Sunday Oct. 28th Washington DC
temps 56 to 60 degrees, winds 21mph
I had troubling recovering from a right strained calf and compensating muscles injuries. I went up to DC anyway without committing to run the Marine Corps Marathon. I didn't take any painkillers all week.
We followed the signs for RFK Stadium and drove past several do not enter signs and arrived at packet pickup rather quickly. At the pasta tent, I met a few runners from Dean's blog. It seems that MCM is always short on safely pins for the bib. I circled back to get some.
By Saturday night I was finally able to walk using both legs. I decided to go to the race. I got up at 5:20am race morning and noticed that I pinned my number on the back side of the shorts instead of the front. In earlier races, I had on my shorts on backwards. We left 25 minutes late and arrived at the 5:00 hour pace sign 5 minutes before the race start. Jim and the Orlando runners spotted me. As I jogged across the start line, I knew immediately that I was limping and dragging my right leg. I should have stopped. I kept going and patiently waited out the miles to pass for what I expected to be a six hour marathon. I didn't wear a watch and there was no clock at the start but I couldn't help re-forecasting my finish time whenever the official time was announced. I proceeded slowly and steadily.
The weather was near perfect for my pace. I haven't run in the back of the pack in several years. It used to be more fun. But a lot of runners are using IPods and zoning out. Some guy ran with a cow bell; I found that extremely annoying but could only run at one speed. Also, runners in the back would take walk breaks together in packs of 2, 3 or 4 across. It was a pain to weave around them.
Some power walkers passed me while I was running. I tried walking too but couldn't keep up with the walkers. So I ran again.
I didn't see many characters on the course. I saw Super Girl and a Bee. In previous years, I saw Jesus and the jump rope guy.
I wore the Northface Endurance Challenge t-shirt with Dean's quote on the back about never quitting and crawling to the finish if you have to. That got some favorable comments from several runners.
6 hours is a long time and past my lunch hour. I happily partook offerings from spectators - including sugar wafers, cheese crackers and mini bagels. I had money for pizza but wanted to make the 14th St Bridge cutoff first.
Being in the back, I saw some of the early water tables being swamped. I felt my foot slipping on a banana peel and saw colorfuly squished Jelly Bellies on the asphalt.
I sprinted up the hill to the finish dodging a bunch of walkers and finished in 5hrs 51 minutes. It was my slowest marathon. In some ways, it's kind of boring since I was not exploring a new distance or place. The most interesting part of my weekend was spending time with friends and family. I averaged a 13:25 pace. My pace in the last 26 miles of my 117 miler last week was at a 15:00 pace. So I guess I am making progress recovering.
The wait for the Metro was over 90 minutes. I limped across the Key Bridge and met a friend for coffee and compared notes on the marathon. He ran with the mayor of DC and started at the front; at the VIP stand, he could see the finishers come in. We got some stares at Starbucks when we took our off shoes - I had my toesocks on; he had a blister.
This year's Marine Corps medal is twice the size and weight of medals in previous years. I whacked myself on the head with it while taking it off to show my sister. I found a small cut on my eyebrow from the sharp point of naval anchor on the medal.
btw-It's interesting that the website reports the runners body weight as well as the splits.
Friday, November 2, 2007
San Francisco One Day Run (Oct. 20th, 2007)
Oct. 20th- 21st. San Francisco One Day Run - temps 57 to 60, winds 11mph - results 2nd place finish with 117 miles in 23 hours 43 minutes averaging 12:10 pace.
I started running 100 miles in races this year. I wasn't tired at the finishes so I searched for longer races. I started a 170 mile race across Florida but DNFed in the 90 degree heat. I signed up for a 24 hour run in San Fran to be followed by a 48 hour run in Nov. I considered but was intimidated by the 72 hour Across the Years run. Maybe 2008. I place better at the longer distances - 39th, 1st, 5th and now 2nd.
