The San Francisco Hot Chocolate 15K was my first race of 2019. I’ve done a Hot Chocolate 15K in the past. So, I knew to expect hot chocolate at the end of race but that’s about it. Since I’m new to the San Francisco Bay Area I kept an open mind about the race and I vowed to have fun regardless.
My morning started at 4:45 am. I rolled out the bed and gave Mrs. 300PAR a kiss on her forehead. As I stumble to the bathroom I wondered if I was prepared for this race. Yes, I’ve been doing some running but nothing serious since the Snoopy Loop-a-thon in December. I tried to rationalize the distance in my half awake brain. “It’s only three 5K’s! You can do this distance in your sleep.” I said to myself as brushed my teeth half asleep.
This was my first time going to Golden Gate Park. From what I can tell it’s San Francisco’s version of Central Park. Like Central Park, the parking was atrocious. I knew something was up when they were selling shuttles tickets at the expo. I found a parking spot near the Mile 8 aid station. It didn’t hit me that I was that far from the starting line until I ask the volunteer how to get there. He pointed and responded about 2 miles in that direction. I gasped and thought about getting back my car to find another parking spot. But before I could respond the volunteer offered to give me a ride to the starting line.
When I arrived at the starting line I notice that I was assigned to the last corral. I wasn’t feeling that assignment. So I snuck into the corral ahead of mines.
About a 1/4 mile into the race I met two ladies who was also doing 1-1 intervals. I asked if I could tag along with them and we became a trio. They were a little faster than me so I had to push myself to keep up. It was challenging but wasn’t hard.
Miles 1-6, there was nothing to note. The course was flat and the ladies and I chatted during the run. When we made it to Ocean Beach, we took a few selfies and kept running.
Miles 6-9, we ran back into Golden Gate Park. It was no longer flat race. The incline was noticeable and it didn’t seem to stop until we made it to the finish line. Around mile 8.5, the sweeper passed me. I tried to have a conversation with her to slow her down but she saw through my ploy and kept running. With less than a half a mile to go shrugged it off and ran my slow pace until I crossed the finish line.
My official time was 2:28:29 with an average pace of 15:56/mile
Here were my splits:
INTERVAL
TIME
PACE
DISTANCE
TIME OF DAY
5K
44:50
14:26
5 Kilometer
9:07:42AM
10K
1:32:41
14:56
10 Kilometer
9:55:33AM
Full Course
2:28:29
15:56
15 Kilometer
10:51:21AM
Race Expo Quality/ Logistics
The race expo was at the South San Francisco Conference Center. It was a small expo. There were about 15-20 exhibitors there. Nothing super exciting. They gave out s’mores during the expo that was pretty cool. There was no packet pick up the day of the race. You either had to pick up your bib during the expo or have it mailed to you early on.
T-Shirts/SWAG
This year we got a full-zip hoodie. The hoodie had zip pockets and thumb holes. It was a nice quality hoodie. I was surprised that they offered sizes up to 3XL because most races stop at XXL. Two thumbs up for offering a hoodie I could actually wear. Race directors take note.
Parking/Race Access
The parking and access into Golden Gate Park was kind of trash. At the expo they sold shuttle tickets that ranged from $15-$30 depending on where the shuttle picked you up from. Since I had somewhere to be immediately after the race I opted to try to find parking near the race (bad idea). I got to Golden Gate Park around 6am. The park entrances was closed and the volunteers didn’t know where the location of the open entrance.
Race Course
Course Scenery
Most of the course was in Golden Gate Park. From miles 3 to 6.5 the course ran alongside the Ocean Beach. Everything about that part of the course was flat out stunning.
Course Difficulty
Most of the is course flat. But, the last 3 miles of the race is on an incline. It was enough incline to get on your nerves but it wasn’t unbearable.
Back of the pack friendliness
I seen plenty of water, Nuun Hydration, snacks at every station and they didn’t run out of medals. What more could you ask for?
Finish Line/ Post Race Experience
After you crossed the finish line they had volunteers with medals, bottles of waters, and Nuun Hydration. They also had plenty of Hot Chocolate mugs filled with goodies.
