It was truly a long day for me. What no one, myself included, could have known, was how painful it would be to complete. I was on target, for the first five miles, to do about 3:30, but then the plantar fascitis in my left heel kicked in and I began to slow. Later my right knee started to bother me. Combined with the humidity and the number of "team in training" people passing me, the pain was starting to convince me to drop out. Fortunately, there's more to a race than the physical dimension, and RnR does a fantastic job of reviving your spirits and encouraging you to hang in there. If I had a dollar for every shout of encouragement I received, I would be thinking about retiring. The bands, the cheerleaders, the spectators, and especially the other runners (most of whom I saw after they had finished) were unbelievable. When I finally made the turn onto the boardwalk for the last two miles or so, I actually had enough energy to pick up my pace and try to beat the 4 hr mark. I didn't make it, but the feeling crossing that finish line and getting that huge hunk of metal was out of this world.
I did get some much-needed attention for my foot from a physical therapist in the medical tent. He must have spent about a half hour alternately massaging, stretching and icing my heel and arch and applying an ice wrap to my knee. And he gave me some good advice on shoe inserts. I am sure that without his help I might not have made it back to my car. I got Norm's message about dinner as I was driving back to the Econolodge and wished I could have taken advantage of the invite. As it was, my VA Beach celebration consisted of a couple of O'Doul's and two Arby's sandwiches in my motel room, while I iced my foot and knee and watched TV. Music Festival? I went for MTV. Maybe next year, things will work out better. Congrats to Hiroko and Leslie and to all the RRs who braved the elements. I saved a copy of the Virginia Pilot which had a summary of the results and also called Karen and Keith in Cape Hatteras to give them the good (and bad) news. MCM/JFK? I'm not sure. I've got to give myself some time to heal. But if I need encouragement or advice, I know where to go--RESTON RUNNERS!