"Here goes nothing." That was my comment before taking off for the Lake Wobegon Trail marathon yesterday morning. I didn't know what the day would have in store for me, as is usually the case before a marathon. 26.2 is a lot of miles and lots of things can happen.
I'm in the process of moving everything I own to California, so spent most of last week packing. I didn't run (or bike or swim or anything) on Monday or Thursday or Friday of last week. But I did spend virtually all of my free time on my legs, packing, going up and down and up and down stairs, carrying boxes, etc. And the last thing I was thinking about was the marathon. I threw a few things in my suitcase on Friday and took off for St. Cloud. When I got up there, I wasn't even sure I'd packed shorts!! I had. But I didn't bring my electrolyte capsules, and that wasn't good.
The pasta dinner was held at St. Ben's cafeteria
and was very good. Great selection. If they didn't have it, you didn't need it. Met up with Sharon ...
Marni and Mike ...
and plenty of others. Unfortunately I didn't take many pictures this trip. Spent too much time talking I guess. At 5:30 AM, we gathered in St. Joe
for the bus ride to Holdingford.
We all gathered in the high school gym in Holdingford waiting for race time. Team R.E.D. had a great showing.
It was a beautiful, sunny morning with little wind. Beautiful running weather. My marathon went pretty well for the first 20 miles. I hit 20 miles at 2:57. Not fast, but not terrible either. I'd been having twinges of cramps but was able to keep running through them. After 20, things went downhill. By 21 miles, I was cramping regularly. By 22 I was doing a fair amount of walking and a lot of stopping to try to massage out my leg cramps, predominantly in my adductors and hamstrings. They were relentless. I'd never had to stop so many times. I walked most of the last 3 miles. Mile 25 was 16:51 and mile 26 was 19:21. OUCH. Literally. I was moaning and crying even. The adductor cramps are so incredibly painful. Many people stopped to see if I was OK, or needed transport to the finish. Beth Wengler came by several times on her bike to give me water. A stranger gave me his water bottle. Then another stranger gave me water from a bottle they were carrying. I had no idea who'd drank from these bottles but I didn't care. I was really warm, had stopped sweating, had salt stains all over my clothes and was dearly wishing I'd had my electrolytes. Kate Adams came by in the last mile and had a bag of coarse salt which she shared with me. (Salt tasted great.) Twice, when I was unable to move either leg due to several muscles in each leg spasming, I didn't think I'd finish. The second time I was less than 1/4 mile from the finish. Right after I finished, they handed me water and my muscles were spasming so bad that they eventually put me in a wheelchair. They wanted me to lay down, but I know from experience what happens then. I can't get up. So I downed two bottles of water and a cup of broth and kept walking around until the cramps released. I had a few in the car on the south side of the cities, but for the most part after I stopped running they quit. Anyway, I'm very embarrassed at my finish time. My marathon times are getting slower and slower and slower. So discouraging. I'm proud that I finished, but embarrassed at my time. How do I feel today? Pretty good actually. But the muscles that cramped are pretty tender as they usually are after such an episode. The adductors (inside/medial side of upper leg) are the worst. Number 26 in the books. I hope I can pop a decent one in the not too distant future.
Today was mostly spent packing. The boys were both home and that was wonderful. Eric's girlfriend Alley came down for the day today and Ted bought us all pizza. Glad I didn't have to cook in this disaster I'm living in for only a few more days. I've had quite enough of making on decisions on what to keep and what to get rid of. I'll be glad when life gets back to normal. There are boxes everywhere and more boxes yet to be filled. The truck pulls up on Wednesday and Matt and I will take off on Thursday. Seeing Eric off today was so hard. I cried and hugged him and cried and hugged him and cried and hugged him and finally had to wave goodbye. I'm crying again as I type this.
Happy Mother's Day to all of you that have had the blessing of being a mother. I can't imagine not having my boys. I love them to pieces and always will.
Well, enough of a reprieve from my duties. Back to work.
'Til next time ..................
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