Sometimes it’s just not your day. I came into this race thinking I was stronger than last year, having put more miles in then before. Sure, I had only done a 14er as my longest run leading up to it, but I did a lot more 8 and 10 milers than before. When I hit the wall this year, around mile 17, I wasn’t able to push through the pain. This year, the IT bands on the outside of my knees just said they were done. Unlike the general soreness last year that I pushed through, this one was acute.
Some days we have limits to push, barriers to break. And some days are more humbling. Relaxing into it, we can enjoy the time, and celebrate others’ successes. I was happy to finish, pushing it as much as I felt necessary. With a time of 4:14, I was 25 minutes off from last year. And although the warm weather played a role, as well as my 2 surf seshes the day before, I know that the main factor was my lack of distance training.
But the humbling experience feels good in a way. It relieves the pressure of having to be at our best at all times. And it shows us that our family and friends still love us no matter what. They told me they were proud of me, and the ones who showed up to cheer did not feel gypped in the experience. My goals were really just that… my goals. And something else that’s great about marathons… it’s still nice just to finish.
Feature photo by Nicole Deodato Wiest
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