So the San Diego Half Marathon is just a figment of my imagination and there is only a marathon. Do I feel like killing myself? Should I attempt the insanity? I’m going out the door to bike the kids to the coffee shop this minute…getting exercise when I can…
(Ummm, this is not me, by the way. It’s a teaser photo from the San Diego Marathon. Note the washboard stomach…definitely, definitely not me.)
Here’s a pic of me crossing the finish line last Sunday. How scary is this? Oh, and just for the record, the time is not correct — it is the time for the marathoners who started about 30 minutes prior to the 5K race. I did not take 54 minutes to run 3 miles!
The update is this: I hobbled around Sunday, screamed in pain while jogging it out Monday, moaned in misery Tuesday, ran again Wednesday, went to the podiatrist Thursday and…guess what? I shocked my foot back into alignment somehow and my plantar fasciitis is gone. The doc recommended a few weeks of physical therapy but said that it’s possible I just pushed through it during the race. Since it feels like I reorganized several muscle groups it’s possible something fixed itself…but whodathunkit?
So, I am back! I have run twice this week. It’s pretty sad, but it’s happening. I plan to run the San Diego half marathon in June and I hope I can do some more triathlons this spring.
Yoo hoo! Nothing like a little insanity to fix the body. 
I ran the 5K this morning with a less-than-distinguishing time of 38 minutes. First the first time ever I walked during a race (with the exception of races I deliberately walked, of course). Masterguns Hunt was in my head in the last half, however, shouting at me to “stretch it out” and I made pretty good time from that point on. Good ol’ Masterguns. We miss you.
However, I finished, and that’s the best part. I stayed around to watch the elites and was pretty amazed. I feel inspired to do more and I remembered why I do this at all. And, best of all, I seem to have purged my body of illness.
Well, maybe that isn’t the best part. The best part is that I raised $115 for a good cause, what with donations and my entry fees and such. I’m also considering joining Team in Training and raising more money as well as training with others. I saw the TIT people at the race and was fairly impressed with the camaraderie — and the fact that the team raised of $11,000 for this race alone. I’ve been wanting to do the San Diego half marathon anyway.
And you know, all this inspiration came from a paid post. Yes! A sell-out, loser paid post. So to those of you who snarked about my being a PPP blogger, this is what I think of you:
Thank you, Dooce, for the inspiration for this.
It’s 5:03 a.m. and I am slinking around my house gathering running things. John Bingham’s words never rang truer than today. I am getting ready for the Arizona Distance Classic 5K.
Although “ready” might imply that I have run a single step in preparation for this race — I haven’t. Or that I have continued with my diet and lost weight instead of gaining 5 pounds the last two weeks. Or that I did not have the flu yesterday and the day before and actually miss work.
I am not ready. I couldn’t be ready in a month. So I’m just going. Thanks to Seth and Matt for donating to the Leukemia and Lymphoma cause. Seth, I didn’t know they researched multiple myeloma as well. We are all pulling for your dad, and are thinking good thoughts for you.
I’m dressed, it’s 5:11 a.m. now, and I’m really going. Really. I have my favorite red racing shirt on, my ancient JL rowing team shorts, my spiffy Brooks shoes with specially molded inserts and a sports bra. I even have my falling apart, favorite “Gonzaga Crew” hat on. I’m really going. I might even brush my teeth. It wouldn’t be sporting to mow down the competition on breath alone.
Waddle on, friends.
