Saturday, May 29, 2010
Retrospect
Its true the marathon was the core event of my trip but it would be unfair to deny that is was only a small portion of the overall purpose. Yes, I chose to travel 4000 miles for my first 26.2 mile event but the "why's" are the more critical details. I needed to prove that I would not allow past events to hinder future success', and I did that. I did not allow proximity, in this case someone else's current residing state, to put me off a goal I've harbored for thirty some years, and I did that. I needed to prove that in spite of all the hurt and drama I could overcome and move forward, becoming something better, and I did that. I think I may have needed to prove I could hold my head high, in spite of all the odds. Once I started something in the UK, and in the end, outside my control, it could not be finished, or at least not in its intended manner. Metaphorically, I wanted to finish it where it began and I think I've done that as well. I guess I didn't count on the aftermath being what it seems to be. Its true I feel victorious and empowered but I've also been left with a residual sadness. So long I've carried a great deal of pain in my back pocket and some of that suffering has been at my own critical hand but I don't imagine we ever plan for the possibility that in spite of its painful nature, we come to look at some suffering's as a sort of companion. Even when we surrender away what we do not want we often feel the absence left in its loss. I've learned from my past but for the first time in a very long time, my future is about what I can and will accomplish rather than what I failed to accomplish. Hindsight is indeed 20/20 but foresight is brightened by hope and makes a much prettier picture on the horizon.
Friday, May 28, 2010
VICTORY...well, sorta!
Got home Wednesday night. What a holiday! I can say without reserve it was the trip of a lifetime on so many levels. All that imagined and more. Bel and Glenn (my friends in London) treated me like utter royalty allowing me to see and experience so much more than just the marathon. Added to the blog are two of my favorite photos from the trip. One of Stonehenge and one of the Edinburgh Castle. If I had seen only one of those landmarks I could have called the trip an unparalleled success but I was blessed with so much more. If I have ever manage the time and computer savvy to do so, I will load in a slide show of trip photos. For once I actually managed a few good pictures! Even my daughter (the photo princess) was impressed.
THE RACE:
The race was the point of focus so I will detail it first. The weather was not as I feared but damn near perfect. It was around 84 degrees, no humidity to speak of and sunny. I walked the 2-3 miles down Prince's Street from my hotel to the start early enough to view the start of the half then wandered back up for breakfast arriving in plenty of time to place myself in my corral and contemplate the event. I had both calves braced as I have felt as though I've been compensating for the bad right one and putting undue pressure on the "good" left one. The start line was at the end of Old Edinburgh not far from Hollyrood Castle (where Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded), kind of fitting? The first portion of the race was at a significant downhill grade and I set off at a comfortable pace. All was going quite well till at around mile 6 when an unattended toddler wandered onto the course. I was too close to the sidewalk edge and actually went down on the pavement trying to avoid steamrolling her. Luckily enough I rolled back up into a run without missing a beat really but it was huge mental blow. I did avoid her completely which was thankful but I spent about 3 miles questioning my body and worrying if I might have actually hurt myself. It was not a mindset I should have been indulging in and did effect my rhythm.
At around mile 9 the calf began to moo. It wasn't painful but it was noticeable and it was sooner than I had expected. I continued until the half point where I discarded the jacket tied around my waist feeling sure enough I would not have need of it and began to slow my pace a bit. At this point the calf was becoming an issue. After the half point the course began to get a bit hillier, not by most standards but when compared to my Florida terrain it was a bit more of an effort. My pace slowed again from around mile 16-20. At the 20 mile point I could no longer ignore the calf and in all honesty my pace was so slow at this point that breaking to the walk was not much of a change. I alternated between walk/run/limp for the last 6.2 miles.
The race itself has come under some scrutiny after last year's event where they actually ran out of water! There was water and lucozade (like gatorade) throughout the race, however, it was not just warm but hot and, in my opinion, the water stops were too far apart. There were NO GEL STOPS or other sustenance of any kind. Twice, I alerted race stewards to down runners behind me on the course who may need assistance as there were very few sweeper vehicles checking on runners, although there were several ambulances. By UK standards, it was sweltering hot. By my standards it was comfortable and I can say I felt well hydrated. I was alarmed by the number of down runners I saw. Many were vomiting or simply collapsed from very early on. Sadly, a 52 year old, well fit man died. As of yesterday the actual cause was still unknown. Around 15,000 started the race. Just under 10,000 finished. 240 were removed by ambulance.