Overall Experience of the San Francisco Hot Chocolate 15K
This was a fun race and I would definitely do it again. I’m glad I met some awesome people along the course. Something that I did find weird was that there weren’t many people out there cheering us on. I also learnt that I need to do some hill work. Anytime I do a race that has hills the wheels fall off. That means that I need to get stronger so that won’t happen again.
Race Grade
I give this race a 4 out of 5. I wish there was same day packet pick up and the parking situation definitely left a bad taste in my mouth but not enough to stop me from running the race again.
I look forward to the next race. Which is the San Jose 408K! You can use code: RepresentME to save some $$$ on the race entry if you’re interested in running with me.
The two most common questions I get on a regular basis are, “Hey Martinus, I’m (insert number) pounds overweight, what is the best running shoe for fat runners?” and “Martinus, what shoes do you run in?” I get these two questions at least 15-20 times a week. I usually tell them what shoe I’m currently wearing at that time. Then I tell them that it depends on the person what’s the best running shoe for them is. Shoes are so subjective and what works for me may or may not work for you. For example, I wear a size 15 shoe and I have high arches. A high cushioned neutral running shoe works best for me. This type of shoe may not work for a person who wears a size 14 shoe and has flat feet. Furthermore, for most running shoe companies, size 15 is the largest size they carry. So I’m limited to certain shoes. If the shoe runs small I can’t go a size up. I have to go to a different brand or model.
Do you see what I’m saying? That’s why I said shoes are so
personal (at least for me).
finding the best running shoe for you!
In my personal opinion, if you want to find the best running shoe for you, go to the local running shoe store and try out all the shoes in your size. The places I encounter will let you run in the shoes either on the treadmill or outside. If you have the choice, always choose to run in them outside. This will give you the most accurate representation of what it feels like to run in that shoe. Then decide on the shoe from there.
For most people, the answer above is all they need to find the best running shoes for them. For other people that won’t be good enough so let me go a step further. While can’t tell you the best running shoes for overweight runners. I’ll share with you what I’m currently wearing, what I wore in the past, why I stop wearing them and running shoes that I tried and didn’t work for me. This gives you another data point to finding the best running shoes for you. Before we get started I must say that your mileage may vary. Also, none of the brands that I mention in this post is paying me to say this the things I’m about to say. These are my honest of opinions. It’s my goal to keep this post updated with the running shoes that are currently working for me.
Running shoes that I’m currently wearing.
As of January 8, 2019, I’m wearing the Hoka One One Clifton 5. When I started running I heard nothing but good things about Hoka but when I tried them they didn’t work. It was something about their overlay placement that rubs my foot the wrong way. So, I had to pass on Hoka for many years. In their latest update, they changed the placement of and/or removed the overlay altogether. That change made Hoka One One Clifton 5’s a top contender in my book. I love having the extra cushion without the extra weight and I love the pillow-soft ride for long runs.
Running shoes that I wore in the past.
Nike Pegasus & Nike Vomero
When I first started running in 2012 Nike Vomero 6 was my pair first running shoe that I owned. The fit was amazing and the cushioning, OMG was like walking on pillows.
I’m putting the Nike Vomero and Pegasus together because
when I was wearing them, they were very similar. Both shoes were Nike’s premier
cushion neutral running shoe at that time. But, the Vomero were their “Premium
Cushioned” shoe and cost more the Pegasus. I couldn’t feel a difference while
running so I started wearing the Pegasus because they were $30-40 cheaper than
the Nike Vomero.
Why I stop wearing the Nike Pegasus
One of the things I learned about running shoes is that you’ll find a shoe that is perfect for you and then they’ll change it. Do you remember when that book, “Born to Run” came out and everyone went on the minimalist running wave? I’m so glad that fad died. Well, Nike decided to make the Pegasus “more responsive.” This is code for reducing the heel-to-toe drop and reducing the amount of foam the shoe had. I bought the updated Pegasus, tried them on and HATED them. It’s was like Nike betrayed me!!! I went from running on pillows to running on cinder blocks. So I had to let them go. The Nike Pegasus will have a special place in my heart because I ran my first marathon in them. But if they don’t fit my needs I have to go else where.
Brooks Ghost and Glycerin
After I broke up with the Nike Pegasus, I went on this long and arduous journey to find the next best thing. After trying on about 8 different pairs of shoes I fell in love with the Brooks Ghost and Glycerin. Like the Pegasus and Vomero, the Ghost and Glycerin’s are Brooks Premier cushion running shoes. But there was some stark difference between the two. The Brooks Glycerin had more cushion and more blown rubber on the tread. Which for me was a plus because that meant they would last longer. The Ghost was also good to me but for an extra couple of bucks, the Glycerin would last longer the Ghost.
Why I stop wearing the Brooks Glycerin 14
Like Nike, Brooks wanted to make the Glycerin “more responsive” and lighter. They reduce the amount of foam the shoe and blown rubber the shoe had. Those were the things that I loved about the shoe!!! Look at the picture below on the left is the Brooks Glycerin 14 and on the right is Brooks Glycerin 15.
While it wasn’t enough to change the ride of the shoe. The
shoe wasn’t as durable as the previous model. I had 2 pairs on the Brooks
Glycerin’s 14 in my closet when I bought a pair of the Brooks Glycerin 15’s. I
went through them in half of the time that it took for me to wear out the
Glycerin 14’s! Luckily I had those two pairs of Glycerin 14’s stored away until
I found a shoe that fit my needs.
Running shoes that I tried but didn’t work for me.
Asics Cumulus & Nimbus
I bought a pair of the Asics Cumulus & Nimbus a few years ago and had to return them. They were comfortable shoes but they were too heavy and clunky for me. Furthermore, the shape of the heel cup irritated my ankles so they had to go back.
Conclusion
I hope by sharing my journey, you’ll see that there’s no end-all for the best running shoes for overweight runners. Running shoes is such a personal topic. You will have people tell you that a certain brand is better than the other brand. But it’s really about what fits your feet the best. Nothing else matters but fit and how comfortable they are to you. I also recommend that when you find a shoe that you like to buy a couple pairs of them. Your favorite shoes will eventually change and you might end up hating the update. By having couple pairs on deck it’ll buy you some time before searching for a new shoe.
Question of the day: Have you found a shoe that you love and when the next model came out they completely change the shoe and you hated? If so, let me know in the comments how you dealt with the change.
I tried to write something motivational for the New Year but
when I finished it didn’t seem natural. It didn’t feel like something that I
wanted to hear. It didn’t feel right. So, I ripped those pages out of my
journal and I decided to write from my heart. So here it goes…
The New Year is here but nothing has changed!!! No, you’re
not caterpillar that broke out of its cocoon and turn into a butterfly
overnight. You’re the same person you were last night (probably with a
hangover).
The New Year is here but nothing has changed!!!
-Martinus
So, what’s my point?
Nothing is going to change until we change the way we think
about time.
A couple weeks ago, I was at Target and I saw this hour
glass.
I don’t know about you about you but something about hour
glasses always resonated with me. To me it seems to be the most accurate
representation of how time (and ultimately life) works. Time is not cyclical
nor is it infinite. Time is finite and it’s the most valuable resource that we
have. We can’t get time back just like we can’t get back that grain of sand
that’s at the bottom of the hour glass.
Once it’s gone, it’s gone.
So, what does that mean for you?
It means you’re getting older with every second and one day
the sands in your “life” hour glass is going to run out. Unlike the hour glass
we can’t make an estimation of the time we have left. With that said, I urge
you to make the best of every moment that you have. If you want to start
running, then lace up and go do it. If you want to beat your PR then train and
do it. If you want to take a trip across the country then go and send me a
postcard! What I’m trying to say is life is too short to be bullshitting, to be
in your head, and to be talking about should of, could of, and would of…
Action!!!
Is the most important thing in life. Go do things that
inspire you, make you happy, make you laugh, go help someone!!! Whatever you
want do go do it now before it’s too late.
