I run therefore, I am!

Ok ok Im finally home and now I can explain my marathon to my fellow friends.  First of all, I remember last time Id run this marathon, there were very few porta potties along the way so I thought since it was a very cold morning that Id get away with not drinking anything before the start. I had a banana in the morning and that was it.  I started out feeling very good despite all the site seeing I had done on sat and sunday.  I actually should not have climbed the bunker hill stairs before because my calve muscles tightened up mega bad on sunday. I dont know why i had decided to do that at the time. I had to use my stick all night to work the knot i had in them. But while I was running in the race I felt really good and I knew not to push the pace like everyone around me was doing.  I felt like I kept myself back and my times were fairly decent and at mile 9 there was a little incline and about half way up it my right calve muscle tightened up like it was the last 3 miles of the race!  I thought that maybe i wasnt getting enough sodium intake and so at the next water stop I drank gatorade and after a mile or so my muscle stopped spasming and I felt good again. I got past the wellesley girls and up to then i was only doing gatorade at the stops. The sun was barining down pretty hard at that point and I felt myself sweating alot. There was a brisk head wind that was cool also so I think thats what gave me a sense of feeling alright.  I had to go to the bathroom at mile 14 or somewhere and there was one portapotti at the mile marker and someone was in it. I felt like I was going to lose my bladder so I went behind the porta potti  in the brush and while i was going a cop came over to me and disqualified me!  He tried ripping my number off my jersey and  I wouldnt let him so he wrote my number down and told me to quit.  I showed him that there were several other runners doing the same and when he turned around he went over to them and wrote their numbers down as well.  I didnt know what to do I was just standing there and a bystander told me to just run. So I ran and I heard the cop faintly telling me to come back.   I figured I would probably be yanked out of the race at some point after that and my whole experiance turned sour.  I started tightening up bad and realized I was dehhydrated.  I drank two cups of gatorade at a full stop and 1 cup of water.  my gut was slusshing the fluid around and I was screwed  and I think I was at the 19 mile mark at that point.  I tried to focus on one mile at a time and it was sooo hard.  My whole demeanor had changed and I got depressed. the crowd was freakin amazing and at that point I had a goal to just beat lance and I finished a couple of minutes before him.  I tried to walk after I crossed the finish and couldnt.  I was taken to the med tent and I had lost 8 pounds which for me was alot! they put an i v in my arm because I was going in and out of it. they put ice on my calves and it hurt but I know it helped.  Its the worst pain my body has been in since I got hit by a car and thats not kidding!  I can feel bone on bone in my knee and my I T band has been telling me what a jerk I was for neglecting it.  I will put this on my favorite spectator marathons, but my worst marathon after feeling like I was in a 2.30 zone from training so hard. Im upset, but happy to have done it at the same time! Its that after marathon feeling everyone goes through.  Im going to see if my knee gets better in a few days before I try even walking on it. I hope this wasnt too depressing for you all!

I did a 1 hour spin class and my right calve muscle is in some serious pain. It almost feels like my muscle tore.  Plus the back of my knee has so much pain that it hurts to even lift my leg up.   Im deffinately not running the 30k on saturday and Im now nervous for Ogden.  I will swim and bike a little to try to keep my heart pumping.   Im really angry with myself right now.  Ive been going through those why did I not drink more or stretch more or do this or that better. Why didnt I listen to Jon and try to stick to a 19-20 minute 5k at the first.  Oh well. Have you ever had jets flying overhead at a start of the race? Talk about an adrenaline rush!  I could have pr'd on my first 5k if I would have pushed it!

I ran 2 miles with my wife this morning at 5:30 and then ran 7.54 with danielle, who im bugging to get on the blog! Shes a great runner that has been a spin instructor and just got rid of all her classes. So now I hope to see her run more! My right calve was super tight and it slowly loosened up and the back of my knee still has pain. Im going to do a strecthing seminar today at 9 am because I need it! Im seriously thinking about yoga too! I remember in high school i could dang near do the splits. I cant even touch my toes now when I bend over. Ive got to get more stretchy! Oh by the way that reminded me of a good quote from jack black "sometimes when you're older, you go in your room and put on stretchy pants!" funny!