The Good and the (not so) Bad

Did you all know I ran a marathon last weekend? (I know...I have not talked much about it)

Running a marathon is not easy. Sure, we all train for the big day, but even with a perfect training plan, there's no guarantee race day will be a perfect scenario for those 26.2 miles.




Case in point, Grandma's Marathon 2017 ( full recap HERE ).

Although a lot of things weren't ideal for me on the race course, there were many things that made up for any bad karma and/or frustrations. Care to hear a few examples? How about five? (you probably knew there would be five LOL)

1. My endurance still won out, despite not getting to a 20-mile long run. My training was less than ideal in the final weeks leading up to taper. The problem? Too many other races. Sorry, but I'm not sorry. Although I do not consider myself a "racer," I still love the allure of a start line. Although I added a few bonus miles here and there after some of the races, it would have been a bit more "ideal" to just do a long training run(s) and skip the race(s). But, this was MY training plan, and I was not training for a BQ or a shot at the Olympic Trials. Bottom line? My endurance still won out and got me to the finish line (albeit a good 30 minutes slower than I'd hoped). Oh well. I'm happy, so that's all that matters.

2. My hydration and fueling were spot-on. Even though my exhaustion was severe by the 18th mile, and my feet were sore and my body was a sweaty mess, I never felt like stopping. I took more walking breaks than I'd planned to do, but I also was feeling a little light-headed at times and knew it would not have been wise to push through that.  Besides, I had a fun friend (Rachel) with me for the first 22+ miles, and she kept me laughing and (momentarily) helped me forget any discomforts.

3. A glorious triumphant final mile. As I was passing the 25-mile mark, AC/DC's Highway to Hell came up on my Ipod. Oh My Goodness! I had not had my music on for most of the race (because Rachel and I had been chit-chatting until we got separated around mile 23). I popped in the ear buds shortly after I lost Rachel, and was blessed with some of my favorite tunes. Fate? Divine Intervention? Call it what you will, but when the AC/DC song started, I knew all was well in  my world again. I probably had a silly (delirious) smile on my face, and I definitely came back to life and ran that final mile faster than the previous 15.

4. My official race time TOTALLY made my day!  Granted, I did not finish anywhere close to a 26.2 PR. I had to reset my watch around mile 23, and then I noticed it had officially "checked out" by mile 25. In other words, I had no idea where I was time-wise in the final miles. The clock above the finish line said 5:03:xx, which was almost exactly what I'd run the 2015 race for a finish time. It wasn't until we were driving back to our room that I noticed the email with my official finish time of 5:00:27! Even though it was not a marathon PR, it was a Grandma's course PR. Given my state of total exhaustion, it felt like a new world record to me. And it made me realize that maybe I'd like to run another marathon after all.....(#staytuned).

5. The post-race endorphins totally had me in a giddy state of mind this past week. The thing is...the endorphins weren't there at the finish line, or at the after-party, or even the next day. It wasn't until Tuesday (?) when they hit me (about the time the DOMS were leaving). I was sitting at my work desk, thinking about the race, and couldn't help smiling. Suddenly, the less-than-desired finish time no longer mattered. I had finished my seventh marathon, and that was something I'd never imagined happening 12 years ago (when I couldn't even run a 5K without taking walk breaks). Wow. I'm a 7-time marathoner!

I'll even give you a bonus "good feeling" thing: I have not had the usual post-race water retention or kankles!!! Currently, though, I am "patiently" waiting for my knee to calm down. I had that scary bursitis flare last Tuesday, and was able to get treatment and all was perfect on race day. Imagine my surprise when Tuesday of this week, I could feel it returning.  Although it's really annoying having the puffy (and oh-so-tender) knee, it is keeping me from jumping right back into my running shoes. I did run an easy mile on Monday (and felt good), but the next day the knee started puffing up (like it had done a week prior), and by Wednesday, I could barely bend it. Don't worry, I have been to the doctor...they want me to give it couple more days because bursitis typically will cure itself (if you don't further aggravate it).  Not ideal, but manageable. Onward!

So, that's where I'm sitting (literally, my right leg is elevated and there's an ice pack on my knee). I have run one mile since the finish line in Duluth...and I'm okay with that. Besides, I still have a few remaining post-26.2 endorphins to keep me company. Life is pretty good.

So, enough about me...your turn! Have you ever had a race not go as planned, but you still enjoyed the experience? Ever have the post-race endorphins show up a few days late?

 I'm linking this with Meranda and Lacey and Rachel for the Friday Five 2.0

And also with Nicole for the Fit & Fashionable Friday link-up