Here’s to getting shit done and crushing goals in 2019,
The NYC Marathon has been on my running bucket list since I started running in 2012. Well after 6 years of putting my name in the lottery I FINALLY got an entry into the NYC Marathon! If you’re like me you spent countless hours waking up early to workout and train for this moment. Now it’s time pack for the race and you don’t know where to start. Trust me, I’m right there with you. So I took the liberty to put together the ultimate NYC Marathon packing list. I made it for myself but I’m pretty sure that everyone running the New York City Marathon could use this list. Bear in mind that I’m traveling from California to NYC so you will need to change it for your needs. Hopefully, this packing list takes away some of the stress during race weekend. Good luck with your race.
On behalf of my fellow “back of the pack” runners, also known as the fat runners, the slow runners, the beginner runners, and the walkers, I have a message to deliver.
To the Race Directors whose races ran out of water, removed the mile markers and time mats early, and/or ran out of medals.
Fuck you!
Fight me.
I started running in 2012 and races were not friendly to bigger, slower runners like me. And it hasn’t gotten any better since.
As a back of the pack runner, I still feel neglected and disrespected. I’m tired of it and I want my money back.
And I’m not the only one that feels this way. Thousands of back of the pack runners have experienced the same and discuss it on social media. I even know some who have reached out to race directors and told them about the experiences they’ve had. But it keeps happening: year after year, race after race.
And it’s unacceptable. So I’m putting you on notice.
Why is it acceptable for you to take my hard-earned green money and not treat me with the same dignity, respect, and care as the elite runners? I’m not Meb Keflezighi (far from him) but I put my running shoes on one foot at a time just like him. I trained for this race just like him. I showed up to the starting line just like him. However, when the gun goes off we are treated totally different.
At this point, I imagine you’re clutching your lanyard wondering, “Whatever are you talking about?” I’m about to tell you.
When us slow runners sign up for your race, you promised that you will have water at designated mile markers. Yet by the time I get to those mile markers, the water tables are flipped over and there is no water to be found.
You promised that our race will be timed, but you take down the time mats and mile markers before we get there.
You promise us finisher medals, but when we cross the finish line you’re fresh out.
What it all boils down to is this: you didn’t hold up your end of the deal. You broke your promises to us. And so we want our money back!
But since the races were run, and we’re not getting any refunds, instead we’d settle for a little compassion and attention to the following demands.
Demand #1: Leave the damn water stations up!
And if the water stations absolutely must be broken down, please leave a water cooler there with cups.
Since I started running in 2012, I’ve brought a hydration pack to just about every race over a 10K. I bring a hydration pack because your race will either run out of water or run out of cups before I’m halfway done.
I remember one half marathon I ran ended up being on the hottest day of the summer. It was so hot that the fire department was called to spray the runners down with water. I was at the 10K marker of the half marathon and they ran out of cups. So I had a choice to make:
Use a cup on the ground and pray that I don’t get mono or herpes.
Ask the volunteer to pour the water into my mouth. Or
I could skip that water station and pray that the next water station had cups and water.
None of these is a great solution, especially considering I paid good goddamn money to run that race just like everyone else.
Race directors: you know the back of the pack is still on your course. We need and deserve water as well. We paid for these life-saving courtesies in our race fees. We should not have to bring our own hydration to a race because you failed to provide it. Do better!
Demand #2: Leave the damn time mats down!
Imagine your spouse is running a marathon and you are waiting for them at the finish line. You are using the live-tracking app to following them along the race. You see your spouse just crossed the 10-mile marker and the next marker is at mile 12.
However, the race has started removing the time mats. You wait and wait and wait, frantically refreshing the live-tracking app but it only shows the time when they crossed the mile 10 marker.
So you call your spouse to check in on them but their phone is dead. Now you’re really worried. Minutes turn into hours. You’re checking each injury van to see if your spouse is there but they’re not. You can only hope that they are still running the race.
Eventually, your spouse finishes the marathon in 6 hours 45 minutes, 15 minutes before the cut-off. Do you know how nerve-wracking that is? This is more common than you think and it’s not fair!
