Today was the day of my first seven miler. I had been looking forward to the extra distance but have to admit I was anxious. So much so that I barely slept last night and was up at 4 am to eat. A good rule of thumb is to eat an hour at least before you run your long runs but the truth is carbs get stored 1 to 2 hours after eating. I figured I would be running by 6 am and that was close enough to the window that I would be okay.
And I was. It wasn't the food or the company, my roommate Lyndsey got up to run with me- yep, I got her hooked, and it wasn't the weather. It was my knee. Apparently in women runner it's common to have pain in the sides of your knees if you run a more than 10 minute mile. I generally don't run a 10 minute mile, I am typically between 8:30 and 9 minutes but the point of LSD's are to run 1-2 minutes slower than usual which gives me over a 10 minute mile.
So here's the conundrum, run slow as I am supposed to and experience bone breaking excruciating pain in my knee or run faster and burn out way too soon. The pain in my knees didn't start until two weeks ago. I know it's not an injury, injury because one day my left knee hurts and the next it will be my right. This morning it was my right one.
First I woke up at 4 am with an awful charley horse in my right calf, then after massaging it I ate and tried to go back to slow with no success. We got to the park, walked a little, began to jog. It hurt pretty bad but I kept going, then it loosened and the rest of my miler with Lyndsey seemed fine.
At mile 3.5 the pain in my knee became so unbearable I felt like I was running on a broken leg and at 3.68 I stopped. Hurting physically but hurting emotionally. I was disappointed. I wanted seven and I didn't want to stop until I got seven. I hobbled back the direction of the car and met up with Lyndsey. She graciously walked with me another mile or so, since my knee felt better walking than running, because they recommend you at least go the distance if possible.
We returned to the car and I lost it. I will admit I was a child, I threw a tantum due to my humiliation, my disappointment and my own immaturity. I told her to stop the car I was walking home (though by now walking was almost impossible for me). I got out and hobbled away, shaking my head in disgust that I was hurt and it had prevented me from succeeding.
A few more steps and I couldn't stand the humiliation of walking while all the runners sprinted by, so I stepped out and winced in pain. The I jogged, agony. I kept jogging, thinking pick up the pace it won't hurt. 3.5 miles more that's it. Lyndsey was long gone because it was a one way street with no turn around so I headed toward home.
No phone. I knew I was up a creek if it began to hurt more, no way to reach her. I knew she would be scare and I knew I was stupid but that person inside would not let me stop.
I ran, jogged, and at the early points almost crawled the rest of the way home. All 7.08 miles of it. Honestly, by mile 3.68 this time my knee felt brand new, my pace was so good I wasn't breathing hard and I knew I could finish it out.
The downside during my moment of feeling victorious was I knew Lyndsey was out there searching for me, she thought I could barely walk. She was looking for a limp. She passed me in the car as I took our normal route home but didn't see me as she was looking for someone limping.
I made it all the way home to remember I was locked out, she had the key. A quick dash into the apartment complex's pool bathroom gave me a little relief, but then there I was with no water, no shower access, no food sitting on the steps hoping she would come home. My heart broke because I knew she was circling and circling and freaking out. I was drenched in sweat waiting and about 10 minutes later she pulls up, bursts in to tears and lets me inside.
Mind over matter? Not really. Stubbornness, selfishness, and just plain cruelty. I got my seven miles, in fact in total I got over 10, but the cost of stupidity is high for me to ever pay again.
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