I'd registered for the full marathon. That was a few weeks, possibly two or three, before the race. I was confident that I'd trained enough. The weekends were full of 64K runs. A marathon wouldn't be a problem. But a week before the race, my right leg started feeling very sore. Very, very sore.
I thought that it was just fatigue. I'd give it a few days rest before the race, and I'd be OK.
That was daylight saving time weekend and the clocks would be rolling back an hour. It was getting darker and darker in the mornings. On the weekend before the race, I rested. Didn't run on Saturday and didn't run on Sunday. On Monday, I went out for my normal 14K run in the morning. I was tired, not a good run and that took about an hour and a half. Not to worry, the plan that week was to run only twice, resting for five days. I thought that would be enough.
On Wednesday I went out again. I was happier this time because the pain in my knees had gone. No knee pain at all, but my right hamstring was sore.
I rested Thursday, Friday and Saturday. But I knew I couldn't finish a full marathon so I decided to switch to the half. On Saturday, when I drove my rented car to the race expo to pick up my kit, I made the switch. From full to half. That was it. A half, even with pain, would be easily do-able. I was happy and confident that this wouldn't be a problem. I'd rested a few days and even on Saturday felt as if a full marathon wasn't out of the realm of possibilities.
Saturday evening I had a nice dinner of mashed yams with carrots and some baked chicken breast. It was nourishing and the carbs from the yams would take me through the race.
I slept early and slept well and got to the event in great shape, definitely great spirits.
The Hamilton marathon and half marathon starts at a school, Saltfleet high school and runs down to Coronation Park. It's a net downhill race.
I left the house at about 5:45 AM. The plan was to get there for about 6:30, confirm that the race switch had been made, and then take the shuttle busses to the start line. This arrangement was great. There was a lot of parking at Coronation park, and what the race organisers did was shuttle all the runners from the finish, Coronation park, to the start.
At the start area, I was still confident that things were OK for a half.
The full marathon runners started at 8:15 AM and fifteen minutes later, at 8:30 AM, the half marathon horn sounded and we took off. This is the the first race this year that I didn't bring any music with me. Good thing, it would have upset me more when the frustration set in later.
The first 5K were great. Getting the legs moving and settling into my stride. The 1:30 pace bunny quickly disappeared but I was ahead of the 1:40 pace bunny and that's what really mattered. The first few kilometres went by and close to the 7K mark the 1:40 pace bunny caught up with me. I was going much slower than I'd realised and picked it up a notch, staying ahead of her.
The race got easier and more comfortable and even managed a smile. This was good. I was going to finish somewhere inside 1:40 if I just stayed relaxed and in this position. No need to push it right now, I'd save myself for the 18th or 19th K mark.
From about 8K, we started the downhill section. A long steep slope downhill. Not too bad, I relaxed into it and stretched out my stride. Down we went, long easy strides making sure I didn't jar myself too much. At the bottom of the slope, close to the 10K mark, we started uphill. My muscles switched and I was able to engage gears again. The uphill was a good change and I felt strong so I started pushing a bit harder.
All of a sudden, it happened. A snapping pain to the back of my leg, under my right glut. My right leg buckled slightly and I tried to ease off. But the pain returned on the next step even sharper forcing me to wince and come to a slow jog. I could see the water stop up ahead but I was now hobbling on one leg. I jogged to the side and put my leg up on the guardrail and stretched. The 1:40 pace bunny swept by and I felt some anger.
This will go away, I told myself and after a few brief stretches I tried to run again. But no way, the pain was too intense. It was now a sharp pain, even moving the leg, let alone run. So I hobbled along, slowly and painfully, past the water stop, grabbing a cup of water and taking a single sip.
After a few paces, I stopped completely and walked. This was very painful. I walked for a few metres and tried to run again. But my leg wasn't having any of that. More pain, this time even sharper than the initial jolt that stopped me. And so I stopped again and walked.
It continued this way. At some point, I believe it was after the 1:50 pace bunny went by me, I decided that this was the way I was going to complete this race. Walk a few paces, and then hobble a few paces. It wasn't running any longer.
As I got to the finish tunnel, it took all my strength to jog. There were so many people cheering. The 2:07 finish was miraculous, given all that walking. I jogged to the first mat, and then stopped and walked across the finish line.
Disappointed would be putting it very mildly. I was close to tears but I knew that the summer's training had been excessive. Too much running and too much mileage. Not enough strength training, definitely not enough stretching.
You live and learn and this one definitely told me that when the signs are there, it's time to slow down and take notice. Going into that race on Sunday, I felt OK. In fact, I was doing well for the first 10 to 11 K. But when I stressed my leg going up that hill, it finally snapped.
In talking to the massage therapist the following Tuesday, he told me that there was some inflammation in that tendon, it felt stretched, and I'm lucky that it didn't rupture. It could have. I was just lucky.
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