Time to Reflect

After doing the Boston Prep 16 Miler yesterday and finishing the last 2 miles in more pain than necessary, I am finally ready to give in to my injury. After weeks of PT and building up my running slowly again, I had hoped that my knee was ready for the bigger mileage.

After Jim Memory (my massage therapist a.k.a "The Healer") sent me an email on Friday with his reflections on the recent discovery of the mass of scar tissue, I probably should have bowed out and either gone to cheer on my rockstar friend Beth (as she is continuing her major running breakthrough), and my other friends Tania & Pete who were experiencing this infamous hilly course for the first time... or even participated in the swim meet with my other TE ladies down in Weymouth. However, against better judgement I toed the line with the other runners on a sunny cold morning.

Beth & I were hoping for 9 minute miles, the first mile was a 9:30, which is of no surprise with the hill start and then of course just getting into the groove around the many bodies at the starting line. The next 3 miles we clocked under 8:30's and kept saying we had time in the bank. The rollers in this course in the beginning give you the opportunity to warm up for what lies ahead. And there is one mile that you feel as though you are being shot straight downhill, and all the while you must keep in the back of your mind that since we finish were we start, at some point we have to come back up that same distance :-)

My knee held strong until mile 7, so as Beth points out, this is GREAT news I am up to 7 miles of pain free running and had it been a 7 mile race, I would probably have walked away as I had arrived. We continued to push forward and picked up the pace again (as the faster I go the less the knee hurt and the sooner we would be done)

The hills started coming and this was bad news for the knee, but I put on my Iron cap and pushed up those hills, it was fun to pass so many runners as they walked up, Beth and I even heard one girl proclaim "I can't do it anymore, I need a break" This was said on the 1 mile climbe to the 11 mile marker!! At mile 11 I knew my time was running out, so I handed Beth the car keys and told her to go kick some butt, this girl was in her stride and just getting stronger!!

We managed to stay together for a couple more miles, at mile 14 we checked in with one another and she gave me the words of encouragement I needed to hear to put in my mind that I could finish if I just focused. I wished her well and told her she had over 30 minutes to finish the 2 miles and beat her time from last year (Beth's goal this year) and then settled into a pace I thought my knee could handle for the remaining 2 miles.

I have to tell you, that knowing how hard my friend Beth has worked and then to watch her run so fast and smooth, quick cadence, head steady, arms relaxed my throat welled up and I could have cried from happiness. I knew right then that my dear friend was closer to her Boston Qualifier than she knows!!

Finishing that race yesterday was painful, and yes I will most likely not be running for another month or so now, I take full responsibility for the pain that woke me up at 3:30am this morning, but I have the words to support why I made the decision to run this race. The fall last year changed things for me, and I'm still not sure what limitations will be set on me once all is said and done, but I know one thing for sure... I wanted that Boston Prep, I wanted to take back what was yanked from me last season and I wanted to run with my heart.

I make a pledge now to my knee, to my friends, to Jim and to my PT Lisa Griggs that I will follow their every word and be on the cautious side from now on. It won't be easy and I may need help along the way, but at least I know I did the Boston Prep in 2006.