Just a Guy With Something to Prove?

Originally written Sunday, Mach 4, 2007 at 6:30pm

...you bet. Well, for those of you who have read my last few posts, you know that I was training to run the Gainesville Five Points of Life marathon on February 18th. After months of training and building up the event, I ran into a brick wall in the name of hypothermia. Ultimately, I have only myself to blame for not taking the proper precautions and making the correct adjustments to cope with the freezing weather on the day of the race. I took pride in the fact that my training was perfect and that I ran an amazing race for the distance I did complete. Yet at the same time I felt as if I had let myself down by not finishing the race.

Sooooooo....I did what I always do. I push myself over the limit in order to achieve my goal. Instead of taking the normal three weeks off to slowly rebuild my muscles/endurance, I started training runs the very next day after the Gainesville marathon. Six days after the marathon I ran 11 miles and, despite some tightness and pain in my muscles, I felt that I could push myself through another 26.2 mile run. I spent some time that week searching for the next marathon in Florida and saw that there was one being held in Sarasota, Fl on March 4th. It was the last calendar marathon in Florida until November/December 2007. There was only one problem...I was supposed to be in Niceville that weekend judging a debate tournament.

I frantically tried to find a solution that would allow me to keep my promise to a colleague and still run in the marathon. I called the race coordinator, who very graciously offered to hold on to my race packet and drop it off at my hotel if I registered in time. So, even though I would miss the race expo and the pre-race events, I would still have my race equipment and be able to run at 6 a.m. Sunday morning.

Thursday afternoon we left for the debate tournament, and 4 1/2 hours later we were in Destin. The beach/resort/tournament was an amazing experience. I managed to leave the tournament early Saturday despite a few....minor problems and 3 1/2 hours later (what can I say, I drive faster alone) I was back in Gainesville. I quickly showered, ate 3 servings of pasta, changed my travel pack, and was on my way to Sarasota. I finally arrived around 8 p.m. and checked in to the hotel. I met the race coordinator, picked up my gear, ate a banana and hit the sack.

I woke up Sunday morning at 4 a.m. feeling pretty good. I knew that my muscles were going to cramp long before the race was done, but was determined not to stop. The unfinished marathon in Gainesville had become something that I needed to redeem. I needed closure in order to move on in my life and my training.

The race started promptly at 6, and I was off. I was hoping to manage a 7:30/mile pace for the first half of the marathon...and just try to survive after that. I started feeling the pain through my IT band (knee, hamstring) before the second mile marker...definitely not a good sign. It only finally settled down around the halfway point, but by then I started getting cramps in my hamstrings and calf muscles. The combination of the hard effort two weeks before, the lack of rest and recovery, and another hard effort at Sarasota was definitely taking its toll. Despite the pain, I finally managed to surge through the finish line at 3:37. Much slower than my pace two weeks before, but considering the circumstances, I'm happy with the performance. I spent the last 1.5 miles passing by other runners, surging with a last-ditch effort sprint. The muscle spasms I endured after the race ended were extremely painful. The price, however, was well worth it.

When I finally crossed, I felt a combination of elation and bitter satisfaction. The weather was perfect all day. The course, despite the long incline over the bridge, was extremely flat. Knowing I didn't run my best race because of the weather two weeks ago, and exhaustion today, was somewhat frustrating. However, the joy of finally finishing the marathon was enough to wash those thoughts away. I completed my marathon goal, and now I can spend some time recovering before my next event. Well....at least a little bit of rest. One day should be enough. Maybe I can still swim and bike, and I'll only take the day off from running.......What can I say, I'm still crazy.

Thanks for reading and, as always, feedback is always welcome and desired.