Going into this race, I was optimistic about running a good race. In the past couple of weeks, I had a marathon PR, 2 mile PR and 1 mile PR. I am at my lowest running weight ever. I expected to have a new 100 mile PR -- my best one was 19hrs52mins. I got that one 2 weeks after a tough 100 miler where I pulled my Achilles tripping over a tree root. 24 hours will be my longest time running; My longest time running previiously is 22hrs43minutes. With a later start and the time change, I would be awake beyond noon East Coast time. I had a good recovery from 2 marathons over one weekend two weeks ago. But my calves have been aching, particularly the right one. Having lost a couple of lbs from the double marathon, I decided to run a 2 mile and 1 mile PR last week. I realize now that it was a dumb idea to do a time trial several days before the 24 hour run. I thought since I would be going slow that it wouldn't matter.
I stayed with a friend about a mile and half from the course. I had salmon and some wine at dinner and ice cream for dessert. We went to meet his female friend at a bar. I have forgotten that the level of conversation is more interesting in a city - although it might be I am just talking to intense individuals. I had a beer and went to sleep at around 2am East Coast time.
The race starts at 9am Sat. It was a long walk to the start; I was weighed down with an extra pair of runnnings shoes, sports drink mix, Red Bull, headlamps, batteries, socks, blister repair, extra layers of clothing etc. Most runners arrived by car and packed coolers and chairs. Some had a support crew.
My smallest goal was to run at least 101 miles. I was certain I could do 112 and likely to do 120. I had plan to take stretch breaks but did not. I looked at the race results last year and figured I could place somewhere in the top 5. During the race, I learned that this year's race drew faster runners. As a road runner trained on flats, I figured I had some advantage over stronger trail runners whose legs would tire on pavement.
The course is a 1.0179 mile loop. The race was sold out. There were 50 24 hour runners and 50 12 hour runners. I didn't know what pace to run - so to easily keep track of the laps, I aimed for 3 laps every 30 minutes. Then I would stop for get fluids. It would be like running 48 5ks. I kept a slower pace and didn't take any walk breaks until after the 1st 50 laps.
16 runners had laps faster than my fastest lap. So I was plodding along. Slow and steady. Most runners had their fastest lap in the 1st 10 laps or the last lap. My fastest lap was at lap 54 when I ran at the 9:04 pace. The fast guys seemed unusually tall. Akos ran past me 18 times. He was wearing a shirt with flames on it. I thought there were 2 runners with the same team shirt. I realize now there was only one whizzing by 18 times. I thought he was running the 24 hour but it turned out he was in the 12 hour race. He finished 83 miles in 12 hours.
The course is scenic; there was the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, seals and birds. Kites were being flown. There was a good number of casual runners milling about. I was people watching for the first 8 hours. There were also a large number of large dogs, particularly doodles. JDRF had a Walk to Cure Diabetes event. It took some dexterity to dodge small children. After the crowds diminished, I got bored and decided to play my podcasts. My headphones kept falling off my ears. I never tried running with them. I gave up on having something to listen to.
I asked myself why I was doing this. The original plan was to run a few laps, go to dim sum and winetasting and dinner, come back at 9pm and run for 12 more hours. The purpose was to see how I would do staying up for 30 hours as preparation for the 48 hour run next month. But my friends could not schedule it in (:
I ran the first 50 miles without walking and eating food. I didn't know when I would have trouble with my calves so I had to keep going when the going is good. I tested Hammer Perpetuem for the first time. It has some protein in the mix. I was using one scoop with 8 ounces of water every 3 laps. It started backing up in my stomach. So I alternated it with sports drink that was available at the aid station. I read that the body can absorb only about 16 ounces of fluid per hour -- so I drank that amount. I figured more would just upset my stomach and would not help with dehydration. I saw a runner throwing up and several runners lying on the ground. I heard one runner felt so bad that he was crying. At each race, you learn what works and doesn't. Unfortunately things may crop up in ultras that do not crop up in marathons - blisters for example.
