I had a horrible race today. Oof. I really thought that 3:30 was in the bag. Not today. Official time was 3:47. Oofdah.
In Vegas my failing was a lack of experience at Marathon distance. I ran 3:35 and, looking back, I think I should have been able to manage it. Today, I don't think it was possible. My right foot cramped at the 26 km mark. Both calves suffered spasms off and on. My left foot cramped at the 29 km mark -- this one was painful. And, my right hamstring cramped at the 41.7 km mark. Oofda.
But, learn and move on. Find something positive in the day. I considered quitting once I realized that I was not going to succeed but I though, "No. I am doing Ironman Canada at the end of the summer. I better soldier on through the pain as preparation for that." So that's one positive.
Moe's Triathlon next weekend (sprint distance). Bridge City Boogie (10 km) the weekend after that. Chinook Half Ironman the weekend after that... phew.
I got lots of condolences and well wishes on my Facebook page. I appreciate the attempts. It reminds me, though, of a conversation I once had with a friend who was disappointed with his marathon time. I said, "Don't worry about. You had a great time. I couldn't do it. You should be proud."
He looked at me and asked, "Do you really think that?"... See more
I paused and answered, "No."
I knew immediately what he meant. In running we only compare ourselves to our own accomplishments and our own goals (unless you really are a front runner with a shot at winning, which I am not). I am proud of my Vegas Marathon. I'm not proud of today's marathon. It did not accomplish -- for me -- anything new.
The point is that it's OK to be disappointed and not at all happy with one's result. I had a very specific goal, 3:30. I really felt like I would accomplish that. I was poised, happy, and feeling strong. 3:47 is a huge disappointment. No changing that. I was confident that I was going to make it "barring unforeseen circumstances." Such circumstances came to pass.
Twitter: RamblingDave
Facebook: Rambling Dave Scharf
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment