He fell from grace and hit the ground (long report)

Hipster Doofus

La Salle Bank Chicago Marathon (October 10)

Well, I had everything ready for this race I thought I could ask for. Good weather, rested, respectable training, support from several of the Riff Raff wimmens. I get myself to the area for a 9 minute pace, and only seven minutes from the opening gun, I get to the starting line (Chicago is notorious for getting everyone over the starting line).

There are no markers for the runners until the 5K. I hit this at a :29:30.68 - just about a 9:50 pace, which is OK. Getting into Lincoln Park, I pick up the pace, and hit the 5 mile mark at :46:57.20, a 9:24 clip or so.

No one saw him make the fall-
He couldn't understand at all...

Shortly after five miles I get clipped on the left heel. In trying to keep from falling, I plant my right foot badly, and the achilles tendon problem which had been gone for at least a couple months comes roaring back with a vengance. No one's fault - a crowded course, it's a risk one takes in a race. Nothing more. I reach down instinctively, but a couple of steps tell me while I can run, it won't be what I wanted. Every time I try to go back to my pace, the tendon tells me, "No, not today." So it's drop to a jog, with an occasional try to run it out for distances from a tenth to half a mile. Suck it up and push forward, forward. Six, seven, eight. No improvement. For some reason, while I hit the watch at the markers, I never look at the times - I don't want to see what I know they will say.

Get through Lincoln Park, head back down Clark and LaSalle Steets into the Loop. Everything is in a fog - nothing is registering - sights, sounds, nothing. Get to mile 13, Kobyj was at the water stop but left it about ten minutes before I got there. The time is still respectable at about 2:02:00 - the first five miles helped out there. Fourteen is much of the same.

His fall from grace was swift and straight.
They didn't hesitate.
What he had, they were not sure -
He didn't have a temperature.

After the fifth mile, I hit every water stop, taking both gatorade and water. Despite this, in mile fifteen, my calves cramp. Both of them. This has never happend in a race and no one can figure this out. It was not hot. If this had been a reaction to the achilles, I could see one leg doing this. But both - who knows? It's now forced me to do something I have never done in a race - walk. For the next five miles it's reduced to walking with attempts to jog - the cramps do not go away. Crowds are good, and loud, but that is all I notice. It becomes a matter of finishing - Retrievers die, but they do not surrender.

At mile twenty the cramps go and I can pick up the pace for a couple miles. At twenty-two, they come back. This is going through Chinatown, which makes me realize I'm close to US Cellular, Mile 23, and the running club's water stop. As I've got on the club singlet, I need to get past there in some condition resembling running. Somehow I do - a couple of them see me "Wooo Hooo! Lake Forest-Lake Bluff! You're looking great!" Looks can be deceiving, Missy. I round the corner out of their sight and the legs cramp up again.

Mile 24, which means I essentially have a five K to run. While I have done enough to pretty much get me a time under five hours, I realise I can get it under 4:45:00 (time at 23 miles 4:17:47). There is focus now, and I also know it will hurt like hell.

But I still continue my stops. At twenty-five comes my only entertaining moment. I get my liquids, and after leaving the tables am at the far left to finish drinking. I am walking, but another runner comes from behind and says, (excuse the language) "Christ, do you think you could go any slower?!" as he goes past me. It entertains me because as I pass, I notice he was a pace-setter. For runners wanting to finish in 3:30:00. Nice work, buddy.

Head north into the Loop, trying to kick the last half mile, and the achilles makes me drag the foot more than anything. The one rise occurs right before the 26 mile marker, but it isn't bad - I've had way worse in oher races. It's a downhill run from 26 to the end, and I get myself over in 4:44:58.00 - two seconds under the 4:45:00. Overall place 22185 of 40,000 registered and about 33,125 finished. The placing (overall) can't be right, but it's posted in the Tribune, so I guess it'll do.

The doctors said they knew no cure.
They poked and pulled,
And pushed his pulse.
He couldn't understand the fuss.

