Running.
Jogging.
Shoes.
Hydration.
Nutrition.
Socks.
Strides.
It’s all Greek to me.
Seriously.
I’m a total rookie. Although I did my first 5k over 2 years ago, and have completed over 10 additional 5ks since. Plus 2 sprint triathlons and now a 15k, I don’t have a freakin’ clue what I’m doing and have basically survived this adventure through many episodes of trial and error.
To be completely honest, I have never, ever felt as badly after last week’s 15k compared to any other races I’ve participated in. Including the triathlons (I felt AMAZING after those). Not only did I feel emotionally defeated, but I was exhausted, dehydrated the next day, and developed a ridiculously painful foot blister that kept me off my feet and home on Monday after a walk-in clinic visit. I finally went on my first jaunt since the race last night and could barely complete a mile without feeling the inflammed blister pain on the sole of my foot. I’m telling you, it has NOT been fun!
Like I said in my previous post, competing in races alone is difficult. I mean it’s one thing to have other athletes around you, but when the nearest runner or walker is 2 football fields ahead or behind you, you truly are completely solo. To put it bluntly, it just wasn’t fun. I guess I wasn’t used to the feeling because during tris and 5ks you’ve always got walkers, bikes flying by, and lots of spectators cheering you on and making you feel like you want to finish for them. Until the last .25 mile of the 15k, it was a quiet, lonely road that I’m not sure I want to do again.
Maybe I’ll feel differently in a few months. Maybe I’ll feel differently when I put my feet into my new BROOKS! (yippee!)
Either way, I think I’ll stick to tris and fives for the time being, until I get more weight off and work on the mental and nutritional aspect of what it takes to be a “runner”.
