Sense and Sensibility

OK, It's Tuesday, I'm home and you want to know how I got on.

Well, here's the Short Story - I dropped out before Mile 7!!!

The Long Story - Well, I had told you about my total lack of sense and my 5 a-side soccer game last week and the strained muscle. Memo to self - NEVER play any other sport in the week preceeding a marathon. Well, it had been responding to the ice, and on Saturday morning I went to my physio and had a good masage on my legs to get me ready for Monday's race. She advised Deep Heat on the strain, and all should be well.

Up to Belfast to collect my Race Pack, very low key, no hastle, in fact very little of anything! Sunday was spent resting, keeping hydrated, and ensuring my injury was treated and feeling fine.

Monday morning saw me up at 6 and up to the City, parked, changed, track-suited, and looking for my club mates well before 8 am, an hour before the start. It was chillier than expected, and I stretched, kept warm and finally discarded my gear with 10 minutes to go. I lined up near the front of the field, mainly to avoid the walkers who were starting at the same time as us, along with all the relay competitors - The Belfast City Marathon has a very heavy emphasis on the Relay, so Ray O'Connor and myself (He of Connemara Marathon fame) set up nicely near the front to get an even start. We were both looking at running around 8:30 pace.

The race started and we were quickly into out stride as we left City Hall, running out towards the River. After only a couple of minutes Ray called that we were running sub 8 pace, but I knew we would settle down once we cleared the city. Before the first mile marker we crossed the river, catching up with Gerry Ford in his wheelchair, and Ray eased back to have a chat with Gerry as he climbed the approach to the bridge. I kept on going and the First Mile Mark was passed in 7:20 - GULP!!!! - Wayyyyy toooo quick... But I actually felt that I was running well within myself.

I eased myself down, trying to slow down. This is actually harder than you think, especially when you are so full of running. An added difficulty was the numbers passing me, then I realised that these were the Relay runners, only running three miles on the first leg. Mile 2 was reached at 15 minutes dead by my watch, I had slowed a little but had still run 7:40. There were a few ups and downs in these early miles, nothing serious, but enough to bring variety to the cadence, and it was around Mile 2 that I started to feel my groin muscle. At first it was just a little nag, a tingle, but I could feel it. I kept going easily, through Mile 3 in 7:35, and as we approached the relay exchange I could now feel the groin on each stride. It wasn't agony or anything like, but a constant ache each time my left leg went through it's cycle of motion.

I tried to slow down further, hoping to run off any discomfort. My mind was racing now. I was running easily, well inside my target time, but not over exerting. My training was paying off, and Mile 4 was run in 8:05 and I knew I could crank out miles at this pace for a good while to come. But the leg was hurting now. The ache was becoming a constant reminder of the strain, and I still had 22 miles to run.

The first 6 miles of this race loop around east Belfast before heading back into the City and then out west and north, before returning to the finish. I had a decision to make. I kept the pace even and reached Mile 5 in 38:54, for an 8:14 mile, and this was run with a squally shower into my face (the only rain I experienced on the day), and it was back into the City and Mile 6 approaching. It was now or never I thought. Should I continue the race and risk the injury more, or should I take the opportunity of being back in the City, easy access to the finish and my clothes, and live to fight another day. I'm due to be running Prague in two weeks!

I have only ever dropped out of one other marathon, and that was due to injury, albeit one that occured on the course. That was a heartbreaker. This one was more a common Sense answer to the problem. By Mile 6, and a 8:07 mile, making 47:01 for a 6 Mile run, my leg was aching, again, not agony, but enough to know that another 20 miles on this would not be pretty. I made my decision. I pulled to the side of the road, waited for Ray to come along, he was looking good, I ran alongside him for another half mile or so, just to let him know that I was pulling out and explaining why, wishing him well etc., and then I pulled away from the race, walked back to the Finish Area, got my clothes, deposited my chip and siddled away, strangely with no regrets for having pulled out.

When I got home, my SO was disappointed for me, but I had a strange feeling of actually, for the First Time in my life, practicing what I preach to others, "There is always another day". If you are injured, you only do yourself harm - I have run through injuries in the past, and ended up missing weeks of training and other races because of it - This time, I knew I was doing the right thing. Sure I missed out on another medal, and the way I was feeling aside from my groin, probably a reasonable time, but I have Prague in Two weeks. The groin should have recovered completely by then, and I can have a crack at a decent run there.

Only disappointment I am feeling today as I write this, is that I wanted to complete an Irish Grand Slam this year. But much like our fabled Rugby Team - There is always next year!

P.S. The groin is feeling great this morning. I treated it last night, and I should be running easily by the weekend. If I had continued yesterday, I doubt I would be walking too comfortably. Onward to the Czech Republic and a nice little break and hopefully a more interesting run on May 14th :)