DNF
Last weekend, I was all signed up, pumped, and ready to run 13.1 miles. I had put in my time - training for weeks upon weeks, working from treadmill to road, logging my longest run of 12.5 outside about a month earlier before tapering.
The night before, Big A and I had dropped the kids off at his parents' farm for a sleepover with cousins. Oh boy, did grandma have her hands full with a 6 year old and three 4 year olds. It sounds like they had fun and Squirt didn't cry when we left, so that was a small victory.
We talked all the way up to downtown, Lincoln, NE to grab my race packet. Then we spent some time in Old Navy exchanging one defective pair of little boy pants (2 weeks for a rip in the knee...TWO WEEKS!) and some online bought shorts that were (blessedly) too big. Chipoltle was where we ate supper - I love their burritos! I convinced Big A to try out Cherry on Top, a frozen yogurt place. Yum! They sell by the ounce and I had 3 free ounces from a coupon in the race packet. Yeah, we bought 22 ounces between the two of us. Way too much but so good. It's like a ton of flavors and even more toppings! I can't wait to take the boys up there.
Friends of ours were really gracious, letting us bunk the night at their house. Their new little dog hates me but loves Big A! Go figure a dog wouldn't be scared of a giant bearded man (I'll share pictures of his beard soon). Got some sketchy sleep, but I it was just nerves. Always on the night before a race.
The morning was chilly but beautiful, almost the perfect weather. I ate a fruit bar and banana and was ready to go! I actually found someone I knew in the line-up to race so that was nice for the thirty or so minutes we waited before it was our turn to head out.
I was run/walking this so I had my interval timer latched on and ready to go. I was nervous as I haven't raced in 2 years now (wow...I hadn't realized that until now), but mostly just praying my foot would do well. And not the foot that I hurt last year, actually my left foot had developed tendonitis in the last few weeks leading up to race day.
20 minutes into the race...and my foot injury from last year is feeling about like it did when I first hurt it. I tried to keep going, walking more, changing my run/walk interval time, and it just wouldn't subside. So I made a really hard decision and called my race between miles 4 and 5. The volunteers I stopped by were really nice; one gave me a hug (which I totally needed) and I sat and cried and cheered on the other runners until Big A came to pick me up....clean shaven! He'd shaved to surprise me!
I was really disappointed in my foot, especially because there is no real cause that it hurt that day after months of no hurting. But if last year's non-marathon taught me anything it's that there are other races and there are more important things to stay upset over. So I'm taking it easy for a few weeks and hopefully will not have to sit out running this entire summer again.
The night before, Big A and I had dropped the kids off at his parents' farm for a sleepover with cousins. Oh boy, did grandma have her hands full with a 6 year old and three 4 year olds. It sounds like they had fun and Squirt didn't cry when we left, so that was a small victory.
We talked all the way up to downtown, Lincoln, NE to grab my race packet. Then we spent some time in Old Navy exchanging one defective pair of little boy pants (2 weeks for a rip in the knee...TWO WEEKS!) and some online bought shorts that were (blessedly) too big. Chipoltle was where we ate supper - I love their burritos! I convinced Big A to try out Cherry on Top, a frozen yogurt place. Yum! They sell by the ounce and I had 3 free ounces from a coupon in the race packet. Yeah, we bought 22 ounces between the two of us. Way too much but so good. It's like a ton of flavors and even more toppings! I can't wait to take the boys up there.
Friends of ours were really gracious, letting us bunk the night at their house. Their new little dog hates me but loves Big A! Go figure a dog wouldn't be scared of a giant bearded man (I'll share pictures of his beard soon). Got some sketchy sleep, but I it was just nerves. Always on the night before a race.
The morning was chilly but beautiful, almost the perfect weather. I ate a fruit bar and banana and was ready to go! I actually found someone I knew in the line-up to race so that was nice for the thirty or so minutes we waited before it was our turn to head out.
I was run/walking this so I had my interval timer latched on and ready to go. I was nervous as I haven't raced in 2 years now (wow...I hadn't realized that until now), but mostly just praying my foot would do well. And not the foot that I hurt last year, actually my left foot had developed tendonitis in the last few weeks leading up to race day.
20 minutes into the race...and my foot injury from last year is feeling about like it did when I first hurt it. I tried to keep going, walking more, changing my run/walk interval time, and it just wouldn't subside. So I made a really hard decision and called my race between miles 4 and 5. The volunteers I stopped by were really nice; one gave me a hug (which I totally needed) and I sat and cried and cheered on the other runners until Big A came to pick me up....clean shaven! He'd shaved to surprise me!
I was really disappointed in my foot, especially because there is no real cause that it hurt that day after months of no hurting. But if last year's non-marathon taught me anything it's that there are other races and there are more important things to stay upset over. So I'm taking it easy for a few weeks and hopefully will not have to sit out running this entire summer again.
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| while this may be true, sometimes you can't help a DNF. |
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