The race had a Webcast and allowed runners to receive messages. Cathy sent me several messages. They printed it out and handed to me. That was cool. But it meant I was being tracked and need to keep moving! The volunteers and the race director did a great job; most of the runners were friendly. Some of the runners had headsets on and were zoned out.
For every lap, there was a headwind going out to the first halfway point. On the way back, there was no wind and I got hot and sweaty. Going out again, I felt hypothermic from both the normal windchill effect and the sweat being quickly evaporated. I did this 115 times. Maybe the solution is to wear take a long sleeve shirt on and off every 1/2 lap. Does anyone know if Coolmax requires physical contact with the skin to get the wicking effect? Do I need a form fitting Spandex shirt? Once the sun set, it felt cooler and running was easier. Was there a reason the course wasn't run in a counterclockwise direction - so that there would be a tailwind?
The batteries on my Garmin GPS watch are good for about 11 hours. I googled the web and found a way to charge the Garmin. I bought a mini-USB cell phone charger that runs off 2 AA batteries. I strapped it onto my arm and plugged into the Garmin. It fell off several times until I figured out how to secure it. Next time I wll use a strip of Velcro on the charger. The Garmin was fully charged in a few hours and good to go.
Around 11 hours into the race, I saw my name on the top 5 list. The race got interesting again. I started asking any runner that passed me who they were and what place they were in.
The moon was out so I didn't use my headlamp. I kept running off the course right near the chip mat because of a bright light shining from across the street took away my night vision. I finally put on a headlamp. I felt that the extra weight on my head would affect running form.
Around 12 hours - just past 65 miles, I stopped the Perpeteum and switched to Red Bull. I drank 4 cans over 4 hours (only 320mg caffeine). I also starting taking Advil - one per hour.
I hit the wall at lap 87 (@16.5 hours) and stopped to eat. I think the sugar content from the Red Bull caused my blood sugar to drop. The grilled cheese and pepperoni pizza was yummy. I didn't have any trouble staying awake even though I didn't have any caffeine between 1am and 5am.
I kept retieing my shoelaces because they felt too tight, too loose or rocks fell into the shoe. I brought gaiters but forgot how to lace them with shoelaces. I must of stopped a dozen times. After a 5 minute break to eat, my left shoe felt tighter.I thought my foot swelled from standing around. When I got home Monday, I discovered my left ankle was swollen. I took too many electrolyte capsules. I took one Succeed per hour for the first 16 hours (5456mg sodium) and 3 Power Gels (600mg sodium). I gained one lb when I should have lost 5lbs due to glycogen depletion and several pounds of bodyfat burned. Between Tues and Thurs, I peed out 6 lbs of water weight. In cooler temps, perhaps one Succeed is enough every 2 hours and only if there is no other electrolyte gels or salty foods. Since only the left ankle was really swollen, I wonder if the ankle strap for the transponder chip, impeded circulation even though it was not on that tight. Since I didn't take Advil until 12 hours into the race, I don't think it caused the water retention. I wonder how the water retention affected my running performance?
I talked to Jon Olson when he passed me. He was in first place. He had set a course record in the 2007 Rio del Lago 100 miler (15:32).. At lap 90, he was in the lead and 16 laps ahead of me. He had already passed the 100 mile mark in 15:30. I told him I would not be able to catch him even if he stopped and walked. It turns out that his quads had seized up. He stopped at 109 laps and took a nap; he did not get back into the race.
At lap 92, I asked Jon if he knew the #2 guy. Kermit, #2, came walking up. I was one lap behind him. Kermit Cuff won the 2007 Headlands 100 (20:57). He has run a marathon in 2:55.
Past lap 98, I hit the 100 mile mark setting a PR at 19 hours 16 minutes avg 11:34 pace.
Around this time, my run was reduced to a 4mph shuffle. My right calve issue that I had all week caught up to me. I took a total 19 Advil (3800 mg) and 2 Tylenol (1000mg). That's an unsafe dosage of Advil -- I asked around for Tylenol but most runners and the aid station carried Advil. It did not work anyway. I figured since I don't use any painkillers between races, my kidneys had time to recuperate. I wonder if the water retention prevented the Advil from working its anti-inflammatory effects. How is a strained calve able to go 95 miles before falling apart?
