The Afterglow

Since Skyline to the Sea my calves have been killing me. I have compartment syndrome and as I run, they constrict tighter and tighter, the pain builds and I imagine taking a pin to pop them and spewing calf muscle everywhere. I get ART (Active Release Therapy) from Dr. Ho and it really works. He leaves me literally bruised but he breaks up the tissue and the results are amazing. I’m seeing him once a week right now, twice would be better, but the costs add up. 

So, running has been frustrating since my 50k. Half burden, half joy.

My body fails me, but my will does not. 

Saturday I spontaneously decided to go on another organized trail run. I needed the mental lift of being back on the trails, and I didn’t want to get lost alone. My calves would hurt, but it was a pain I was willing to pay. 

I went out to Rancho Del Oro and joined a small crowd of runners most of whom were running the 4 mile option. The race started and BAM, pretty quickly it looked like I’d had my own private start. I can’t say I cared; I was outside on a trail with painful calves and if no one was there to hear me swear, well then all the better.  There was another woman with me for the first mile or so, but she was listening to her Ipod and, sadly, she didn’t offer much distraction. 

The trail went up, up, up for the first two miles, then, finally it was that wonderful rolling single track, where I feel like a running rock star. My calves loosened, I spied a dead snake, and the sun went behind the clouds. Life was improving. Few things make me happier than a little road kill on a run.  Alive is good too, but I’ll take a dead snake with a smile.

I came through the finish euphoric and filled with goodwill towards men. The timekeeper told me, and the woman in front of me, to stick around as we both might get medals. WHAT? No problem. I grazed on the food and sure enough, my patience was rewarded with a medal that read: WINNER.

Read it and weep

Turns out, I was both last in the 9 mile race and 2^nd in my age group, and, thus, had made the podium. I can’t fully explain how completely frickin’ awesome this was.  Turns out you can show up when most of your age group doesn’t and that gets you a big shout out from the running universe. 

Always, to get a medal you have to show up, and do the work. It’s not often, but sometimes, that right there is enough. You don’t have to be the strongest, the fastest or the smartest; on occasion just giving it all you have to give in that moment is good enough for the running gods to pause, give you a high five, a pat on the back, to hear them whisper Welcome, we’re so happy to have you, we’d like you to join us again….