Half Mile Part Three The final half
From the waist down pain radiated from every muscle, my tendons felt taught, my joints throbbed and my bones felt as tough they would shatter and break. It had been many years since I experienced this kind of pain while running, in a perverse way it felt good, exhilarating. I think, had I run the half marathon and not reached this point, I would have been severally disappointed in myself, and the run. I needed to know that this was a challenge, the pain to remind me that I was pushing my limits and by pushing through, digging a little deeper into myself, and discovering that I have a little more to give. I did not sandbag this run, but I did not race it either. I ran this run for myself, not to se how fast I could accomplish it, but to see if I could accomplish it at all!
And now comes the point of the test, on the second six and a half miles I came to the point where the metal meets the bone. With each step the pain grew worse and my discomfort intensified. This was not the sharp biting pain that warned of injury, but rather a dull throbbing that comes from racing and running more than the body says it should. In other words, long runs, such as a thirteen (or in my case a fifteen and a half) mile run when the body has not built up for, it hurts.
I continued on, at times getting sucked into running faster than I should have by subconsciously keeping pace with the French runners around me. For the first time, it occurred to me that the once deserted path was now littered with cyclists (for whom the path was made) and a score of other runners. Again running slightly faster than before, I made use of the dirt paths off to the side of the bike path I noted on my first time past. I had not run them then for fear of getting lost, but now knowing that they all eventually connected back to the paved path, I took them with a supreme sense of joy and abandon.
The shade that the trees offered to the bike path was enhanced there on the running paths. Due to the fact that there were more down hills then up hills on the return I found myself coming towards the various intersections much quicker than the first time through. My body’s ache soon turned into a dull roar and still I ran on. The pain began to arch up my lower back and I vaguely worried about cramps. I had a water bottle on my hip and I drank from it sparingly. I don’t know why I did that in retrospect, I could have seriously harmed myself I know, but happily I didn’t. Again despite the pain, I found I was moving too swiftly through the miles.
I slowed my pace a little to ensure I could finish the run yet. I moved on and the roar I soon realized had given way to numbness, and again I sped up and this time I didn’t worry about it. As long as I was numb from the waist down I would not worry about it.
And then as I was coming upon the finish joy swelled inside of me and a pride I had not felt for myself in ages tingled from every sweat stained pour. I tried to speed up, to finish with a final burst of strength, but I no longer had anything left to give. Instead I gave way to gravity and let it pull me down hill. Finally after a three mile warm up, and a un timed run, I crossed the finish line and completed my first half marathon.
It was done, I pushed myself past another breaking point and found I had yet more to give. Another limit had been surpassed and new one loomed on the horizon ahead. I am not sure how many people finished before me, I didn’t keep count, and to be honest I don’t care. I ran this with the soul purpose to see if I could. This run was on my terms and for me as far as I was concerned. I believe the others runners felt much the same.
The fifteen miles I ran was by far the farthest I have run yet. But now I know that I can. And with that desire only grows to tackle a marathon. First I will run one or two more half’s, there is something about thirteen point one miles…
And now comes the point of the test, on the second six and a half miles I came to the point where the metal meets the bone. With each step the pain grew worse and my discomfort intensified. This was not the sharp biting pain that warned of injury, but rather a dull throbbing that comes from racing and running more than the body says it should. In other words, long runs, such as a thirteen (or in my case a fifteen and a half) mile run when the body has not built up for, it hurts.
I continued on, at times getting sucked into running faster than I should have by subconsciously keeping pace with the French runners around me. For the first time, it occurred to me that the once deserted path was now littered with cyclists (for whom the path was made) and a score of other runners. Again running slightly faster than before, I made use of the dirt paths off to the side of the bike path I noted on my first time past. I had not run them then for fear of getting lost, but now knowing that they all eventually connected back to the paved path, I took them with a supreme sense of joy and abandon.
The shade that the trees offered to the bike path was enhanced there on the running paths. Due to the fact that there were more down hills then up hills on the return I found myself coming towards the various intersections much quicker than the first time through. My body’s ache soon turned into a dull roar and still I ran on. The pain began to arch up my lower back and I vaguely worried about cramps. I had a water bottle on my hip and I drank from it sparingly. I don’t know why I did that in retrospect, I could have seriously harmed myself I know, but happily I didn’t. Again despite the pain, I found I was moving too swiftly through the miles.
I slowed my pace a little to ensure I could finish the run yet. I moved on and the roar I soon realized had given way to numbness, and again I sped up and this time I didn’t worry about it. As long as I was numb from the waist down I would not worry about it.
And then as I was coming upon the finish joy swelled inside of me and a pride I had not felt for myself in ages tingled from every sweat stained pour. I tried to speed up, to finish with a final burst of strength, but I no longer had anything left to give. Instead I gave way to gravity and let it pull me down hill. Finally after a three mile warm up, and a un timed run, I crossed the finish line and completed my first half marathon.
It was done, I pushed myself past another breaking point and found I had yet more to give. Another limit had been surpassed and new one loomed on the horizon ahead. I am not sure how many people finished before me, I didn’t keep count, and to be honest I don’t care. I ran this with the soul purpose to see if I could. This run was on my terms and for me as far as I was concerned. I believe the others runners felt much the same.
The fifteen miles I ran was by far the farthest I have run yet. But now I know that I can. And with that desire only grows to tackle a marathon. First I will run one or two more half’s, there is something about thirteen point one miles…