Down The Stretch I Come
Once I received the "all clear" from the doctors, I started training in earnest for the Rock n Roll Seattle Marathon. I have run five marathons before, but this will be my first in six years. It's been interesting getting back into the groove, and getting a feel for marathon training with this older, and battle-worn body of mine.
Last month, I got a little jolt of inspiration. I traveled to Boston and cheered on my sister-in-law as she took part in the Boston Marathon. Boston is Mecca for marathon runners, and I hope to one day qualify to run it.
I snapped this picture while I was out for a run along the marathon course on the Sunday afternoon before the race.
The next morning, Patriots Day, Catherine and I went out and tried to track down my sis-in-law Sarah, out on the course. It's tough to do. With 30,000 runners, it's truly like finding a needle in the haystack. The marathon provided some text alerts that never came down, so I was unable to track her that way, so Catherine and I took the train to the base of the famed Heartbreak Hill in hopes of finding her. Miraculously, the moment we emerged from the train, we glanced out at the course in front of us, and there was Sarah! I immediately stripped off my sweatpants and ran after her. Fortunately, I was wearing running shorts, or that could have been really ugly. I ended up running the final 10 miles of the marathon with her, veering off the course near the finish. It was a pretty incredible experience, running through the campus of Boston College, and through the streets of the city, among the screaming throngs of thousands. It probably wasn't great form, jumping in and running part of the race like that, but Sarah really appreciated it. She said I helped keep her going through the final miles of the race. She and the other racers, in turn, inspired me to get serious about my training and the upcoming Rock n Roll marathon .
My training has been anything but smooth. Almost as soon as I began, the injuries started. Somehow, some way, I managed to injure my left arm. I simply woke up one morning back in January and it was aching badly. I honestly have no idea how I did it, but three doctors diagnosed it as bursitis. It hurt badly. I received a cortisone shot, and the pain has subsided, but it still hasn't healed completely. My range of motion has been severely limited,and I still feel popping in that shoulder, and still have issues with a sharp, nagging pain at times when I run.
I also injured my foot. I suffered a mild case of plantar fasciitis in my right foot, by stupidly training in worn out running shoes. It was an honest mistake, though. I accidentally started wearing an old pair of Brooks Adrenalines that are identical to my new pair. I could figure out why my foot started hurting, but after about a week, I figured it out. The damage was done though. I had to back out of the Kirkland half-marathon a few weeks ago, and greatly decreased my mileage.
The foot is feeling much better now, and my training is coming along much better now. The problem though, is that I am way behind. If I had been following my training schedule, I would have five long runs under my belt, ranging in distance from 17-20 miles. As it stands, I have done one long run, a 17-miler, about a month ago. I plan to get a few 20-milers under my belt and give the marathon a go.
I won't finish with a great time, but I will finish the thing.
Last month, I got a little jolt of inspiration. I traveled to Boston and cheered on my sister-in-law as she took part in the Boston Marathon. Boston is Mecca for marathon runners, and I hope to one day qualify to run it.
I snapped this picture while I was out for a run along the marathon course on the Sunday afternoon before the race.
The next morning, Patriots Day, Catherine and I went out and tried to track down my sis-in-law Sarah, out on the course. It's tough to do. With 30,000 runners, it's truly like finding a needle in the haystack. The marathon provided some text alerts that never came down, so I was unable to track her that way, so Catherine and I took the train to the base of the famed Heartbreak Hill in hopes of finding her. Miraculously, the moment we emerged from the train, we glanced out at the course in front of us, and there was Sarah! I immediately stripped off my sweatpants and ran after her. Fortunately, I was wearing running shorts, or that could have been really ugly. I ended up running the final 10 miles of the marathon with her, veering off the course near the finish. It was a pretty incredible experience, running through the campus of Boston College, and through the streets of the city, among the screaming throngs of thousands. It probably wasn't great form, jumping in and running part of the race like that, but Sarah really appreciated it. She said I helped keep her going through the final miles of the race. She and the other racers, in turn, inspired me to get serious about my training and the upcoming Rock n Roll marathon .
My training has been anything but smooth. Almost as soon as I began, the injuries started. Somehow, some way, I managed to injure my left arm. I simply woke up one morning back in January and it was aching badly. I honestly have no idea how I did it, but three doctors diagnosed it as bursitis. It hurt badly. I received a cortisone shot, and the pain has subsided, but it still hasn't healed completely. My range of motion has been severely limited,and I still feel popping in that shoulder, and still have issues with a sharp, nagging pain at times when I run.
I also injured my foot. I suffered a mild case of plantar fasciitis in my right foot, by stupidly training in worn out running shoes. It was an honest mistake, though. I accidentally started wearing an old pair of Brooks Adrenalines that are identical to my new pair. I could figure out why my foot started hurting, but after about a week, I figured it out. The damage was done though. I had to back out of the Kirkland half-marathon a few weeks ago, and greatly decreased my mileage.
The foot is feeling much better now, and my training is coming along much better now. The problem though, is that I am way behind. If I had been following my training schedule, I would have five long runs under my belt, ranging in distance from 17-20 miles. As it stands, I have done one long run, a 17-miler, about a month ago. I plan to get a few 20-milers under my belt and give the marathon a go.
I won't finish with a great time, but I will finish the thing.
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