Another Half-Marathon (13.1 miles) done!

This was a challenge. Not for the endurance or the stamina, but the sheer fact that my IT band in my knee has some serious issues. It's super tight, it's in serious pain, and I am just going to have to go to the doctor. I have really done a number on this overuse injury by only taking a week off in trying to heal it. At the same time, I was really upset to not be running the original marathon I had planned today. What was amazing was in all of this, I learned a valuable lesson.

Alicia, my wonderful running partner, never left me. My knee started killing me after we stopped for literally 15 seconds to stretch. She encouraged me, told me to keep going, and she promised to not leave me. We dropped our pace, which was frustrating, because we were pacing pretty fast before, and I was handling it well. My stamina was good, but my knee was bad, so it was super frustrating to have that one limitation preventing me from reaching my peak racing pace. However, when she was injured during the Atlanta Half, and she ran like I did, I left her at the very end, because she was having to stop and stretch her hurt muscle out so much. I made sure she was ok with that when I did it, but looking back - what a bitch I was. I should never have done that. I learned a lesson on the road today that being a valuable friend to your partner involves more than just doing weekly long runs together. It's sacrificing minutes in order to help your friend get to finish. At one point, I was nearly crying, because I was so frustrated I was in pain and not doing the marathon today, and I was also frustrated that I was not able to run the pace I am able to, but was stuck running the pace my injured knee forced me into - it was all frustrating. Alicia encouraged me to never quit, and she never left me. In the end, we still beat my original time. Even injured. We didn't even do a serious push at the end like we normally do in races (this is my third with her). It was a lesson. The journey sometimes is worth more than the time at the end. Running is philosophical, and I'm not about to give it up. This is why I have consented to go to the doctor on Tuesday. I don't want to, and it took about five conversations with me protesting that I'd do more yoga, take another week off, do more Pilates, and it finally took a stern lecture from Alicia that I wouldn't be able to handle jumping to the full for the ING if I didn't go to the doctor to find out what was hurting my IT band and how to fix it. I listened. Sigh.

Doctors-to-be (and doctors in general) are probably the worst patients. Anyway - Birmingham was so much fun. We went to dinner last night, and I got a great black and bleu burger, we had fantastic bbq and Mich Ultra beer after the race, and Micah and I treated ourselves to Mexican tonight. I eat like a fat kid on days I run like this, and it is FANTASTIC! (Reason #46 I will never have an eating disorder even though I am a size 2). LOL.

We had an awesome room at the Sheraton Hotel. The bed was so comfortable, and we had a handicapped room, so our bathroom was huge. And the hotel even gave us a late checkout, so I was able to take a nice, hot shower after eating after the race. It was awesome. Alicia, Josh and Alayna and David and Micah and I had an awesome time. It was so much fun to have my non-running friends David and Alayna there too, because it was the first time friends have ever come to see me run. EVER. It was really honestly heartwarming, and it made me feel really good. I've never been an athelete in my life, and to have friends there to cheer me on - made me feel really great, and I know Alicia loved seeing Josh (her hubby) and Micah and my friends there too. It made us feel like we had a cheering section. They popped up several times along the course. It was awesome. Running is addicting, and I'm never quitting. They will have to pick my old lady body off the course one day. I guess I really better go to the doctor, then so I can fix whatever I'm doing to hurt my knee.

There's my update for the weekend. Oh, and I'm so tired - to hell with studying. I'm going to bed. My race started at 7:03 this morning, and I'm incredibly exhausting. I think with race adrenaline, even though 13.1 miles is not the farthest distance I've run by far (16 miles at once is) - your body tires itself out with serious endorphins and adrenaline to the point you still feel a bit hit by a truck. Although, I have to say - this was definitely not as exhausting as the first half I ran - the Atlanta Half Marathon on Thanksgiving.