Both Kermit and I kept moving and moved up to 1st and 2nd. We expected Jon to wake up any minute and start running again. Kermit kept racking up the miles even when he was clearly going to win. He ran another 29 miles while I shuffled along for 21 miles.
A 24 hour race is harder mentally than a 100 miler. If you run 50 miles in 8 hours, you know you are halfway there. But in a 24 hour, at 8 hours the race hasn't really begun. Some of the runners also found running for a fixed time period more difficult.
I started taking caffeinated gels one per hour in the last 4 hours of the race (5am-9am). The Nike Women's Marathon overlapped our course for 1/2 mile. It started at 7am, though there were some early 5am starters. At 8am, somehow I was able to pick up the pace and ran among the Nike Women's marathoners. With 17 minutes left on the clock, I wanted to do one more lap but I developed a spasm every time I tried to run in the right calf muscle right below the knee. I had time for 118 miles but had to satisfied with 117.
Kermit won with 124 laps (126 miles). He ran his lap at the 6:54 pace!! Even though he said it was hard, he looked fresh.
At the finish, a woman told me she had text messaged a guy who ran the Old Dominion 100 and remembered me from that race. Small world.
After the award ceremony, I started asking around for a ride. I could barely move. It took a while to shuffle to the parking lot; It probably would have taken me a couple of hours to walk the 1.5 miles back to my friend's apartment. I saw Andrew, who walked with me between 7 and 8am, and asked him for a ride. Thank you Andrew. I should pack a walking stick or cane next time. Can I use it in a race? Walking sticks are explicited forbidden at Badwater.
I napped for a few hours and went to meet runners from Orlando who had run the Women's marathon, for dinner. Then I took the subway to the airport to catch a 11:30pm flight out. SFO now has a Clear Card lane for an expedited security checkpoint. The iris scan works a lot better than fingerprints. My fingerprints fade with dry skin, particular out West. There was no one in the Clear line and FlyClear did not maintain a separate line; it felt awkward to cut in front of a 100+ passengers who were waiting in one line. I got into Atlanta at 7am and asked to go standby on the 8:30am. Delta charges $50 to go standby so I declined. My scheduled flight was oversold and late -- Delta had to compensate passengers who did not get seats. If Delta had let me get on an earlier flight, there would have been one less seat to provide $400 in travel vouchers and meal vouchers. I sent Delta an email suggesting that free unconfirmed standby be brought back.
I had a massage on Tuesday. The left ankle is pretty swollen with no apparent muscle issues. Perhaps it did extra work when the right leg gave out or maybe the ankle strap holding the timing chip caused the swelling. My lower back was the most painful part of the massage. Those muscles pulled on my IT band. I suspect leaning into the headwind caused the back issues. The calves are still achy and I am limping around. This will be the first week when I will not be running this year. I am used doing the crab walk with beat up quads but I don't know how long this recovery will take or if am really injured. Marine Corps is coming up this weekend. I first have to be able to walk again before deciding if I will run it. During than 24 hour run, I had thought about skipping the 48 hour run in Dallas. But since I wasn't really tired from the 24 hour run - I will go forward with my plans to tackle the 48 hour run. My current strategy is to run until I can't run anymore or if I have to go to sleep. Take a nap and walk the rest of the time.
I'd do this race again if Kermit Cuff, Jon Olson and Rob Byrne will come back next year. I could tack on another 21 miles of the Nike Women's marathon; I heard there's chocolate at the marathon aid stations. LOL. This is my 1st year running 100 miles or more; I am still learning.
I started running 100 miles in races this year. I wasn't tired at the finishes so I searched for longer races. I started a 170 mile race across Florida but DNFed in the 90 degree heat. I signed up for a 24 hour run in San Fran to be followed by a 48 hour run in Nov. I considered but was intimidated by the 72 hour Across the Years run. Maybe 2008. I place better at the longer distances - 39th, 1st, 5th and now 2nd.
