Half Marathon #4

I don't know whether I should have done this one or not.  I came within a minute of my personal record.  The bummer is that I thought I had beaten my Denver record by 30 seconds, but my memory of what that record was failed me on race day.

I left it ALL on the race course.  I had nothing--no fuel, no kick, no sprint--left at the end.

Recovering from my heel injury and not planning out my training well really did me in.  I was able to run the whole time.  But I knew starting a couple days in advance I wasn't ready for this race, physically or mentally.  I wasn't excited about it.  I wanted it over.  I just put my head down and gave it a brute force effort through those 13.1 miles.  I was excited to see friends cheering or out on the race course, but not about the experience of the run.

As I crossed the finish line, this one medic wouldn't let me past her.  She was insisting I come with her to the tent and kept asking me if I was all right.  I told her I just needed to walk it off, but she wouldn't hear of it.  Another one came, and they just about carried me to the medic tent.  They had to walk me step-by-step through how to lay down on the cot because I couldn't handle the whole motion in one instruction.

I told them my legs were cramping a little and that I thought I just needed some protein, they had some milk in the post-race area.  They elevated my legs.  My head was getting really hot, so they put some ice on me.  They poured some water in my mouth and also some salt to hydrate me and get my electrolytes up.  In a little while I was apparently doing better and they let me go.  As I was leaving the tent, I was still pretty queasy and out of it, but doing better.  I could walk in a semi-straight line.  And just as I left I heard someone call my last name, and I saw another set of medics dragging in my buddy Cassidy.

I ate and rehydrated.  After a meal I got an ice cream sundae, and then my free glass of wine.  I love post-race food!  I caught up with a bunch of church, FPU and other friends who had run, volunteered or just come to cheer, and left an hour or two later.

My chiropractor is a personal trainer, and he works evenings and weekends, so I was very grateful to be able to go in and get an adjustment after the race.  Those were some loud cracks and pops on that visit.

Two days later, I'm still pretty out of whack.  My back is threatening to go out on me.  Muscles are tight but not directly sore.  Karate was pretty tough tonight.  But another adjustment helped work a little more out, so hopefully tomorrow will be better.