Nine out of ten times, back of the packers are running races by themselves and we have family and friends waiting on us either at the finish line and/or at home. If you prematurely remove the time mats before we can cross them our family and friends worry because they don’t know if we are still running the race, or if we got hurt or lost. Most of the time our phones die during the race and the race tracking system may be the only form of communication our family and friends have to make sure that we are still on the course.
Race directors: it’s not fair for the back of the pack to go through this. Do better!
Demand #3: Don’t take down mile markers and signs!
Photo Credit: Latoya Shauntay Snell
First, it’s outright dangerous and second, it’s just cruel.
On the 300 Pounds and Running Podcast, I interviewed Tekia Dinwiddie who decided to train for the St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon after her son, who is a patient at St. Jude, encouraged her to do so.
Around mile 7 the race marshals had taken down the mile markers and signs. As a result, Tekia made a wrong turn and got lost in Memphis. Her phone had died, she didn’t have any money on her, and she ended up in an unsafe neighborhood that she did not know. Lost and afraid, Tekia broke down and cried.
Eventually, she saw someone wearing a race medal and asked them how to get to the finish line. When it was all said and done Tekia ran 18 miles instead of 13.1. Race directors this is unacceptable! Taking down mile markers and signs is disrespectful. I bet if you took down a mile marker and signs while Meb was running your race you wouldn’t have a race anymore, but since it’s a no-name person from the back of the pack it’s okay?
Race directors: Unless you actually want the murder of a back of the pack runner on your conscience because they got lost and ended up in the wrong place, do better!
Demand #4: Gimme my damn medal!
For most of us, running a race is the hardest physical thing that we have ever done in our lives. We trained months for race day. We have done something that elite runner won’t do and that’s run a race without water, where it’s a scavenger hunt to the finish line with the time mats and mile markers are removed.
Our family and friends are worried about us because they can’t track us. We’re fighting with the internal voice in our head that’s telling us to quit and the guy who’s driving the injury van is being an asshole saying that we should quit too.
In spite of all of this, we get to the finish line and there’s fucking a crane in the middle of the road taking it down. But still, we press on and when we finish the race, in spite of all of this, one of your volunteers nonchalantly tells us, “Oh we’re out of medals, you should have finished sooner”.
Imma keep it 100 with you: if I wasn’t so tired from running that race, I would punch that volunteer square in the face.
We finished this race in the allotted time, in spite of everything mentioned above and you have to the nerve to fix your mouth to tell us that we should have finished sooner to get the medal that we already paid for?!? GTFOH!
This type shit is why back of the packers quit. As a fat athlete, I am constantly disappointed. Stores don’t have my sizes, I get weird looks when I run, I’m categorized as lazy, and when I finally push myself out of my comfort zone, I’m still told that I’m not good enough. What type of fat shaming back of the pack hating witchcraft is that?
You may be thinking, “it’s just a medal, we’ll mail you one later!” FUCK THAT!
I can’t speak for the rest of the runners, but for the back of the pack the medal is more than a medal. It’s a badge of accomplishment to show and prove to ourselves that we went to war with the road and we conquered in spite of everything that we went through on that day. It’s what we have to show for beating the odds.
When you don’t have our medal, what could have been a joyous moment, a buoyant moment that propels us further into a passion for fitness and health, becomes yet another disappointment in a history of disappointments that each and every fat person goes through over the course of their lives.
Not to mention the fact that you took our money, wasted our time, and gave us nothing in return.
Us back of the pack runners love your races. We love the challenge and the environment. We love running, and the opportunity to have a tangible symbol of our progress. For me, running not only changed my life, it saved it.
And I know so many other people who feel the same way. So many, in fact, that I’ve spent the past year and some change podcasting to document their stories. So when I put out the call for back-of-pack race stories I was overwhelmed with experiences like the ones I’ve outlined above. This all boils down to one essential fact.
Ya’ll need to do better.
The back of the pack is an emerging demographic in the running community and you need to be more inclusive to it. As stated before, we all put our running shoes one foot at a time just like Meb and we should get the same respect as he gets.