Going into this race, I was optimistic about running a good race. In the past couple of weeks, I had a marathon PR, 2 mile PR and 1 mile PR. I am at my lowest running weight ever. I expected to have a new 100 mile PR -- my best one was 19hrs52mins. I got that one 2 weeks after a tough 100 miler where I pulled my Achilles tripping over a tree root. 24 hours will be my longest time running; My longest time running previiously is 22hrs43minutes. With a later start and the time change, I would be awake beyond noon East Coast time. I had a good recovery from 2 marathons over one weekend two weeks ago. But my calves have been aching, particularly the right one. Having lost a couple of lbs from the double marathon, I decided to run a 2 mile and 1 mile PR last week. I realize now that it was a dumb idea to do a time trial several days before the 24 hour run. I thought since I would be going slow that it wouldn't matter.
I stayed with a friend about a mile and half from the course. I had salmon and some wine at dinner and ice cream for dessert. We went to meet his female friend at a bar. I have forgotten that the level of conversation is more interesting in a city - although it might be I am just talking to intense individuals. I had a beer and went to sleep at around 2am East Coast time.
The race starts at 9am Sat. It was a long walk to the start; I was weighed down with an extra pair of runnnings shoes, sports drink mix, Red Bull, headlamps, batteries, socks, blister repair, extra layers of clothing etc. Most runners arrived by car and packed coolers and chairs. Some had a support crew.
My smallest goal was to run at least 101 miles. I was certain I could do 112 and likely to do 120. I had plan to take stretch breaks but did not. I looked at the race results last year and figured I could place somewhere in the top 5. During the race, I learned that this year's race drew faster runners. As a road runner trained on flats, I figured I had some advantage over stronger trail runners whose legs would tire on pavement.
The course is a 1.0179 mile loop. The race was sold out. There were 50 24 hour runners and 50 12 hour runners. I didn't know what pace to run - so to easily keep track of the laps, I aimed for 3 laps every 30 minutes. Then I would stop for get fluids. It would be like running 48 5ks. I kept a slower pace and didn't take any walk breaks until after the 1st 50 laps.
16 runners had laps faster than my fastest lap. So I was plodding along. Slow and steady. Most runners had their fastest lap in the 1st 10 laps or the last lap. My fastest lap was at lap 54 when I ran at the 9:04 pace. The fast guys seemed unusually tall. Akos ran past me 18 times. He was wearing a shirt with flames on it. I thought there were 2 runners with the same team shirt. I realize now there was only one whizzing by 18 times. I thought he was running the 24 hour but it turned out he was in the 12 hour race. He finished 83 miles in 12 hours.
The course is scenic; there was the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, seals and birds. Kites were being flown. There was a good number of casual runners milling about. I was people watching for the first 8 hours. There were also a large number of large dogs, particularly doodles. JDRF had a Walk to Cure Diabetes event. It took some dexterity to dodge small children. After the crowds diminished, I got bored and decided to play my podcasts. My headphones kept falling off my ears. I never tried running with them. I gave up on having something to listen to.
I asked myself why I was doing this. The original plan was to run a few laps, go to dim sum and winetasting and dinner, come back at 9pm and run for 12 more hours. The purpose was to see how I would do staying up for 30 hours as preparation for the 48 hour run next month. But my friends could not schedule it in (:
I ran the first 50 miles without walking and eating food. I didn't know when I would have trouble with my calves so I had to keep going when the going is good. I tested Hammer Perpetuem for the first time. It has some protein in the mix. I was using one scoop with 8 ounces of water every 3 laps. It started backing up in my stomach. So I alternated it with sports drink that was available at the aid station. I read that the body can absorb only about 16 ounces of fluid per hour -- so I drank that amount. I figured more would just upset my stomach and would not help with dehydration. I saw a runner throwing up and several runners lying on the ground. I heard one runner felt so bad that he was crying. At each race, you learn what works and doesn't. Unfortunately things may crop up in ultras that do not crop up in marathons - blisters for example.
