Oh lovely.... and I have a race in 4 days," I thought. I continued on our run, we were almost to our turn around point. I assured my friends I was okay. My hand throbbed as I ran, but the leg pain hadn't hit me yet. 2 miles later we made it back to our cars and I was DONE. Forget 6 miles, I was good with 5. When I got into the car to drive home my left leg started burning with horrible pain. I was glad I only lived around the corner from the park, but I couldn't get home soon enough!
As if that wasn't bad enough I developed another problem that same night. It's not something I want to really elaborate on too much, but it was what we would delicately call a "female problem," and it was making me miserable. When I woke up I felt like a hot mess. Between the allergies, the fall, and this new development I was starting to think that the race coming up was not going to happen for me. I went to the Doctor right away, he checked out my injury and said I had done a good job cleaning it out. (That's at least SOME good news.) Then he prescribed a pill and some other medicines for my "female problem" and then he did me a solid and confirmed my allergies were just that, and not some horrible cold or developing flu. That's the last thing I needed! The Doctor said I should feel better by Saturday (which was the day of my race). So, that was promising. In the mean time I just had to take care of my leg and evaluate for myself if it was "race worthy." (You know... like "sea worthy" but for running. haha)
I believe it was 3am Thursday morning that I sent out a text to my two running buddies. I said I wasn't sure if I was going to run Saturday. They knew about my allergies and my road rash, but they didn't know yet about how miserable I was with the addition of my 3rd ailment. I could suck it up for allergies.... I could suck it up for some road rash on my leg, but I didn't know if I could suck it up for those two things AND the third all combined into one miserable mess. I was starting to think this was a sign from God NOT to run.
When I talked to my husband about it all he said to give it one more day before deciding to call it quits. Wise words. This support helped me to consider that this half marathon was actually still within the realm of possibility. Then I opened my email and saw this devotional from Rick Warren titled, "Don't Give up!" I thought perhaps this is a sign from God. I didn't know for sure. But that particular devotion is ALWAYS on point for what I am going through on a particular day. So I thought it was interesting. Coincidence? Maybe... but maybe not. And as I went to work that day all my symptoms seemed to be better than the day before, and even better than that restless night. I had hope that in even just one or two more days my misery would be even more improved than in this past 24 hrs. As the day went on my text messages to my running friends went from whines to cries of, "I would rather try and fail than to not even try at all!" I decided I would prefer to start the race, discover my leg just wasn't going to be able to handle it, or that my body was rejecting the idea of running completely, and hop on a golf cart to the finish line than to never even make it to the start line.
My friends were excited, and I started to get excited again myself. There were so many reasons I wanted to do this race, after all.
#1 A bunch of Mom's Run This Town chapters were all meeting each other at this race. It would be the first time we all did this. We had interacted online quite a bit, but many of us never met in person before. And one of my running buddies was going to stay over night with me in a hotel, since it was a little further from home. And what Mom doesn't want a chance to spend the night in a hotel with no kids! Am I right?
#2 I am in a group on Facebook called "Meg's Miles Supporters" and I had purchased my first shirt from them and was going to run with it on during this race. And the significance to that was major. Not only was this the first time I owned a Meg's Miles shirt, but a whole other group of Meggers were running in Richmond Virginia their own half and full marathons. I kinda felt connected to them and their excitement by doing a race on the same day, in my shirt. I was very excited about the back of the shirt as well... "I run for Meg, because Meg ran 4 him." Goes perfectly with my Run for God mentality! I want to give glory to Him for every run I do! (Meg was a Mother, a runner training for the Boston marathon, and a Christian. She was hit by a drunk driver on a morning run January 13, 2014. The profits from this shirt go to the husband and family of Meg's. So, this meant a lot to me.) Here is my shirt, and my lovely road rash.
#3 It was my first half marathon on a Saturday (I have sworn off running on Sundays... see previous post), and it was downhill, and it was an inaugural run. The whole thing was so well planned by the REVEL Canyon City folks that I knew the experience would be amazing, an experience unlike any of the previous 4 halfs I have done or the one full. And truthfully, the bling was AMAZING (see top photo)! Even our race photos were free! And there was pie at the end! PIE! Anyways... needless to say, I was very excited just to experience this race. LOL
Friday came, I took the day off work. And after dinner, with the gal that was staying at the hotel with me, we headed out. At this point I had stopped the allergy meds to hopefully kick this "hangover" feeling, but I truly felt miserable still. Then by that evening my leg was swelling up and I was getting a bit worried. I took some Advil, wrapped my leg with two bags of ice and crawled into bed... praying that my leg would be in decent enough condition to run the next morning. After about 5 hours of sleep we headed to the race, I grabbed a fresh bag of ice for the bus ride to the start line. I was pleased so see my leg wasn't swollen, and it was feeling pretty good, and even my medicine-head feeling was markedly improved. Things were looking hopeful.
I met the MRTT ladies, we headed down the mountain, and I did feel the road rash on my leg a bit as my foot struck the ground. But it was bearable. I knew my speed was going to be slower due to this, but I was okay with that. I was there to have fun and enjoy the view of that beautiful course! I prayed for friends, I listened to worship music and praised God for the sound of the rushing river beside me. I even got a couple, "Nice shirt!" Comments as people passed me by. It has a verse on the back, Isaiah 40:31 "But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." I felt that I was running with the torch for Christ in my hand. Carrying forward Meg's legacy. It was a sobering thought.
After I crossed at 2:24 I was proud I had stuck it out and finished what I had set out to do. I hobbled to our MRTT tent and stuck a whole bag of ice on my leg and smiled. I did it! I persevered! With the Lord's help, I conquered the mountain! I think I will do it again next year... but hopefully minus any scrapes or any other issues. hahaha
