Disappointment

I had to officially pull out of the Shamrock Half-Marathon. I am getting things changed to a new venue to be decided.

Ugh.

I was kinda ready to be done training and just go for fun runs of 3-4 miles for a while.

I am currently still stretching the ligament so I can start to run again. The information I have read says that recovery is different for everyone. It could be relatively quick - 1-2 months and others have had issues for 6 months or so. I'll keep you all posted and try to not let my frustration and disappointment show through.

Here's the back story and details on the weekend.

I went to go see a specialist and after some pushing and prodding(5 minutes after waiting 1.5hrs) he said I have runners knee or IT Band Syndrome. It's where the ligament that runs on the exterior of your legs becomes inflamed due to rubbing against a bone in your knee. Apparently stretching is key. So he is sending me to physical therapy so I can learn some stretches to keep this from happening again. I've called the therapist and haven't heard back yet. I've taken it upon myself to go to the Internet and look up the stretches that I would be paying the therapist to show me. If I ever get a call back I guess I'll go but I don't have time to wait around. When I told the Dr. that I was training for a 1/2 marathon and the run was that coming Sunday, he stopped writing and looked at me like I was nuts and said "Well, you're not running in that". I of course pushed the matter and asked if there was anything I could do. He said matter-of-factly that it was up to me and how I felt but I took a great risk in injuring it further and causing more damage. I decided to follow his advice. Like a good friend of mine said after he inquired about the run - You only have one set of knees and you're not 18 anymore. Getting old stinks.

We decided to go on down to the race since the hotel was already paid and I had the time off to make it a mini vacation. That was an excellent decision. We made it down there just in time for me to go pick up my Shamrock shirt that I got for registering and my runners number. We then checked into the hotel (a Sheraton - we were spying on the competition). Steph had called ahead to see if we could get an ocean view room and they said there were none avialable. When we got there she turned on the charm and got one anyway. The room had a balcony that looked onto the beach/ocean and the boarwalk right below was on the final .25 miles of the race so we got to see runners filing by on their way to the finish. It was pretty cool.

Saturday night we met up with Vic & Jen Ferson and Dave & Jenny Huisenga for dinner. Our hotel had a pasta buffett so we just stayed there then headed to bed since the race began at 7am. I made plans to meet them all the next morning for the start. Fersons were walking and Huisengas were running.

I didn't bring my running clothes at all because I knew I would be tempted to just go run/walk with them. I almost did the walk with Fersons just to do it. I am kinda glad I didn't because with all the walking I did I was beginning to feel the knee again by the end of the day. I probably could have made it OK but would have been icing my knee still today.

I watched the start of the 1/2 Marathon at 7am then walked down to see the start of the full Marathon at 8am. I got there just as they were starting a special ceremony for a guy who was doing his re-enlistment to the Navy prior to the race. Then he hugged and kissed his wife and ran the Marathon. It was pretty touching to see that. It makes me appreciate all those who serve and have served just a little bit more. Thanks to you all.

After the start of the full race I heard the announcements over by the finish line that was about a block away that the first 1/2 Marathon runners were finishing. It had been about 1:05 from their start. They were bookin. I went back to the room to help get the kids up and ready. They had already ordered room service and were enjoying the fresh ocean breeze by the time I got there. I took Dylan & Chloe with me to head down to the finish line to try and see the Huisengas come across. I think I bent down to talk to one of the kids and missed Dave and I'm not sure where I was when Jenny came across. We did meet up with them after as they were walking to their hotel across the street from the finish line. Dave looked tired and Jenny was limping with a sore hip. They headed off for a soak in the tub and rest. We walked around a bit then went to the beach side of the race lane so the kids could go to the water and I could watch for the Fersons. I somehow missed them too but the kids got soaked in the freezing water...

I talked with Ferson's and Huisenga's and they were going to get cleaned up and meet up for lunch. They were heading off that day while we were sticking around and heading back home on Monday. Steph was exhausted and crashed with Addie so Dylan and Chloe and I headed to lunch. After we met up with everyone we were walking to the diner. Dylan was walking along the sidewalk in front of a laudromat. He and Chloe were playing the 'don't step on a crack' game. Then all of a sudden the door opened and smacked Dylan right in the head. He stepped back a couple of steps and had a smile on his face for a couple of seconds. The guy coming out apologized profusely and Dylan seemed to be OK. He then came to me and buried his head in my side. He was hurt a lot more than he let on and he was embarassed too. He did get tears in his eyes but didn't make much of a fuss about it though he did have a big red mark for a couple of hours on his forehead. Poor guy.

After lunch we said our goodbye's to Fersons and Huisengas and headed back to the hotel to watch the Jayhawks play in the NCAA Tournament. The kids and I then went to the pool to play for a little while. They are tougher than me as they would jump from the hot tub into the big pool multiple times. I did that once and I thought the regular pool was a little chilly even without hitting the hot tub first. I guess I do have a bit if Dad in me. He doesn't like getting in the water unless you can see the steam rising. That night we went out for sushi and tried to teach the kids to use chopsticks. It's a work in progress. With all the walking and swimming we had done the kids were tired. Chloe even finished eating and laid down on the bench to sleep. We only let her because there were only about 5 other people in the whole place and we were about to go anyway. She wouldn't wake up really so I had to carry her about 5 blocks back to our hotel.

Monday morning we went for breakfast at Pocahontas Pancakes... Interesting but pretty good pancakes. I do have a tough time going out to eat pancakes. I have a tough time spending $10 on a meal I can make twice as good myself. The buscuits and gravy weren't bad either. We walked around a bit after that and ended up in one of those beach side tourist shops that sells everything with Virginia Beach on it. The kids talked Steph into getting them hermit crabs. We got a boy and a girl that share a cage. Soooo now I have two more pets to take care of. At least the hermit crabs don't meow all night long and shed everywhere.

Before heading home we drove up to the Old Cape Henry lighthouse at Fort Story - it was the turnaround point for the 1/2 marathon. We got to meek the lighthouse keeper and he gave Dylan and Chloe special coins that you can only get from the lighthouse keeper. To show it's a small world. John, the keeper, went to church at the Redland Baptist Church when he was young - it's about a mile away from our house. We got to climg a bunch of stairs to the top of the the old lighthouse which was the first government paid for building. The kids did it twice - once with me and then again with Steph. Oh to be young again. They wouldn't let us take Addison up because of the steepness/liability.

Though it was very frustrating to me not to be able to run it was all in all a great weekend. I look forward to running it next year so I can get my beer and Irish Stew.