Preparing for the Half Moon Bay International Marathon – 26.2 not so fast my friend…

It has been one week since my last real training run and my right calf decided it had had enough. I did have a couple of very short runs this week, hoping this latest setback would just go away. Suddenly my participation the the first annual Half Moon Bay International Marathon is in jeopardy.

It’s amazing to notice the emotions that come boiling to the surface at a time like this. There is the old standard of denial.  Like “oh, this is not really happening.”  To the opposite end of the spectrum and that would be “this is really happening and you’re screwed!” I get to be reminded how competitive I am.  I am really, really competitive. Not sure who I am competing against, as I have no designs to be anywhere but in the tail end of the runners in the race.  But at the same time, there is a part of me that absolutely must be out there on the stage, in the arena.  It is who I am.  And the thought that I might be denied that opportunity is a tough one to face.

I went to see a Master health practitioner yesterday and he did some very intense work on the area in question. While he was at it he addressed a couple of other areas (arm and shoulder) that have been causing a fair amount of discomfort. The arm and shoulder are fixed, I am happy to report. But the poor little calf is still sore. He did say it might be sore for a couple of days and that I should just cool it and rest.

I knew this venture would be fraught with the unpredictable when I signed up several months ago. So, this weekend, I will cool it, rest, enjoy the full spectrum of emotions, do my best not to drive my dear wife crazy and hope for the best.  There is nothing I can do now but trust that I will heal.