Closing out 2009 with 502.7!!
Tried for 4 today, but only got out .5 before my ankle started buggin’. So I relaxed on it.
As you can see I haven’t made a post in over months. This is because I haven’t done anything to report. On the last post of Oct I pulled my tensor fasciae latae AND my sartorius muscles. I am no stranger to overtraining injuries, I was thinking that I was going to assume the title of President of Overtraining Injuries. But none of my other injuries, strained MCL, pulled IT band, strained ACL, amonsts others did any of the injuries take more than 2 weeks to heal. I was FREAKED out to say the least. My mom had already paid my entry fee and reserved a room at THEHotel in the Mandalay Bay hotel as a Christmas present. But I had to have faith that everything would be ok. I wrote 3 things on my mirror 1. I will not stumble when I run (Prov 4:12), 2. By His stripes I WAS healed, and 3. I am renewed in body like never before.
As the days and months passed I continued to keep my mind from trailing had a little help from someone constantly telling me that the temps were going to be in the low 30’s. If you know me at all the slightest breeze and I freeze. So I started to worry not only that it has been 2 months of NO ACTIVITY, I mean NO cross-training of any kind. I couldn’t it hurt too bad and then I didn’t want to take a chance of running even a little run in case I hurt something again and had no time for recovery. So I ate protein with very low carbs as to not gain too much weight. I actually lost 5 lbs. I never really stopped worrying about the temp. I couldn’t control it so why freak out. So I just prepared for it. I knew my legs would eventually go numb, so I bought UnderArmor HeatGear pants and a ColdGear long sleeve top, fleece band for my ears, two pairs of those $1 gloves from Walmart, and those little heaters for your hands.
I was not as nervous for this marathon even though it was my nemesis (Las Vegas 2008 was supposed to be my first marathon, but got a OT injury). I got to sleep around 10:30-11:00pm and woke up at 3:00am. Well….maybe 3:10am. Needed to snooze at least once 😉 I took a hot bath to loosen up my muscles for stretching, and then took a shower to completely wake me up. When I turned on the Weather Channel I saw the temp was 39 degrees. All I wanted to see was a 40 and my mind would’ve been fine. Ahhhh, whatever. Can’t control!! I stretched and stretched and stretched. Then I donned ‘THE GEAR’. Ate a pear and waited for a fellow marathoner.
I felt great! I was still filled with nervousness that things would begin to seize shortly, but I kept with my race schedule. Run 7 minutes walk 1 minute, and every walk break take a dab of my energy gel (brown rice syrup and blue agave syrup. 40g of carbs per ounce). My legs went numb as I expected but I was staying warm. I was zoning out again focusing on my music and just thinking of random things that happened in my life, things that I would like to happen in my life, and things that people have told me to keep me positive.
I was also pushing back the fact that I still had to pee, but everytime I saw a row of port-o-potties there was a line of like 10-15 people. I wasn’t about to use marathon time to wait, so I told myself that I would just have to wait until the 1/2 marathoners split off, then the lines wouldn’t be as bad. But I was in luck I looked ahead and saw two chicks running off the course towards a Jack-in-the-Box. I was like WTH! But I had to pee, so I detoured over to it also, just as I was entering the bathroom the two girls were coming out saying **in a whiny voice** “There’s no toilet paper!” I said, “Is there SEAT COVERS??!!” They said, “Yes???” Well alrighty then!! After that I was golden and ready to go. Got back on the course. There were a few times where I was draggin and my feet felt heavy and my toes were freezing, but I had little pep talks with myself and kept going. I was out to cross the finish line that was my goal. It wasn’t about time or pace as it has been for me in the past.
I rounded this corner and on the other side of the street I saw the mile marker for 23. Boy was that a mind screw!! I was like WTH! My watch was screwed up as far as distance and I zoned out on the last mile marker, so I had no clue where I was. Next mile marker I saw on MY side of the street was 15!! My mind just went out of control and my body started running slow. My feet felt heavy. Two miles later I got my mind back into control of my body, and got back onto the 7:1 ratio. Sometimes walking a 15-30 secs longer, but no over doing it.
I was finally at mile 20 I checked my watch and my time was 4:01. I couldn’t believe it!! I was only 6.2 miles away and I started talking to myself. “Holy crap Dar! You could to this thing in like 5:00! If you maintained a 10:00/min pace. Then I had to back it off and tell myself that it is not about time! It is about the finish line. I was finally at mile 23 and saw the wonderful Luxor hotel! That is what clicked that I only have a 5K left. My muscles were sore, and it took my mind to overcome that first step after my walk breaks. I was at mile 25 and decided to walk a little longer than normal to save myself for ‘running over the finish line’.
Then it was time to run again and I saw the finish line sign and kicked it in to high gear. I crossed that finish line with arms raised high and proud!! My CLOCK time said 5:53 and for me that was 23 mins quicker than San Diego, so when I saw my CHIP time I was jazzed!! 5:25!!! That is 49 minutes quicker than San Diego.
I know I shouldn’t, but I mentally kick myself saying, “Dang Dar! What COULD your time have been? Ya know…if you didn’t OVERTRAIN!!