The Aftermath...

Apparently in my world the aftermath of running a Marathon (plus hundreds, and hundreds of miles) on an injured leg is that some legit time off is needed. I haven't run in 9 days. And before I took those 9 consecutive days off I had only run 9 miles total, post marathon. So guess what? I'm ready to tear out my motherf****ng HAIR!!!!

I might have been downplaying the extent of the leg mayhem on here because I made the choice all on my own not to address it until post marathon. I'm ok with that, I met my Marathon goal like a boss and am now taking some time to heal and drive the whole world crazy with my excess energy and constant complaining. Would it have been better to take a few days off back in early June and avoid this chaos all together? Well, yes but as we all know hindsight is 20/20 and I never thought I'd end up spending so many weeks hurting...

The good news is that I'm feeling better. Like (dare I say?) 100% recovered. I'm champing at the bit to get back out there especially after doing the calculations today and realizing that my time before marathon #2 is growing ever smaller. *panics!!* I know my next wrong move will be trying to justify a long run this coming weekend. To be honest, I have already talked myself out of it multiple times today. For those of you reading who are preparing to forcefully restrain me just know that I'm not going to do it (and it's killing me...) But I'm going to ease back into running logically and save the 20 miler for Monday, haha!!! (I'm kidding!! kidding... mostly...)

In other good news, all this spare time gives me the ability to make some sweet, sweet arts and crafts. Lucky Eric and Andy, amazing Ironmen, and recipients of a sign that looks boss, or (if you don't understand our language) looks like it was made by a bunch of 5 year olds on crack. Your choice... Yes. those are unicorns barfing rainbows at the bottom of the poster. It goes without saying that this is what every Ironman wants to see.

THE. BEST. SIGN. EVER.

Beach To Beacon 2012. A story of motivation at its finest...

I ran a marathon last Friday, did you all know that??

I have felt less than stellar since.

I ran 3 miles on Wednesday and cried, limped, complained, swore, wailed and hollered the whole time. Sadly, this is in no way an exaggeration...

Unlike last year, I did not forget that B2B was on Saturday but I was wishing upon wish that I could. I was hurting, pouting and falling into an irreversible pit of self loathing due to the decided lack of running endorphins.

Bottom line: I was turning into a straight up beeyotch.

(I hate me when I can't run...)

By Friday night there was some semblance of a logical faux positivity frame of mind being developed. I was going to suck it up and run with Angie who could not have been more pumped to be running her FIRST 10K!! I was the Debbie Downer to her Suzie Sunshine but her enthusiasm cheered me and I was very eager to run happily alongside her cheering her on (or yelling at her, whatever!)

But THEN.... I woke up on Saturday with NO desire to run. I literally had to be dragged out the door, kicking and screaming with bribes of coffee and of a swift delivery to the start line (swift because who really wants to put up with me when I'm in such a stellar frame of mind??) I talked to Ang on the way over and (guess what) she was SUPER PUMPED LIKE OMG RUNNING IS THE BEST ZOMG ERMAGHRD SQUEE!!! Sadly, this had little effect on my omg i hate running and my legs and everything about everything attitude... I was thrown out of the car at the start (ok. I wasn't. but I should have been) and I sulked up to the mob scene, stuffing my face with a bagel and chugging coffee like it was going out of style. Perhaps not my normal pre-race routine but I was not planning on pushing very hard. I was actually planning to hide in the puckerbrush until the race started then hitch hiking to the finish line like nothing had ever happened. *sigh* But I perservered because I HAD TO FIIIIIIIINNNND MY BFF!!!!

Can we all see where this is going??

I couldn't find Angie ANYWHERES! Not NOWHERES! DAMMIT!!!!!!! I was very sad.

I did, however, find and have time to chit chat with Sarah who PR'd the course by something insane like 12 minutes (way to go lady!) And of course I saw Danielle and Andy who were out for a 5,000 mile bike ride (and having quite an adventure, with multiple flat tires and drama but still clearly having more fun than I was!!) (and Andy. Time to update that blog of yours...) So it was good to find friends and I slowly began to cheer up. (other than the moment when I almost decided to sit this one out on the side of the road and wait for rescue...)

I started wayyyyyyyyy back in the crowd- somewhere between the 9-10 minute mile runners. I figured that even though I was going solo I really, really needed to keep the speed in check. I knew that I would not be able to keep my speed in the "recovery" zone of 9+ minute miles but I thought I'd mosey along at 8:45's or so (let's remember, I am currently running gadget free so all bets are off when it comes to pace.)

So mosey I did, with 7,000 of my new best frineds.. It was hotter than the hinges of hell. People were puking all over the place and it was quite a mess. I didn't push it and never got out of breath so I knew I was nowhere near to my normal 10K pace (of about 7:05 mm) Since it took me a VERY long time to cross the start, the mileage timers were no help to me and I completely missed seeing a couple of them. Regardless, a 10K feels short and sweet compared to a marathon and I was done (and disgusting, and sweaty but in a MUCH better mood) before I knew it. Final time of 47:14 was well off my PR but with a 7:37 mm still much faster than I had intended to go... Whoops, my bad...

I found Eric (well. he found me since I am incapable of following guidelines of meeting at a meeting point and I wander around aimlessly and pointlessly until I, by pure luck, am found. HAH!!) I took off my shoes and lay on the grass because I was hot and lazy. Angie was FOUND!! YAY! And she had a great race with a time of 1:03 which is excellent! We got medals! (Beach to Beacon- you should really give medals every year, you are an expensive race to run and we deserve prizes and merch just for showing up...) So the moral of the story is that one should not try to find anyone at the B2B start, and should simply plan to meet up at the finish, bathed in sweat and gross but much happier (that's just me. but still a solid life plan...)

We took a picture! YAY!!! Nice feet, ugh...

I cheered up considerably. We found lots of friends. I ate ice cream twice!! (which would have cheered me up even if I had still had my cranky pants on...) Hopefully now that I have a decent chunk of no-race-time I can get my gimpy leg sorted out and be back to running pain free. And on a daily basis so that I can avoid the no-running grumpies (sorry world. I'm not as nice and fun as I'd like to be when my mileage gets messed with!)

We'll see what happens. My fingers are crossed that the healing process is very quick and that I can get back to normal running life ASAP (as in yesterday. I'm very patient...)

Edited to add: I run with shoes. Dear Mizuno Enigma 2's, I love you and only took you off because I was too hot. Barefoot runner girl I am not!!!