I sit two days removed from the Malibu Creek 22K and I am little worse for wear. My feet are swollen, my calves hurt so bad that I can barely walk without limping. I reflect a bit and realize just how hard I pushed myself at the race. I realize just how lucky I am because in all seriousness I could have had a heat stroke possibly kidney failure from pushing as hard as I did. My hands were swollen after the race and when I got home, I weighed myself and realized I lost 6 pounds. These are all signs of pushing way too hard and now my body is pushing back. Is there ever a time when you have to say enough during a race? There is but I always believed that when I reach that point, I would say F%#* you and just keep on going but on Saturday there were moments in that race that I felt something else and it was a bit of doubt and fear that I may have pushed too much but I still pushed on? That is what separates some of us who are determined to do whatever it takes to run a race and get to the finish line where most don’t see the point and I wouldn’t expect them to from their living room sofa. Running is an addiction like any other addiction. Think about it.
Runner’s run in the rain, 90-100 degree weather, they run in the snow, they run inside on treadmills, they run outside on hills. Runner’s run when they are sick, runner’s run when they are hungover. Runner’s run to run and runner’s run for fun. The worst thing for a runner is to have an injury because they will try to run through it only to make things worse. Why, why, why? Because it is an addiction like those who need that last cigarette, or that last sip of whiskey. You need to have it, you need to do it, no matter the condition, the consequence and when you can’t, you are miserable and unhappy. I have come to grips with the fact that my addiction will someday kill me but at least I will die doing something I love doing and that is competing and enjoying my life.
Running is free but the pain could last a lifetime!
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