Well I’m officially a marathoner! I ran the 24th annual Big Sur International Marathon today.
I Started off faster than I should have, and left myself a bit burnt out for the race. Than I realized that all the training I’d done had been on relatively flat ground, rather than the endless hills of the Big Sur coast. About Mile 18, I started to cramp up, and was contemplating walking the rest of the way. Now, up to this point, I’d been passed by all kinds of people. LIttle girls, old people, etc. The most demoralizing/inspiring was being passed by the one-legged guy. He had one of those carbon fiber running legs, and definitely worked me.
However, it was two women who happened into the Clouds Bar while I was working yesterday who saved me. They were running the relay, and so were relatively fresh when I saw them. Bear in mind, these two were on the far side of fifty, and when they called to me to run with them, I couldn’t really admit that I didn’t feel that I could keep up. To be quite honest, they saved the race for me, gettting me to run from mile eighteen to twenty-three, where they left me in the dust. I wanted to get a picture with them at the finish, but couldn’t find them.I finished as sore as I can remember being, and even now can barely walk. But I did it, so I suppose I can be proud of that. I’m not sure I’ll do it again, but at least it happened once. Thanks to those ladies. Pictures will be forthcoming.
[...] and bought me another IPA. Let the fun begin I told him. And now he’s done it. Check out his blog for a write up of the event, including how two older ladies saved his [...]
Good job! Our Pastor just did a marathon in Champaign, IL two weeks ago and had a VERY similar story! He’s young by the stereotype….only 42. But he totally underestimated how he was going to have his butt kicked by that race. Then, got up the next day for Easter Sunday services! He still says he had know idea what he was thinking when he agreed to that timing!
Anyway, way to go!
[...] and still had a time of 4:41:30. It’s a report well worth reading. Justin Russel writes about the women who helped him get from mile 18 to mile 23. And Darin Swanson, who clocked an amazing time of 3:35, has a write-up and photos that will make [...]
Cheers to you! I am a proud Aunt!