We expect you’ll take our demands seriously. Because we won’t keep supporting your races forever if you don’t.
Martinus Evans
Unofficial Ambassador of the Back of the Pack
300poundsandrunning.com
PS. And if you think I’m just one person, think again. Here’s proof:
To Whom it May Concern:
My name is Latoya Shauntay Snell and I have been a self-proclaimed back of the pack runner for 4 1/2 years. When I started my fitness journey – particularly running – I felt like I reinvigorated a part of myself that I didn’t think I could tap. In 2011, I was diagnosed with sciatica, a herniated disc, over 20 fibroids and lost my job in the culinary industry due to a limitation in my mobility.
Running added on a layer to my life more than many may understand. When you are stripped of your mobility, it takes away your sense of independence and at times, your joy to life.
I am a fairly plus size woman and not exactly the speedier of the bunch but the joy of being on the road, fast or slow, moves me.
Just last year, I was heckled at the NYC marathon by a spectator who thought it was funny to poke fun of me about my size — and he had no idea that I just recovered from a miscarriage with twins and diagnosed with endometriosis. My already slower pace made me slower. Thankfully the NYC marathon has made it a point to stay out there with the back of the pack runners.
Unfortunately, I didn’t experience a similar joy this year at my beloved Chicago Marathon. I had a SAG vehicle behind me from mile one despite maintaining a 15 minute pace — and I was far from the last runner on the course. This was an exceptionally new experience for me. Even as I sped up, it was as if I couldn’t shake the police escort.
By 3:22, I reached the halfway point and I was greeted by several garbage trucks that took up both lanes, the SAG vehicle, and tables being turned over that once housed water and sodium hydration.
I get it — courses have limits on times and the streets have to reopen. But isn’t there a better alternative to provide? Have you considered leaving up one table on the sidewalk with an extra incentive to a few volunteers to stay? Or instead of dumping all of that water, allowing a few gallons to stay off to the side? When I watched people pull off mile markers prematurely, it made me feel like last year’s heckler’s remarks were validated. Taking away basic things that means a lot to us so late into the race but near a finish line makes me question if anyone cares about our finish as much as the elites. It’s a staccato taste that covers your mouth when you reach a finish line and your bags are suddenly lost/misplaced after running through the rain for 7 hours. That was my experience and yet I feel for those who may share this but as a first timer.
At some point, where’s the concern for the slower runners. I’d be sure that some of us would be willing to pay an extra 5 to 10.00 in race fees just to ensure that we can make it across the finish line too. But again, I question if we truly matter.
At one race, I remember running my first 60K just to NOT come home with a medal because they ran out. As race directors, I urge you to listen to some of the needs beyond sponsorships. Back of the pack runners are runners too. I ask for you to do better.
Love Run (3/25/18) they had pulled up all the timer Mats and all the volunteers left. The Philly police were trying to sweep runners off the course and onto the sidewalks but these were blocked by fallen trees from a recent snowstorm/nor’easter that had come through a few days before. Plus, the vibe of the entire Run was bad. I had never felt that in any other run I have ever done in Philly. I will NEVER do the Love Run again. –Lauren D.
NYC half marathon a few years ago. Horrible cold that day. Water tables flipped over, barriers being removed, found our own way to the finish line. –Sherrie F.
ran the Pasadena Half Marathon in 2013. I finished in 2:25, which I believe is pretty much middle of the pack. Nonetheless, during the second half of the race, the aid stations were already out of water and weren’t making any effort to get any more water. It was very warm–in the high 80s. It really gave me an appreciation for what slower runners go through. It’s totally bogus because our race fees go towards the finish line amenities, and all amenities should be available for all finishers. –Keriann E.
How you ever had a bad Back of the Pack experience i.e, water table flipped over, the race ran out of water, time mats and mile markers removed, ran out of medals or food at the finish line? If so, share with me your story in the comments below. It’s time to put these race directors on notice. If you believe in fair treatment for all runners please share this post on social media!
