The run for cookies

Race Four

Friday I had another PT appointment and we once again used the magical goop & the machine to try and prepare my foot & shin for Saturday’s race. After the appointment I raced down to the Empire State Plaza to pick up my race bib and race swag. I got there, got my bib (#118) and was told they only had medium & small shirts left, really? So I chose the medium and gave it to my mom. I also picked up my free box of cookies & sandwich thins. Yes, a 5K that gives you cookies instead of a finisher medal. 

Saturday I got up, did my foot stretches on my ball, ate a simple breakfast and my brother and I headed to the plaza. While lining up was supposed to be an easy process due to the color coded sections, you couldn’t hear anything up on the plaza so by the time I heard the last call for line up, I was struggling to run into place. However, I was purple – so I was all the way in the back.

While in line it was nice. I was running just for myself, no one else. I knew a few people in the race; I knew what time I wanted to beat. So I just ran as much of it as I could. I got to the first mile marker by walk/running at 15:06 – that in itself was a miracle to me, as my average pace is normally 16 minutes or more. Mile two had me seeing about 31/32 minutes.  I smiled at the two kids & their mom who set up their own “free lemonade” station, loved the man with a cowbell, and enjoyed seeing my brother towards the end of the race.

About 2/3 the way into the loop at the park my left foot went completely numb. It was like a dead foot. It pissed me off. Because it was happening and it made me see an individual on the side of the race course that I didn’t really care to see. We exchanged that – yeah you know me – look and then I ran on my dead numb foot.  I was walking when I saw my brother and knew I couldn’t walk past him. So I jogged. Then it was the top of the hill towards the finish line. I always forget that running as fast as I can down the hill will only make the additional 50 feet to the finish line suck even more. 

So I had to walk a bit towards the finish, which was so hard but the speed walker next to me shouted at me to pick it up. So I did and I crossed the finish line. I looked at my time, 47 minutes. I was happy with that. My leg wasn’t in pain, my foot was still numb, I had hot spots & blisters possibly forming but my shin & knee didn’t hurt. 

I walked back up to meet my brother. Then we walked uphill three blocks to get to the car and I went home. I slept the rest of the day and in the evening I had celebratory cookies.

I was sore on Sunday and today my foot is giving me a little bit of trouble. I brought all my stuff to go running after work. I still have about a month before The Boilermaker. I’d like to make it at least 6.5 miles. I’d LOVE to finish the whole thing but I’d be super stoked for 6.5 miles. 

There is a 5K this Saturday that I’ll be around for. I’m still debating on running it. It would be my one gay pride thing this year. Follow it up with a bloody mary and it’d be a pretty good day I’d say.  This week is PT & podiatrist so we’ll see what happens with all of that too. I’m not giving up, I’m just not.