I have been reflecting on my race last Sunday at the Eau Claire Half Marathon. It was my first solo race in nearly two years and I had been looking forward to it for weeks. I was more than half way through my training for the Run 4 Troops marathon at the end of June and my training was progressing well. Then, about ten days before the race, I strained my groin muscle while playing tag with some of my 4th grade Lunch Bunch students. It seemed like a ridiculous thing to derail your training, so I tried to minimize what had happened. I continued to run and it got worse. I strained my adductor in 2014 and it took me out of training for several weeks because I raced a 10K on my injury. I missed a half marathon a few weeks after that fateful 10K and thought history was about to repeat itself.
Thankfully, I was able to step back and listen to my body. I did not run for 6 days and I stretched, iced, and applied essential oils to my leg on most of those days. When I finally decided to run again, the pain was gone. The next day, it still felt good. This was really happening! Race morning arrived and the weather was looking pretty decent, and my parents, husband, and kids were all going to be there to cheer for me. As hard as it was, I set no goal time and made no plans to place during this race. This was a change for me. As it turns out, I was able to be more present and enjoy myself with this mentality. The course was beautiful, as we ran through Carson Park and over a few bridges on the Eau Claire and Chippewa Rivers. During the race, I started to feel pretty tired and stiff around mile 9. I did not carry any hydration with me (mistake) and the weather was warming up. About that time, a middle-aged man came up beside me and said, “Come on, I’ve been chasing you for a few miles, let’s go.” His encouragement helped me keep going and we ran together for a couple miles until he picked up the pace. The running community is so awesome. So many encouraging and kind people just wanting to help others do their best. Aside from my awesome husband biking along the course and cheering for me a handful of times (thanks, Babe), the best encouragement I received was at the end of the race. My 9 year-old daughter saw how much I was struggling and she saw the hill that I was facing. She ran alongside me all the way up the hill and kept saying, “Come on, Mama, you can do it!” If my lungs could have handled more stress, I think I would have cried.
Seeing my family at the end and crossing that finish line was a great feeling. The Finish Line festivities were pretty great too. They had inflatables, face painting, and a balloon artist for kids, free food and beer/root beer for runners, and a pickup truck where runners could donate their old running shoes to Soles 4 Souls. I loved knowing that my old shoes would help someone across the globe. I tend to keep my shoes for a long time because each pair has so many great memories associated with it, but you eventually run out of room. All in all, I am pleased with my race. I had some difficulties afterward with my time and how I finished, but I was eventually able to return to a healthier perspective. One thing that I will continue to work on that I know plagues many female runners is criticizing my race photos. I am not Shalane Flanagan or Kara Goucher, so I do not need to look like them. Let’s keep it real, ladies. Like Lauren Fleshman. I am not in a place yet where I can be that brave, but mad props to Lauren. She is definitely one of my running Sheroes. Until next time, keep on running!
Redefined Runner 