So, I’ve been working my butt off to get back to this space. Getting back to this space took blood, sweat, tears, snot, boogers, curse words – ev-ver-ree thing that I had in me.
If y’all don’t know what I’m talking about let me give you some back story. In 2014, three months after running my first marathon. I had two car accidents that almost ended my running journey. After those car accidents all the races I signed up for I DNS (That’s “did not start” for those who don’t know the running lingo). All the appointment for press appearances disappeared, interviews for different magazines and newspapers miraculously disappeared into the ether. After those car accidents, I felt useless. My story didn’t matter to them once they found out I was injured. As a result, it made me felt like I didn’t matter. It didn’t matter that I use to weigh nearly 400 pounds and the doctor called me fat, told me that I was going to die and when I told him I was going to run a marathon – he laughed at me. It didn’t matter that I trained my ass off and ran said marathon weighing over 300 pounds. It didn’t matter that I lost almost 100 pounds – none of it mattered! When I had those car accidents everything that made me disappeared into thin air. I felt like I was nothing and I didn’t want to live.
It took almost two years to get healed from what happened in 2014. By then I gained all the weight I lost plus an extra 30 for good measure. Either way, I was eager to start the journey again. I missed running so much and that’s all I wanted to do while I was down. Then life happened! Hello, Achilles tendonitis with micro-tears! Hello Ultrasound Therapy! What’s up Physical Therapy? Hola Prolotherapy! I was injured again. The doctors told me it’s not in my best interest to run again. They said I should lose weight and that may help with my Achilles issues. “But how do I lose weight when my method for doing that is running, Doc?” This led to me finding a third, fourth, and even fifth opinions, experimental treatments that my insurance wouldn’t cover, and me proclaiming that I will run again no matter what the doctors said. So, I push forward and all those things lead me to this date at the starting line of the Race to The End of Summer Half Marathon.
While most of my injuries are healed, my previous Achilles injury is always in the back of my head. As a result, I changed my method of running to the Galloway Run-Walk-Run method. After a lot of research, I decided that running intervals would be the best way for me to get back into running without more stress to my Achilles. Since walk breaks are a part of the program I don’t have to feel bad if or when my Achilles give me trouble.
The day of the race I woke up at 3 am. I was wired and no matter what I did I couldn’t go back to sleep. So, after an hour of staring at the ceiling and Instagram, I got dressed, made breakfast, and put my contact in my eyes. Mrs. 300PAR got up shortly thereafter, got dress and we headed to the race. The car ride was not long, about 30 or so minutes. I sat quietly as I listen to my thoughts and visualized the entire race in my head. What would I do when the gun goes off? What do I do if the Gingerbread Man comes? What do I do if my Achilles gives me trouble? As thoughts raced mind I calmly took deep breaths and before I knew it we’re pulling into the parking lot of the park where the race starts.
It’s about a half mile walk from the parking lot to the starting line. While walking to the start/finish line I started my warm-up routine. As we approach the start/finish line of the race Mrs. 300PAR asks, “Is that it?” sounding underwhelm. “Yea, I guess”, I responded. There were about 40 or so people at the starting line stretching and doing calisthenics. “There is going to be a 30-minute delay,” the announcer explains over the PA system. A sense of relief went over me because that explains why so few people were here. We found a spot to get settled and I started my warm-up routine again. Since we have some extra time I can focus on each exercise. About 10 minutes into warming up Kathy, a lady I met a few weeks prior at a meetup and we bonded over the fact that we ran intervals, greeted Mrs.300PAR and I. We chatted until it was time to line up at the starting line. Kathy and I line up next to each other and I ask her which intervals she was running. 90/30 and you, she responds. I responded, “60/60”. We both nodded and the starting gun went off signaling us to run. We were off to the races and I knew I would come back to claim my medal.
Kathy and I made small talk for the first half mile as we ran our intervals. Everything seems to be going well until I got the sensation to go to the bathroom. I told Kathy that would catch up with her later on and we parted ways. When I got out of the porta-potty I could see Kathy about a half mile down the trail. I told myself that I can catch her and sprinted towards her but that did not happen. So, I had a choice to make, try to catch up with a familiar face and good conversation during the race or run alone. I decided there was no point to waste my energy at the beginning of the race. So I choose to run alone.