Poor organization struck again at race end. At the finish there was a half mile walk to the reunion/baggage area. Another half mile to a bus loop where we all hoped to gain transportation via the pre-paid bus tickets (at 3 pounds a head) back to Edinburgh, however, the city buses would not accept the vouchers and after some questioning on the part of many runners we were informed that the buses we'd pre-paid for were another mile and a half away. Many had not packed money let alone change to board the city buses. I gave coin to a grown man in full out sobbing tears who had no money to board the city buses and COULD NOT have walked to the charters. Luckily, I found a city bus back. Once in Edinburgh I walked the 3 miles back to my hotel after stopping at McDonald's and shoving a cheeseburger in my face as I walked. I knew damn well that after a shower, there was no way in hell I'd be heading back out in search of food.
Poor organization aside, the course was stunning. Beginning in the shadow of the Scottish Highlands the course paralleled the rocky shores of the sea and meandered through quaint seaside villages. At one point it cut off into the woods passing country estates, shaded forests and ruined castles. Residents set up sprinklers and hoses to cool passing participants and children offered jelly beans and cookies and near race end a pub was handing out pints! (I was tempted :). I spoke with many runners who said little good about their performance that day and I heard many organizational complaints but none who could note much outside of wonder at the course itself.
I earned no bragging rights for my first marathon. I had dreams of overcoming my injury and somehow pulling a miracle out of my ass but I approached the race realistically. It wasn't pretty but I FINISHED. I finished within the allowable time and all misfortune and complaint aside, I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT! A friend of mine who has finished many marathons said, "Kell, that was a demon of a race. If you finished that then you have earned bragging rights that many seasoned runners cannot claim and you are ready for any running challenge you might face." I believe him.
THE RACE:
The race was the point of focus so I will detail it first. The weather was not as I feared but damn near perfect. It was around 84 degrees, no humidity to speak of and sunny. I walked the 2-3 miles down Prince's Street from my hotel to the start early enough to view the start of the half then wandered back up for breakfast arriving in plenty of time to place myself in my corral and contemplate the event. I had both calves braced as I have felt as though I've been compensating for the bad right one and putting undue pressure on the "good" left one. The start line was at the end of Old Edinburgh not far from Hollyrood Castle (where Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded), kind of fitting? The first portion of the race was at a significant downhill grade and I set off at a comfortable pace. All was going quite well till at around mile 6 when an unattended toddler wandered onto the course. I was too close to the sidewalk edge and actually went down on the pavement trying to avoid steamrolling her. Luckily enough I rolled back up into a run without missing a beat really but it was huge mental blow. I did avoid her completely which was thankful but I spent about 3 miles questioning my body and worrying if I might have actually hurt myself. It was not a mindset I should have been indulging in and did effect my rhythm.
At around mile 9 the calf began to moo. It wasn't painful but it was noticeable and it was sooner than I had expected. I continued until the half point where I discarded the jacket tied around my waist feeling sure enough I would not have need of it and began to slow my pace a bit. At this point the calf was becoming an issue. After the half point the course began to get a bit hillier, not by most standards but when compared to my Florida terrain it was a bit more of an effort. My pace slowed again from around mile 16-20. At the 20 mile point I could no longer ignore the calf and in all honesty my pace was so slow at this point that breaking to the walk was not much of a change. I alternated between walk/run/limp for the last 6.2 miles.
The race itself has come under some scrutiny after last year's event where they actually ran out of water! There was water and lucozade (like gatorade) throughout the race, however, it was not just warm but hot and, in my opinion, the water stops were too far apart. There were NO GEL STOPS or other sustenance of any kind. Twice, I alerted race stewards to down runners behind me on the course who may need assistance as there were very few sweeper vehicles checking on runners, although there were several ambulances. By UK standards, it was sweltering hot. By my standards it was comfortable and I can say I felt well hydrated. I was alarmed by the number of down runners I saw. Many were vomiting or simply collapsed from very early on. Sadly, a 52 year old, well fit man died. As of yesterday the actual cause was still unknown. Around 15,000 started the race. Just under 10,000 finished. 240 were removed by ambulance.
