12

Still Brooding (Read 293 times)

juniordo1


    In 2013 I ran my second marathon, The Twin Cities Marathon.

     

    Training went great and I had zero injuries throughout and I was ready to run a PR at this distance.

     

    Race day came and I felt strong and healthy and was really excited. The big race atmosphere was awesome.

     

    Somewhere just before mile six I tweaked my leg trying to avoid a manhole cover that I couldn't see until I was on top of it. I was injured! I pulled/tore something on the back inside of my left knee and It was painful just to lift my leg.

     

    I didn't stop as I hoped I could work it out somehow.

     

    Through the halfway point I still kept pace but was becoming more miserable by the mile. I was already considering saving myself and dropping out. Of course I didn't stop, this was to be the first race my family would see me finish.

     

    By mile 18 I knew I should stop as my gait was totally screwed up and the pain was pretty bad.

     

    By mile 21 I wasn't really running anymore and  it had to be an ugly hobble. I still didn't stop

     

    At mile 23 a specatator ran out and got in my face and told me to quit being a baby and get to running - so I did for about 200yds.

     

    It was this point in the race where I couldn't run and it became excruciating to even walk but that's what I did. I walked until the finish line was in sight and then performed a fast hobble/leg drag to the finish. I wasn't even exhausted, just hurt. Needless to say, no PR on this day.

     

    Although my injury has fully healed, I have been in a funk and haven't run very much. I'm still brooding at my foolishness and need to snap out of it.

     

    Any good advice to put this thing solidly behind me? I know it's all in my head now but man I can't shake that experience.

    2013 -Sub 2:00 for 1/2 marathon

    duckman


    The Irreverent Reverend

      Sorry about the schmuck spectator at mile 23. Spectators have no right to insult someone who dares to run a race. Especially someone who is in pain. You deserve better. That spectator deserves a punch in the face, or at least some well-aimed snot rockets or vomit.

       

      You probably should have listened to your body, as you say, but it took guts and strength to keep going. You're strong and you can do this. You've healed. You can get back on your feet. Small steps. Modest goals at first.

       

      Find a 5K in the next few months, sign up, and use that as your reason to get back into running. Set a modest time goal. And reward yourself afterwards with a dinner at your favorite restaurant, or a night out doing something you'd really love.

       

      You can do this.

      Husband. Father of three. Lutheran pastor. National Guardsman. Runner. Political junkie. Baseball fan.

      BeeRunB


        I tripped on a raised manhole cover in my second marathon, right where everyone was watching, and right when I was feeling really cool. No injury, just a moment of humble-pie.

         

        In life, there are some memories you get over quickly, and some you don't. "Getting over" means reaching the state where you can think the memory, but not feel very much. It no longer has "mind circle" status. It no longer rules you. It's important to realize that the past is just a bunch of little films in your brain. The past isn't real.

         

        If you find the past is bothering you, tell yourself it's no longer real, and return to the present moment, and get your mind on a creative pursuit, something that interests you. Memories that come from a severe trauma will take time, but if you keep returning to the present, creativity, and your interests, you will increase the probability that you "shall be released" (Dylan) quicker.

         

        Think of a tough grandma seeing you sprawled on a couch, eating junk (crumbs on your shirt), watching Love Boat reruns over and over, and brooding about something (n sweatpants), and her slapping you in the head, handing you a rake and telling you to go clean the yard. "Get off your lazy tush, and get to work. Do. Create something!"  Creative work goes a long way in securing your escape from Broodshank prison. 

        TripleBock


          What are you looking to get out of running?  I see 2 race distances under your PRs - 1/2M and Marathon - Is that correct?

           

          I run for 4 reasons:  1)  To be less fat / more healthy, 2)  To feed my "physical" animal, 3) It makes me feel good and 4)  For the challenge of it.

           

          Is the only reason you ran to set a Marathon PR ?

           

          Life is about experiences and what we learn from them.  Not all the experiences in life are posstitive, but we can use them in a possitive way.  Sounds like there was a lot of good learnings you could take from the Twin Cities experience.

           

          If you want to be a runner - You need to not have one race or experience as an "end all".  Running is the accumulation of years of training and experiences, decades if you are lucky.  What your results are yours personally, the desire to train is yours personally.  You choose what you take from the sport and what you give back to the sport.

          I am fuller bodied than Dopplebock

          TripleBock


            We have all experienced "The thrill of victory (Personal), the agony of defeat."

             

            We get to chose if the agony of defeat will motivate us or not.

            I am fuller bodied than Dopplebock

              You stuck it out that long and far after injuring your self?  You are tough.  Even by marathoner standards.

               

              And +1 on the suggestion for a snot rocket to that spectator.

              TripleBock


                The spectator might not have been evil - In his / her own way they were just trying to motivate you.  When someone has no frame of reference of the previous 23 miles, they cannot know it was evil for you and might have good for the next runner.  Some have no back ground and don't realize their approach is idiotic.

                 

                So the learning that I would have taken from your experience if I were you:  1)  It is a fine line between gutting it our and being stupid - Know when to say when and drop.  2)  Use the spectators to drive possitive energy and 3) ignore any spectators or any outside influence that does not have your best interest in mind (or know your situation).  I have had some pretty stupid things yelled at me that for a moment were downers, but you have to suck it up and stay possitive and do what you are trying to do and ignore the garbabe.