Mile 1: I checked in with myself to see how I’m doing. I asked myself how I’m feeling (Feeling strong!), how’s my Achilles and hips doing (Pain-free!) and how I’m feeling mentally (Feeling positive about the race!). Overall, I felt great about this race. By the time I made it to mile 2, my body was on autopilot. The app told me when to run/walk and I did just that.
Mile 6.5: At the halfway point of the race I saw Kathy and she had passed the pacers for the 3-hour finish. I yelled, “Good for you Kathy you are killing it,” and gave her a high-five. As I approached the water table I heard, “You’re doing good, keep going,” from the volunteers. I release a quick smile, grab a cup of lukewarm water took a swig and dump the rest on my head. On the way back, I gave high-fives and words of encouragement to the runners that I passed.
Mile 8: I did another check-in and overall, I still felt great. So, I decided to turn on my running playlist and sing some song as I enjoyed the views of the race. I ran by this huge mountain with cows on the side of it. I thought that is the closest I’ll get to cow tipping…
Mile 9: The sun was out and beaming on the back of my neck. One thing that I’m learning about Northern California weather is that even though it may be 75 degrees the sun is still oppressive. As the sun continued to beam on the back of my neck, my pace started to decline.
Mile 10: The volunteers yelled, “You only have 5K to go!!!” Great I got at least another 45 minutes in this oppressive sun. At the last water table, I grab a cup of Gatorade, took couple swigs and threw the cup in the makeshift trash can made out of a box with a trash bag in it. I took three or four steps from the trash and I felt this stinging pain in my calf. It startled me!!! I yelled in pain. I look down and two wasps were flying around my leg. Did these mf’ers sting me? Oh, hell naw!!! Not knowing the difference from a bee or wasp sting I rolled down my sock to see if there is was a stinger in my calf. I didn’t see or feel anything so I rolled my sock up and continued running.
With every step I took it felt as if I was getting stung over and over in my calf. I stopped to reexamine my calf nothing was there but the stinging sensation was very present. Maybe I should go back to the water station and tell them I need a medic? Naw, I got this! I’m not allergic to bug bites I have to work through this pain. I continue running. With every step the feeling of being stung intensified. I turned the volume up on my headphones and tried to sing to disassociate from the pain. I contemplated quitting the race at least five before I determined that I need to finish this race.
Mile 11: I am startled by someone yelling, “On your left!” I move to the right of the trail and this old lady power walking passes me. She looks at me and says almost me almost there!! Thank you, I replied as I gritted out a smile. My smile quickly turns into a frown as this power walking demon pass me. Wait a minute to the hell I’m going to let someone power walking beat me to the finish line. I picked up the pace but she was too fast and I was out of gas. I let out a huge sigh of disappointment and thought to myself you’re here to finish not to race with some power walking demon. Damn, you’re right Martinus! I need to stick to the plan. It’s interesting the amount of dialogue I have with myself while running.
Mile 12.5: I start to see people with medals around their neck eating a stale everything bagel. “You got this big guy you’re almost there. The finish line is right around this corner.” One of them proclaimed. Yeah right! I hate when people say you’re almost there and you’re not there. Yet, when I turned the corner I could see Kathy with her medal around her neck cheering me on. I ran as fast as I could through the finish line, raised my hands in victory and gave Kathy a hug. One of the volunteers put a medal around my neck I pause to take a quick picture and that was it.
I did it! I ran my first half marathon since all of this stuff happen in 2014. From working through depression, from wanting to die to feeling like my journey was over. I bounced back, I got back up and did what had to do to get back on the road and crossed that finish line. I proved to myself that I can do it again. It may take years to get back but I never took my eyes off the prize. To those of you reading this never take anything for granted because it could be taken from you in a matter of seconds. The other thing is this: A setback is a set up for a comeback. Guess what? I’m back!!!!
