Throw in the Towel
Okay folks, I just threw in the towel in regards to my attempt to qualify for Boston. It just isn’t going to happen this time.
After my 15 mile run Saturday, I felt pretty good. I average 8:19 miles for the run, and I stayed pretty comfortable the whole time. With it being 3 weeks since the St Jude Marathon, I was pleased and ready to try to kick it in gear this week. As you may have read in my previous post, my motivation level has been below nil. But I was determined to step it up and take one more shot at a 3:20 marathon to qualify for Boston. That was until I ran today.
My plan today called for a 10 to 20 minute warm up, 2 sets of 6 x quarter mile repeats, and a 10 minute cool down. I got home, got dressed and headed outside into the frigid, windy air. My warm up was slow and steady because I knew I was going to be pushing it during the intervals. After 1.25 to 1.50 miles, I stopped and stretched a little.
Did I mention it was quite nipply outside? My muscles seemed a little tight because of the cold weather, so after stretching I warmed up a bit more. Then I hit the button on my Garmin and kicked in the afterburners for my first interval. I wasn’t blazing, but I was running comfortably strong. Don’t ask me to explain that. Either you get it or you don’t. As I finished my first interval, I felt a familiar ache in my lower left leg. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FRICKIN’ KIDDING ME!
I walked it off during my short rest interval and floored it for the next quarter mile. As soon as the interval was done, the pain was there again. Screw it. I will just run through it and it will go away. Interval 3….still hurt. Interval 4….hurt even worse. Interval 5…….I’m done. It’s over. Fat lady singing. I’m pissed.
During that rest interval, I probably looked like I belonged in an insane asylum. I was walking down the road cussing, screaming, and waving my arms. When my watch beeped for the last interval of the first set, I took off out of spite. Screw you leg. I finished that interval and started hitting the lap button to skip the second set. I then slowly ran about .75 miles back to the house trying to disperse some of the anger and frustration built up inside.
As soon as I walked in the door Christine asked, “So how was your run?” She could probably see the pain in my face, so I told her. Boston is out for a good while. I tried. I failed. It’s done. We discussed whether I should even run the marathon at all, but I know I can hobble for 26.2 miles if need be. I just have to purge all visions of glory from my mind and scale back all expectations to nothing.
I will once again rework my training plan but this time I will be eliminating all speed work. Hell. Maybe I will just run to run and see what happens in 9 weeks. The worse thing that can happen is that I will have a miserable race. Woop-de-doo! Been there and done that.
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3 Comments to “Throw in the Towel”
By the way, I know the guy on the left is throwing the punch,,,,, but they both look like they are in serious pain 
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Sorry to hear about your injury, but Boston will be there next year when you are ready to attempt it again!
I’m sure Christine can use a Marathon flunky to shlep her gear around on race day
Ask her!
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We should start a club…
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