Sunday, April 1, 2012

Challenge and Courage

Challenge - "Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed." Booker T. Washington














Courage - "You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give." Eleanor Roosevelt



March and April calendar messages are intertwined for me. I've been preoccupied with work, and haven't found the time to blog regularly. Sitting here now, looking at both of the messages, I can clearly see they were meant to go together.



These two images pretty much sum up the past year for me. Reality check ahead. Oh yeah. One year ago, I stood out on the sidelines of my absolute most favorite half-marathon course and cheered my son-in-law on. I had an entry. I also had an appointment with the surgeon the following morning to have both feet operated on in an effort to run again. The entire year was given to recovery and rehabilitation. I signed up for this years race right away after the surgery, not having any idea whatsoever if I could walk, run or limp my way to the finish line. This year's race was to take place on March 18th. The reality check was to see if all my efforts had paid off. I planned on making a decision about pursuing the 50 mile after this race, after the finish line, after seeing how it all came together, or fell apart. So far, the wheels had stayed firmly attached to the cart, and training was going very well. But, as all runners know, you can't say how it went until you cross the finish line. It was a long year of acceptance, and courage, as I slowly regained my strength and stamina, proceeding with an abundance of caution (I am not ready for another injury...), and giving all that I could muster towards the effort. I was as ready as I could get, having done at least a half dozen 12 mile runs leading up to the race. I was excited for the test. It was time to race again. The last time I raced this course was 2 years ago. I raced a 2:36 half-marathon. My feet and my weight limited me. It was a finish, but pretty dismal for me. This year, I raced 15 pounds lighter (thank you MyFitnessPal), with both feet surgically repaired. My son-in-law, Ramesh, had been dealing with injuries for a few months now, and was not able to train, which left me training solo. This was actually good for me. However, at the last minute, he said he would race with me and pace me. This was fantastic, and I am grateful that his own injury seemed to stay at a dull roar for the 13.1 miles. We arrived in the parking lot at dark-thirty for a 7:00 a.m. start. It had rained hard that night, which worried me a little. The asphalt was wet and slippery, and the humidity was definitely a factor. The plus side was once we hit the Tobacco Trail portion of the race, the trail was kind of springy and soft, and very kind to my knees and feet. I had a great race until my usual mile 8-10 doldrums, which is my own personal demon miles. I brought 2 Gu's with me, which was a good strategy. Once the gun went off, I spotted the 2:30 pacer with his colorful red balloon. I told Ramesh, "hey, you see that balloon? I want that behind me the whole way". Ramesh countered with "hey, you see that 2:20 balloon? Let's pass that one". Push as I may, I just couldn't seem to catch the 2:20 pacer group, and they slipped out of sight during my doldrum miles. But, as we popped back out on the pavement for the last 5K, I caught sight of them again, and my pace quickened. I was determined to not leave anything out there that morning. Alas, I crossed the finish line behind them. I knew I had a great result, but in my rush to get carbs and water in me (love pizza at the finish lines), I didn't get my chip time. Once home, I kept checking the race website for results. Too many hours went by. Finally, they were posted. Major fist pump time. I had finished my half-marathon in 2:19! I was so darn excited, I was dancing around the living room by myself fist pumping. Two years later, 15 pounds lighter, and I carved 17 minutes off my time. Onward I say. To the City of Oaks Marathon in November. The wheels remain on my cart!