Well, I got back from the Moab 100 this weekend and it was a failure to say the least. I thought I had trained enough which I still believe I did. I just had too many things slash excuses in my brain. It started off really good for me as I was completing the 5.34 mile loops in roughly 1 hour 10-15 minutes per. My knees are still trying to adjust to the slower pace and longer distances. Running a marathon is nothing like running a 100 miler in so many ways. A definite learning experience and now the fire inside is an inferno with anger cause I hate not finishing something I say I'm gonna do. I feel like I let everyone I know down, but more so myself.
When the 12 hour Mark hit or 12 hour and 10 minutes hit, I had hit the halfway mark of 50 miles and then my GPS watch died. I did my 11 lap in the dark with all kinds of pain in the knees, feet, and toes. My wife took the car into town to visit some friends and I grabbed everything I needed except for my socks for the sock changes that I would need (bad bad, idea). The loop that we were running was about a 1 mile of soft sand s-turns with the rest being harder than concrete sand stone with grooves, holes, ruts, and loose rock everywhere, and all either uphill or on a downhill grade which sucked the most. Not quite what I had expected for the run. The worst part of it all was when my excuses got the best of me was around 10 PM when I was on the other side of the butte and the supposedly glow stick marked trails were no longer marked due to the glow sticks failing. Falling in to potholes and cracks in the middle of the night with fresh legs is one thing, but doing it after 13 hours of running was like jumping off a building while keeping your knees locked out. I started to get worried about injuring myself right before I leave for work overseas and starting worrying about money which at this point I have none. You be amazed at how the brain can take over and consume you with these bad thoughts.
Well, I didn't finish but I now have a new game plan for this same race and many others. Make sure you don't have to work 4 days after your race is finished. For all of you that were praying for me and wishing me luck. I apologize deeply and I won't let it happen again. I PROMISE YOU THAT!!
vi
Apologies?! F#CK THAT!! You should be proud of yourself. You challenged yourself and you faced your mental demons. WELL DONE.
ReplyDeleteIf events like this were easy, we would would succeed all the time. It's not, so we don't. But you got in the game, and you gotta be in it to win it.
Drink a beer and be proud of yourself. You deserve it.
Dude no need to apologize at all! You are a freaking animal no matter what, and you'll no doubt get it next time man.
ReplyDeleteOh I started my own WOD logbook.
ReplyDeletewww.alexswodlogbook.blogspot.com
Vi,
ReplyDeleteDriving 50 miles in my car makes my knees hurt, so take it easy on yourself. Very few people run that far. Nice Work.
Vi, I am proud of you no matter what the outcome of the race, look at it as a learning experience and remember all the good you have done for others!!!!! Be well my brother! Boulden
ReplyDelete