Poor organization struck again at race end. At the finish there was a half mile walk to the reunion/baggage area. Another half mile to a bus loop where we all hoped to gain transportation via the pre-paid bus tickets (at 3 pounds a head) back to Edinburgh, however, the city buses would not accept the vouchers and after some questioning on the part of many runners we were informed that the buses we'd pre-paid for were another mile and a half away. Many had not packed money let alone change to board the city buses. I gave coin to a grown man in full out sobbing tears who had no money to board the city buses and COULD NOT have walked to the charters. Luckily, I found a city bus back. Once in Edinburgh I walked the 3 miles back to my hotel after stopping at McDonald's and shoving a cheeseburger in my face as I walked. I knew damn well that after a shower, there was no way in hell I'd be heading back out in search of food.
Poor organization aside, the course was stunning. Beginning in the shadow of the Scottish Highlands the course paralleled the rocky shores of the sea and meandered through quaint seaside villages. At one point it cut off into the woods passing country estates, shaded forests and ruined castles. Residents set up sprinklers and hoses to cool passing participants and children offered jelly beans and cookies and near race end a pub was handing out pints! (I was tempted :). I spoke with many runners who said little good about their performance that day and I heard many organizational complaints but none who could note much outside of wonder at the course itself.
I earned no bragging rights for my first marathon. I had dreams of overcoming my injury and somehow pulling a miracle out of my ass but I approached the race realistically. It wasn't pretty but I FINISHED. I finished within the allowable time and all misfortune and complaint aside, I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT! A friend of mine who has finished many marathons said, "Kell, that was a demon of a race. If you finished that then you have earned bragging rights that many seasoned runners cannot claim and you are ready for any running challenge you might face." I believe him.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Delays Delays!
In spite of the volcano's best efforts, it looks as though my flight will get off the ground albeit 4 hours late :(. This will be my last entry till I get back (at least I think so). I've managed a few fair to decent runs. Can't say they were exactly the "confidence builders" I'd hoped for but I managed to come in well under time limits and nurse the calf along. In all honesty, most of my suffering on my runs is from loss of fitness. Cross training does NOT equal running and I am having trouble finding my comfort zone. It will be a challenge. Long term weather is calling for highs in the 60's and 90% rain, lol!
I should not have any trouble sleeping on the plane due to the fact that I have run myself ragged tying up loose ends before departing. At this point, I'm eager to shut my brain down into that "travel sleep mode." I don't think even pre-flight nerves could keep me awake tonite! I always get anx about flying when there are long gaps where I'm not in the air. Its been at least two years since I boarded a flight so I'm due for a little drama on that note but I don't expect it to outweigh my overwhelming desire to shut my head off for a while.
I'm toting a little excess baggage back to the UK, Demons I plan to bury on foreign soil never to re-visit. A lighter load coming home. I'm off ....GO ME!
I should not have any trouble sleeping on the plane due to the fact that I have run myself ragged tying up loose ends before departing. At this point, I'm eager to shut my brain down into that "travel sleep mode." I don't think even pre-flight nerves could keep me awake tonite! I always get anx about flying when there are long gaps where I'm not in the air. Its been at least two years since I boarded a flight so I'm due for a little drama on that note but I don't expect it to outweigh my overwhelming desire to shut my head off for a while.
I'm toting a little excess baggage back to the UK, Demons I plan to bury on foreign soil never to re-visit. A lighter load coming home. I'm off ....GO ME!
Friday, May 14, 2010
100%
Brilliant news in that I achieved 100% of the donations for Alzheimer's Scotland! I was secretly hoping to SMASH the minimum but considering I am an American soliciting on behalf of a foreign charity...not too shabby! They said it couldn't be done!
Where's My Damn Valet?
Ok, I officially NEED a valet. I'm always pretty good for getting things pulled together in the clinch but this may be a record setter! I did manage to get a lot done today and I'm hoping that a brief stop here will give me the second wind necessary to tackle some of the domestics I need to clear up before I depart. Yeah, that obsessive/compulsive need to leave things in perfect order is very inconvenient about now! Its also probably counterproductive since this time I am leaving my daughter behind (with a friend living in to watch her) so any order I leave behind will be smashed in about 30 minutes!
Training is going according to plan and no hiccups so far. Not gonna dwell here in the interest of preventing any and all possible jinx'.
