If it isn't one injury, it's another. First, plantar fasciitis (where the meat on the bottom of your foot comes off the bone) then patella-femoral syndrome (a knee that clicks and pops and hurts whether you run on it or not.) Both are nasties that take a long time to heal...and as soon as I figured I'd licked the former, I get the latter. Anyway, it's not been a great competitive year for me, so I find myself just happy to get out and run from time to time and volunteering more.
One of my favorite local Vancouver races, first in the Montrail BC series, is the Dirty Duo. No way I could run 50K, so I cut a deal with my wife where she could do the 25K and I'd take the kids and volunteer to manage an aid station. Everything was going as to plan until late this week when my wife's Achilles started to come unglued. (Imagine the whining and complaining around our dinner table!) So came to pass the challenge of what to do with her 25K race entry.
Race director Heather MacDonald was kind enough to allow us to swap places. (I once participated in the world duathlon championships in Germany as Julie White, Canada's top woman triathlete at the time, but that's another story...) The start of the Dirty Duo 25K was mercifully late in the morning. When I dragged my butt out of bed at 9:00, the air was crisp. A warm sun was rising above the trees. The mountains on Vancouver's north shore sported a light dusting of snow at higher elevations and looked spectacular with a backdrop of blue skies. What the hey, I figured... I could always bail at an aid station.
I've run quite a few trail races in my day, but not so many lately. There were a few moments of panic and chaos as I tried to pack what I'd need for 25K on a challenging, technical course. First up: How many ibuprofen could I scarf down before, during and after the run without causing serious damage to my kidneys? Do I pack gels? Use a bottle belt or the hydration pack? Shades or no shades? Gloves or no gloves? Which trail shoes? Do I use the orthotics or go bareback? Do I pack a map or hope to follow someone?
Anyway, the family dropped me off at the start as they continued to their aid station. No backing out now!
I guess since I wasn't racing, per se, I enjoyed every minute out on the trail. As faster 25K runners past me, we had the chance to chat for a while. Before long, I was mingling with 50K runners who were completing their second lap. Even though it was a 25K loop, there was always one old friend or another to run with. The next thing I knew, I'd run over 20K and my 7-year old son was yelling at me from his aid station, "Atta go Dad. You can do it!" I confess, with the smell of the barn in the air, the knee didn't feel so bad anymore and the competitive juices started to flow. How many of my buddies could I pick off before the finish?
The race went by in a flash. Of course, the finish line was a welcome sight...but it seemed to come too soon. There were high-5's all around then an awesome buffet of homemade lasagna. Great race, Heather. It’s nice to be back!
