Yesterday I drove the family to Waynesboro for the Park to Park Half Marathon, the half that I had planned for my first ever until I was plagued with my overuse injury. When I realized my injury would not allow that to happen, I gave up on it, but Leah Marie decided to make it her first half marathon since she had been training for one anyway. All things considered, she rocked it. Wow! 13.1 miles run by a woman who just a few years ago had very little interest in running. She will likely compete in another half before attempting a full. Go her!
On the other side of the event, I took responsibility for the three Things, entertainment and transportation. Fortunately, as a "park to park" race, they got in a lot of quality playtime on either end of the travel time. We all had fun cheering Leah Marie on, especially cheering her across the finish line, as Things 1 & 2 raced across it with her.
Overall, it was a great experience. I loved watching Leah Marie succeed where she had never thought possible just a few years early. The only downside was my standing on the sidelines, not because I chose to do so for that particular race, but because an injury forced me into it. It almost hurt to watch so many people running and crossing the finish line, seeing a great sense of accomplishment wash over their faces. But where was my accomplishment? In shackles to an overuse injury that feels like it will ever be the bane of my existence.
Last night, I put my ankle through its first real test since I raced in the Mad Anthony Mud Run on 22 February. Southern Virginia University hosted the Knight Run, a 5k for the school and the community. Students, faculty, staff, and local residents participated in a hospital event. It really is one of the most fun races I have run because I know so many of the participants and volunteers. Following the race, the Multicultural Club put on a luau full of authentic foods and dances, including a fire dancers. Sadly, the boys didn't make to most of the dancing: they had a long day yesterday. As for the race, I had a plan: four minutes of running, one minute of walking, repeated until I finished. I also knew that I needed to be careful, force myself to rein it in as necessary. My first mile was 10:19, which is actually my fastest mile since I started running again a few weeks ago. From there I pushed hard to an approximate 8:40 second mile. I had hoped to finish the race in 35 minutes. In stead, I powered through and clocked a 29:45. Wow! The ankle? Sore, I mean it's still tender. The good news is that my foot never hurt, and still doesn't. And though there was and is some soreness, I still have felt no pain like unto that which forced me into recovery mode in the first place. I feel like I am on my way. Slow and steady, still, but here I come.
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