The shuttle rattled the windows this afternoon. Heard it was a beautiful launch but I was too swamped at work to even step outside and view the trail. I'll regret that later as they are noises to the effect of this being the last or one of the last launches.
Threw all my papers in a pile to sort better on the plane. Marathon details and such and made sure to tuck my international driver's license in there. Bel is really excited about me taking over some of the driving but me; not so much? Having some trouble getting my head around the whole backwards car on the wrong side of the road idea and the possibility of an ass backwards clutch? Well that just boggles the mind! Enough! Mush on, back to work!
Training is going according to plan and no hiccups so far. Not gonna dwell here in the interest of preventing any and all possible jinx'.
The shuttle rattled the windows this afternoon. Heard it was a beautiful launch but I was too swamped at work to even step outside and view the trail. I'll regret that later as they are noises to the effect of this being the last or one of the last launches.
Threw all my papers in a pile to sort better on the plane. Marathon details and such and made sure to tuck my international driver's license in there. Bel is really excited about me taking over some of the driving but me; not so much? Having some trouble getting my head around the whole backwards car on the wrong side of the road idea and the possibility of an ass backwards clutch? Well that just boggles the mind! Enough! Mush on, back to work!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
http://www.downunderhorsemanship.com/
Clinton Anderson is an Australian horse trainer who deals with horse issues on the "horse's level". He is really amazing to watch. You don't have to be into horses to enjoy what he does.
Clinton Anderson is an Australian horse trainer who deals with horse issues on the "horse's level". He is really amazing to watch. You don't have to be into horses to enjoy what he does.
FARTLEK!!
Kind of sums up my day! Parts of it flew by un-hindered, while other parts were draggy and winded. A small victory in my run tonite. I didn't even try for 10 but called it at 7 deciding to quit while ahead. NO CALF PAIN....just all the other pains that can be expected of people who don't run for three weeks! I needed a confidence run and that was it. I will still worry (cuz this is my nature) about the fact that my last long run was, well, too long ago! However, in the next 24 hours worries about "trip preparedness" will take precedence!
The current training plan stands as follows (posting it here is a commitment which won't allow other dramas to interfere with).
Yoga 30-45 min am and pm
Thursday: X train on the bike ...this means ride over to the beach to watch the team which includes my daughter and Megan, play the weekly beach volleyball. Our local gyms have a league. Then ride home.
Friday: Rest and deal with trip details. Yoga only in the am.
Saturday: 10 miles
Sunday: Bikram Yoga
Monday: 6-8 miles am Fly out in the afternoon.
In the midst of all of that, we have tickets to Clinton Anderson (horse whisperer type) in Kissimee. My sister will take my daughter on Saturday and I hope to get a lot done so I may attend Sunday for a few hours in the morning. Its the Man's birthday so we will do a quiet dinner Saturday night and family deal with his folks on Sunday afternoon. I have work half a day Saturday will need to check in on hospitalized patients through the weekend. Major clean up at the second job so it stays intact while I'm gone. The barn will need to be cleaned up top to bottom so they won't have to deal with any horse drama while I'm gone. Clean the house, pack, make up emergency lists, blah blah blah...
Its no wonder I'm F*&#ing tired all the time!
The current training plan stands as follows (posting it here is a commitment which won't allow other dramas to interfere with).
Yoga 30-45 min am and pm
Thursday: X train on the bike ...this means ride over to the beach to watch the team which includes my daughter and Megan, play the weekly beach volleyball. Our local gyms have a league. Then ride home.
Friday: Rest and deal with trip details. Yoga only in the am.
Saturday: 10 miles
Sunday: Bikram Yoga
Monday: 6-8 miles am Fly out in the afternoon.
In the midst of all of that, we have tickets to Clinton Anderson (horse whisperer type) in Kissimee. My sister will take my daughter on Saturday and I hope to get a lot done so I may attend Sunday for a few hours in the morning. Its the Man's birthday so we will do a quiet dinner Saturday night and family deal with his folks on Sunday afternoon. I have work half a day Saturday will need to check in on hospitalized patients through the weekend. Major clean up at the second job so it stays intact while I'm gone. The barn will need to be cleaned up top to bottom so they won't have to deal with any horse drama while I'm gone. Clean the house, pack, make up emergency lists, blah blah blah...
Its no wonder I'm F*&#ing tired all the time!
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