For the last 12 weeks I've been training a group of runners for the 2009 Brooklyn 1/2 Marathon. I badly wanted to try and train up for the event along with them, but was unsure if I should even attempt such an effort or if I could even finish the race. It's been over a year and a half since I ran that far.
I greatly feared that even if I somehow managed to finish it I'd wake up the day after feeling like I did the day after I did that 50 mile bike ride in September 2007... like a truck had run me down and then parked on my head.
But... the starting line is literally four blocks from my house and it's always been one of my favorite events. Throw on top that they reversed the course this year making it far easier than the previous times I'd run it and I couldn't resist. During my mental debate I remembered a quote from my favorite cyclist, Jens Voigt:
"If you try to win, you might lose. But if you don't try to win, you lose for sure."
Not exactly Shakespeare, but he's German and rather practical. Give him a break. Anyway, I knew I was not going to win, but to his point, if I didn't try I would obviously not make it. This reminded me of my other favorite Jens quote:
"When in doubt, just go!"
Okay Jens, you sold me
So I signed up, but didn't really tell anyone. I didn't want to have to answer a lot of questions or make bad excuses if I needed or wanted to drop out. This behavior made me sad as I'm usually the type of person who likes to talk about his goals. I've always found that talking about them helps make them real and get me there. This time, however, I just didn't want the heartbreak of explaining myself if I had to drop it.
I won't bore you with all the ups and downs of training, but it went pretty well. Each weekend we upped our long run milage by a mile. We peaked at 12 and I used this final run to make my decision. My running partner, Paul, and I kicked it out comfortably and I felt like I was good to go. I would feel more tired than usual after the run and different things hurt, but nothing to concern me too much.
Ice, ice baby...
One thing that I have to say that helped me A LOT was taking an ice bath after each long run. If you've never taken an ice bath, try it. It's a special experience and proof that runners are all masochists. It's easy, just turn on the cold — and only the cold — water in the bathtub, fill it up about 7 or 8 inches, throw in a tray of ice cubes and then sit in it with your legs outstretched for 10-15 mins. It'll be the longest 15 minutes of your life. Horrific, but I'll tell you... do that, drink a good recovery drink and you'll significantly cut any inflammation. I did it and had practically zero joint and muscle aches.
Anyway, race day comes and even though I tossed and turned all night worrying about what I was about to put my body through, I decide to go for it. The race goes exceptionally well. I ended up feeling really strong and except for my right hamstring tightening up (the side that I have most of my neuro symptoms on) I was good all the way. I even dropped Paul at about mile 10 (and he's 5 years younger than me).
Holy shit I PRed! What?!
I finished in 01:33:42 @ 7:09 pace for a new 1/2 Marathon PR. I was shocked... literally speechless when I did the math and figured out how fast I ran. I kept looking at my watch and then again at my math thinking my Lyme-brain is forgetting how to divide. I was shooting for 01:38:00, my previous best, but I completely blew it up!
So obviously I'm pretty stoked about all this. The race was on Saturday and I tried to run again on the following Tuesday, but it seems the damage to my right hamstring was worse than I thought. It doesn't bother me at all to walk on it, but to run hurts a lot so I took the week off which was actually nice.
What's next?
I need to focus on cycling now anyway because my coach does this 100 mile ride on the night of the summer equinox, June 21st, here in Prospect Park. It's an absurd bit of fun. 30 laps of a 3.4 mile loop in the dark. I had to miss it last year because I was too sick, but this year I'm determined to at least give it a try. When in doubt, just go!
great race..congrats
Posted by: jim hebert | June 09, 2009 at 01:50 PM
Nice job chronic. To paraphrase Andy Hampsten the time to attack is the time when you are scared. A little more elequent then Jens, but Euro nonetheless because the American wore pink from then on.
Posted by: Jamie | June 16, 2009 at 12:56 PM