What Really Matters

What really matters is that I am not, at this moment, running anymore. My disappointment in my performance yesterday is tempered by the relief that I am no longer actually running. Yesterday was my fourth marathon and it pretty much sucked. The best part is that it is over. I was quite disappointed in my time, which was 4 hours, 19 minutes and 33 seconds. I had hoped to beat my best time, achieved in Burlington in May. That was a great, fun, race and the reason why I chose (unwisely, I think) to jump right back in to training and marathoning. And I trained harder than ever before, so it was not unrealistic to think I might beat my best time. But yesterday was hot and humid and I can't really say I enjoyed myself. I did take some satisfaction in passing many people in the last 6 or so miles. I didn't count, but I bet I passed at least 40 people. Folks were dropping like flies; it looked like a war zone. But I was able to keep running until the very end. Here I am at mile 18, where a group of seven people of varying ages showed up yet again to cheer me on (see photo below). Seriously, I have an amazing support team. They are incredibly enthusiastic and loving and it's thinking of them that keeps me going in those last, hellish miles.




At 26 miles I ran into Olympic Stadium and my vision was completely fucked up. I have a convergence problem, which means my eyes don't always work together. I have a prism in my glasses, which helps a lot, but they can't put a prism in my contacts and when I get tired, the problem can be bad, so coming in to the stadium everything looked like in the movies when they show the perspective of a boxer who has been hit in the head too many times. It was very unpleasant and destabilizing. After they cut the timing chip off my shoe and hung a medal around my neck, I had to find my family, who got stuck in traffic and didn't make it to see me finish. So I bumbled around the stadium, half blind, soaked in sweat and water I had poured over my head, with a big dread lock of tangled hair, asking strangers if I could borrow their cell phone.

Even though my support team didn't make it to the finish line, they were there at mile 18, when I really needed them, and they did a great job supporting me to eat my poutine chouxx (poutine with cole slaw) at La Banquise after the race (and after a shower and hair detangling). Despite their encouragement, I quickly learned I was in over my head and to never order a large poutine. Even after running 26.2 miles.

Anyway, except for some pretty hideous chafing (I'll spare you the details) I feel fine today. I'm amazed at my feet; I don't have a single blister or dead toenail. I have great feet! I love my feet! Neil keeps telling me that I would have beat my time if not for the humidity and heat yesterday. It was close to 80 degrees and had to be about 100% humidity because it drizzled off and on (I actually wanted it to really rain to cool me off, but no such luck). But that just feels like an excuse. Thanks so much to all of you who wished me well and were thinking of me yesterday.