Last year, I trained for most of the year just to prepare myself for running the Jacksonville Bank Marathon in December. It was rough and I swore I'd never run another one.
Alas, a little time passed and I forgot just how hard... and how painful the experience was. Kind of like forgetting what labor feels like.
So, I signed up to run the Jacksonville Bank Marathon. Again. And it was today.
I felt great at the beginning of the run. The weather was cool -- not cold -- and foggy. Then the sun came up and burned off the fog and warmed up the day. Really warmed up the day.
Still, I felt good at the halfway mark. I felt good at mile 15. I didn't bring my iPod and I happily relied on a few mantras that played in my head.
Somewhere around mile 18 or 19, I felt a snap in my knee and felt a searing pain that ran up to my butt. It stopped me in my tracks. I tried to walk to stretch my muscles out. Since it hurt to run and to walk, I just ran so that I could get finished sooner.
There were moments that my teeth were gritted. My running pace was so seriously impaired that I was almost shuffling at times. But I finished, and only 5 minutes or so slower than last year. But I was smiling as I crossed the finish line. Truthfully, I felt good still -- with the exception of the gimpy knee.
After the run, I iced my knee and hobbled back to the truck. After a shower and some lunch... and a few Ibuprofen, I am feeling much better!
And guess what? I'm never running another marathon. Never ever.
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