The race had a Webcast and allowed runners to receive messages. Cathy sent me several messages. They printed it out and handed to me. That was cool. But it meant I was being tracked and need to keep moving! The volunteers and the race director did a great job; most of the runners were friendly. Some of the runners had headsets on and were zoned out.
For every lap, there was a headwind going out to the first halfway point. On the way back, there was no wind and I got hot and sweaty. Going out again, I felt hypothermic from both the normal windchill effect and the sweat being quickly evaporated. I did this 115 times. Maybe the solution is to wear take a long sleeve shirt on and off every 1/2 lap. Does anyone know if Coolmax requires physical contact with the skin to get the wicking effect? Do I need a form fitting Spandex shirt? Once the sun set, it felt cooler and running was easier. Was there a reason the course wasn't run in a counterclockwise direction - so that there would be a tailwind?
The batteries on my Garmin GPS watch are good for about 11 hours. I googled the web and found a way to charge the Garmin. I bought a mini-USB cell phone charger that runs off 2 AA batteries. I strapped it onto my arm and plugged into the Garmin. It fell off several times until I figured out how to secure it. Next time I wll use a strip of Velcro on the charger. The Garmin was fully charged in a few hours and good to go.
Around 11 hours into the race, I saw my name on the top 5 list. The race got interesting again. I started asking any runner that passed me who they were and what place they were in.
The moon was out so I didn't use my headlamp. I kept running off the course right near the chip mat because of a bright light shining from across the street took away my night vision. I finally put on a headlamp. I felt that the extra weight on my head would affect running form.
Around 12 hours - just past 65 miles, I stopped the Perpeteum and switched to Red Bull. I drank 4 cans over 4 hours (only 320mg caffeine). I also starting taking Advil - one per hour.
I hit the wall at lap 87 (@16.5 hours) and stopped to eat. I think the sugar content from the Red Bull caused my blood sugar to drop. The grilled cheese and pepperoni pizza was yummy. I didn't have any trouble staying awake even though I didn't have any caffeine between 1am and 5am.
I kept retieing my shoelaces because they felt too tight, too loose or rocks fell into the shoe. I brought gaiters but forgot how to lace them with shoelaces. I must of stopped a dozen times. After a 5 minute break to eat, my left shoe felt tighter.I thought my foot swelled from standing around. When I got home Monday, I discovered my left ankle was swollen. I took too many electrolyte capsules. I took one Succeed per hour for the first 16 hours (5456mg sodium) and 3 Power Gels (600mg sodium). I gained one lb when I should have lost 5lbs due to glycogen depletion and several pounds of bodyfat burned. Between Tues and Thurs, I peed out 6 lbs of water weight. In cooler temps, perhaps one Succeed is enough every 2 hours and only if there is no other electrolyte gels or salty foods. Since only the left ankle was really swollen, I wonder if the ankle strap for the transponder chip, impeded circulation even though it was not on that tight. Since I didn't take Advil until 12 hours into the race, I don't think it caused the water retention. I wonder how the water retention affected my running performance?
I talked to Jon Olson when he passed me. He was in first place. He had set a course record in the 2007 Rio del Lago 100 miler (15:32).. At lap 90, he was in the lead and 16 laps ahead of me. He had already passed the 100 mile mark in 15:30. I told him I would not be able to catch him even if he stopped and walked. It turns out that his quads had seized up. He stopped at 109 laps and took a nap; he did not get back into the race.
At lap 92, I asked Jon if he knew the #2 guy. Kermit, #2, came walking up. I was one lap behind him. Kermit Cuff won the 2007 Headlands 100 (20:57). He has run a marathon in 2:55.
Past lap 98, I hit the 100 mile mark setting a PR at 19 hours 16 minutes avg 11:34 pace.
Around this time, my run was reduced to a 4mph shuffle. My right calve issue that I had all week caught up to me. I took a total 19 Advil (3800 mg) and 2 Tylenol (1000mg). That's an unsafe dosage of Advil -- I asked around for Tylenol but most runners and the aid station carried Advil. It did not work anyway. I figured since I don't use any painkillers between races, my kidneys had time to recuperate. I wonder if the water retention prevented the Advil from working its anti-inflammatory effects. How is a strained calve able to go 95 miles before falling apart?
Both Kermit and I kept moving and moved up to 1st and 2nd. We expected Jon to wake up any minute and start running again. Kermit kept racking up the miles even when he was clearly going to win. He ran another 29 miles while I shuffled along for 21 miles.
A 24 hour race is harder mentally than a 100 miler. If you run 50 miles in 8 hours, you know you are halfway there. But in a 24 hour, at 8 hours the race hasn't really begun. Some of the runners also found running for a fixed time period more difficult.
I started taking caffeinated gels one per hour in the last 4 hours of the race (5am-9am). The Nike Women's Marathon overlapped our course for 1/2 mile. It started at 7am, though there were some early 5am starters. At 8am, somehow I was able to pick up the pace and ran among the Nike Women's marathoners. With 17 minutes left on the clock, I wanted to do one more lap but I developed a spasm every time I tried to run in the right calf muscle right below the knee. I had time for 118 miles but had to satisfied with 117.
Kermit won with 124 laps (126 miles). He ran his lap at the 6:54 pace!! Even though he said it was hard, he looked fresh.
At the finish, a woman told me she had text messaged a guy who ran the Old Dominion 100 and remembered me from that race. Small world.
After the award ceremony, I started asking around for a ride. I could barely move. It took a while to shuffle to the parking lot; It probably would have taken me a couple of hours to walk the 1.5 miles back to my friend's apartment. I saw Andrew, who walked with me between 7 and 8am, and asked him for a ride. Thank you Andrew. I should pack a walking stick or cane next time. Can I use it in a race? Walking sticks are explicited forbidden at Badwater.
I napped for a few hours and went to meet runners from Orlando who had run the Women's marathon, for dinner. Then I took the subway to the airport to catch a 11:30pm flight out. SFO now has a Clear Card lane for an expedited security checkpoint. The iris scan works a lot better than fingerprints. My fingerprints fade with dry skin, particular out West. There was no one in the Clear line and FlyClear did not maintain a separate line; it felt awkward to cut in front of a 100+ passengers who were waiting in one line. I got into Atlanta at 7am and asked to go standby on the 8:30am. Delta charges $50 to go standby so I declined. My scheduled flight was oversold and late -- Delta had to compensate passengers who did not get seats. If Delta had let me get on an earlier flight, there would have been one less seat to provide $400 in travel vouchers and meal vouchers. I sent Delta an email suggesting that free unconfirmed standby be brought back.
I had a massage on Tuesday. The left ankle is pretty swollen with no apparent muscle issues. Perhaps it did extra work when the right leg gave out or maybe the ankle strap holding the timing chip caused the swelling. My lower back was the most painful part of the massage. Those muscles pulled on my IT band. I suspect leaning into the headwind caused the back issues. The calves are still achy and I am limping around. This will be the first week when I will not be running this year. I am used doing the crab walk with beat up quads but I don't know how long this recovery will take or if am really injured. Marine Corps is coming up this weekend. I first have to be able to walk again before deciding if I will run it. During than 24 hour run, I had thought about skipping the 48 hour run in Dallas. But since I wasn't really tired from the 24 hour run - I will go forward with my plans to tackle the 48 hour run. My current strategy is to run until I can't run anymore or if I have to go to sleep. Take a nap and walk the rest of the time.
I'd do this race again if Kermit Cuff, Jon Olson and Rob Byrne will come back next year. I could tack on another 21 miles of the Nike Women's marathon; I heard there's chocolate at the marathon aid stations. LOL. This is my 1st year running 100 miles or more; I am still learning.
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