I get to the medical tent after much prompting by the ladies (it was some twenty, thirty minutes, maybe, after I cross the line before I find them). Credit to the med tent, they were very efficient. They check my tendon, tell me there's no rupture or tear, ice and wrap it. They have no clue as to the cramps, either.

He fell from grace and hit the ground;
He fell into the sea and drowned.
They saw him struggling from the harbour;
He saw them wave as he went under.

Mercifully, Cindy, Deb, and Genie never saw me during the race. At the start, at the half-way point, or the end, they never spotted me (although by going to the half point, they committed the unpardonable sin of not - attention, Cappy - not going shopping on Michigan Avenue).

After the race, each one seems to instinctively know what to do to distract me from what happened. Cindy is the one to talk me through the race, and she thinks I was not mentally focused for it (though I felt I was, she must have seen something was missing). Deb keeps pretty much quiet, letting me work this out, just being their by her presence. Genie starts to play the smart ass (this may come as a shock to many of you), teasing and humoring me. Each in their way helped more than words can express here. I know you'll tell me otherwise, but letting you all down hurt much more than anything that happened to me on the course.

I still cannot explain what happened. I do have splits, but they are all over the place, hitting both mile markers and 5K intervals, and some of those missing, so there's no point to post them. I have never run in a fog. Everything was there, it simply never happened. Timing, in all aspects of running, is everything.

The rest of the weekend went wonderful - reports from various sources (mine included) will come in the next few days. Read that and enjoy.

thumbs up

(anyway)

Lyric excerpts from For Liquorice John, Procol Harum

Member

crazy cat lady

Member

Sorry it didn't go as you had planned. But I think you did a fine job myself.

PRESIDENT

Steve,

Believe me, you did not let us down. But I too know the feeling. I could give you nothing that would help, I knew that. cry

The silence was my way of letting you know I was there. That and my hand on your shoulder. I was disappointed for you though, it seemed like such a perfect day to start. My heart hurt for you at that moment. You displayed some very raw human emotion. After we did talk about it I feel very good for 1 thing. It was nothing you or I did in your training, or during the race that caused this. A freak accident as you said, that's all. You still had a decent time after all that. Next year will be better. thumbs up

I had a great weekend BTW. Mr. Green

You and LC are terrific hosts. Many thanks for all you guys done for me and Genie over the weekend. Mr. Green

Member

What are you complaining about ? You finished in pretty good time (for an old guy) despite calf cramps, achilles strain and general malaise.

GOO JOB !!!

Look at me!!! ©

g -

You have been a huge encouragement to me in my marathon training (whether you realize that or not) and what you experienced was really too bad. Sad

Maybe you can "make up" for it by running Marine Corps with me! Wink

I still think you should have done something to the smack-talking pace setter, though! What a jerk! Evil or Very Mad

AZhat

I'm sorry to read this and hear that you had a rough time.

Sad

Member

All that and you still beat my worst thon. 5:35... Go ahead, try and go slower than that.

Sometimes things just don't go right. Way to tough it out.

Sheldon

Fresh, Hot & Wild

Member

You did a fantastic job! Seriously. Running through pain takes guts, lots of them. I'm impressed.

Member

Great report. As far as the race you did fine. You live to run another day and reap the benefits of the run. My splits always look like ping pong balls.

POTFH

Great job gretriever!

All that pain etc and you continued on. Everyone else has already added their :2cents: about working through it and the fact that you can get it next time. I am sure you will. Just let your body recover again and train smart again!

Member

sometimes the marathon is just one big ?. When you get it figured out let me know. Sometimes you try to figure out why you didn't do better and when (or if) if comes together on a certain day, it's like "what did I do, and how can I do it again"

Member

Oh Steve! I clapped my hand to my forehead and say "oh no" as soon as I read you got clipped and the achilles starting acting up.
I think that time is still very good for stumbling through the whole marathon hurt! Congratulations on persevering and finishing the marathon.

He fell from grace and hit the ground (long report)

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