                 

                As I try and teach my kids - You cannor control what anyone does to you ... But you should always be 100% in control of how you resond to any person or situation.

                 

                "There is no try, you either do or do not do"

                 

                Either you chose to run or chose to not run ... 100% your choice.

                I am fuller bodied than Dopplebock

                L Train


                  I  worked my ass off for a few years, and squeaked in  BQ time back in 2010.  Spring of 2011 came and I was in the best shape of my life, PRing everything.  There was a lot of build up for Boston on RA as there always is, and with my local group as well when like 8 of us were first time qualifiers.

                   

                  Short story is I butchered the race mentally and physically.  I couldn't even be in the city of Boston for quite a while after that without getting bad feelings.

                   

                  But it eventually goes away.  I let myself get out of shape while I brooded for a few years and now wish I hadn't.  So get to work now, and realize you have a whole life of racing ahead of you.  Better yet, you have a whole life, and running is something we do for fun.  It's our hobby.  A race doesn't define most of us.  Stop brooding, decide what you want to do and do it.

                   

                    wow,

                     

                    thats some motivating stuff  here!    so get back out there, sign up for a shorter race & find some trails to run to break the cycle, the rougher the muddier the better.  trail runs always help me break out of a funk

                    TripleBock


                      This -

                       

                      I  worked my ass off for a few years, and squeaked in  BQ time back in 2010.  Spring of 2011 came and I was in the best shape of my life, PRing everything.  There was a lot of build up for Boston on RA as there always is, and with my local group as well when like 8 of us were first time qualifiers.

                       

                      Short story is I butchered the race mentally and physically.  I couldn't even be in the city of Boston for quite a while after that without getting bad feelings.

                       

                      But it eventually goes away.  I let myself get out of shape while I brooded for a few years and now wish I hadn't.  So get to work now, and realize you have a whole life of racing ahead of you.  Better yet, you have a whole life, and running is something we do for fun.  It's our hobby.  A race doesn't define most of us.  Stop brooding, decide what you want to do and do it.

                       

                      Every time I have been super-fit, Ihave never appreciated enough until I was super-unfit.  Race experience should not be the only measurement of acheivement.  Of course that is a lot easier to wrap my mind around now that I am older and in stedy decline of my abilities.

                      I am fuller bodied than Dopplebock

                      LedLincoln


                      not bad for mile 25

                        Wow, great stuff here!  I especially like the part about Love Boat reruns.

                         

                        But, seriously, we need to enjoy the process, the preparation, the great (if rare) training runs, and the fitness we are enjoying as a result.  The "goal" race is more like a celebration of everything we have done, like an awards banquet, if you will.

                         

                        Not to say I wouldn't be bummed if I crash for some reason at Boston.


                        SheCan

                          Juniordo1,

                          I could so see myself brooding over something like that also.   That really does stink, and it's hard to let go of something we've put so much time and effort into.  I'm also a bit OCD, and have trouble moving on anyway.

                           

                          After a race in December I was frustrated with some of my choices in training-- nothing serious or anything like what you and L Train went through thankfully.  But enough to make me whiny.  So I've decided to focus on future races, and its really helping me get my mind in a new place where I'm excited and looking forward instead of backwards.  In 2 weeks I have another marathon & in 5 weeks a 50k trail.  Don't have time to brood at this point.

                          Cherie

                          "We do not become the people who this world needs simply by turning our backs on anyone we don’t like, trust, or deem healthy enough to be in our presence. "  ---- Shasta Nelson


                          an amazing likeness

                            Brooding and bumming is ok, but I think you have to set a hard end date for it.  Declare it over as of dd-mm-yy and move on.

                             

                            Frankly, there is nothing you can do that will go back and improve that day.  You can choose to declare the day an anomaly of "stuff happens", or you can analyze your race prep and race day and pick lessons you want to take away as areas for focus. Either way, it's back to the future.

                            Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.

                            L Train


                              Brooding and bumming is ok, but I think you have to set a hard end date for it.  Declare it over as of dd-mm-yy and move on.

                               

                              Frankly, there is nothing you can do that will go back and improve that day.  You can choose to declare the day an anomaly of "stuff happens", or you can analyze your race prep and race day and pick lessons you want to take away as areas for focus. Either way, it's back to the future.

                               

                              And I'd say we all have very little to brood about with respect to having our running interrupted next to milktruck.  That's a good case for perspective.

                               


                              Latent Runner

                                Brooding and bumming is ok, but I think you have to set a hard end date for it.  Declare it over as of dd-mm-yy and move on.

                                 

                                Frankly, there is nothing you can do that will go back and improve that day.  You can choose to declare the day an anomaly of "stuff happens", or you can analyze your race prep and race day and pick lessons you want to take away as areas for focus. Either way, it's back to the future.

                                 

                                So I can no longer fuss about bonking in my middle school league track back in 1972?  Bummer.  Smile

                                Fat old man PRs:

                                • 1-mile (point to point, gravity assist): 5:50
                                • 2-mile: 13:49
                                • 5K (gravity assist last mile): 21:31
                                • 5-Mile: 37:24
                                • 10K (first 10K of my Half Marathon): 48:16
                                • 10-Mile (first 10 miles of my Half Marathon): 1:17:40
                                • Half Marathon: 1:42:13
                                12