Three years - almost to the day - I ran the Whitsunday Trail Race. Officially "28 to 29k" of creeks, rocks, roots, and hills. I ran it with my most awesome trail running mentor, Barry, who pushed me through the whole race until the last few kms where he got a stitch so bad that he could still feel it the next day. Of course, he self-sacrificially encouraged me to go ahead. But how could I leave him? We started together, we ran together, and we finished together, which was what mattered most.
I've had many a stitch before (mostly during races! Siiigh...), but not many could compare with the pain Barry went to on that race day. However, I think this one may have come close!
I started out with good intentions. I really, really did!
The goal: run 10k, in a pattern of 2k warm-up, 5k tempo, 3k cool down.
But less than 4 minutes into my [very slow] warm-up, I had to stop when a sharp pain in my side made breathing difficult and moving less than desirable.
I tried to shake it over the next 15 minutes...I'd walk until the pain stopped, then run a few steps before I felt it slice back into me.
This was rather disappointing! I know I haven't been running very much this summer, but still.
Fortunately, I found that sprints weren't so bad on me. That is, I could run my little heart out for a good 20 seconds and then recover without seeming to Wake the Stitch.
Sprint training it was! I was in a more rural area and used driveways or street lamps as my markers. Run one, walk one, run one, walk one...And on and on and on for the next 30 minutes.
In the end, the run ended up being a little bit like my life philosophy: I had made a plan I was looking forward to, and something changed. It wasn't my ideal situation, but I made the best of it.
As my friend Steph would say, I achieved a B+.
No comments:
Post a Comment