When It Seems A Race Will Defeat You
I always say that a bad race makes for a real runner. This is very true - quitting a race sometimes just is depressing. Having run almost 40 years, I’ve had my share....some quits hurt more than others. I had one around my birthday last summer in a favorite 10 mile race - I just ran out of gas. It was weird, I felt fine, no aches, but it was like someone pulled the plug on my energy source. I took it hard. I subsequently determined the cause, but in the moment, I was down.
I wasn’t going to run that race the next year. But then I thought, is this it for me? The race was the toughest challenge I ever loved. I first ran it on my birthday in ‘15. I’d never run a race on my birthday before...it was the happiest of birthdays 🎂🥂🍾
So I couldn’t resist. I didn’t want to give in to age (I like to say “I’m persistent, not stubborn” 😉). So despite various health issues, my husband and I did it this August. I felt awful due to back pain from the first step, but I kept going; running, albeit at a slow, consistent pace, each of the challenging hills.
Which race seemed to be your “Waterloo”?
