13.1 miles. Done and dusted.

My legs have been aching. For days. I ran my first ever half marathon last Sunday and have barely been able to walk since.  I’m feeling more nimble now, but if you’d have seen me earlier in the week I’ve no doubt you’d have been taking the p. I creaked and groaned every time I stood up, simultaneously asking myself “Really, you did this why? Was it honestly worth it?”. Not much, I thought, was worth the pain I was feeling in my knees; it was so intense you’d have thought I’d been kneecapped. I blame the ground. And the wrong shoes. It was pretty much 12 miles of road running and just one paltry mile of footpath and I was wearing trail running shoes (which have less cushioning in the forefoot). And my poor little knees took the brunt. They haven’t received such a pounding since I trecked the Inca Trail about 7 years ago; a day of descending 1000 stone steps would trouble anyone’s knees. So since the race I’ve been sat around with my feet up most of the time.

The course of the Truro H/M followed familiar territory.  It took in an old railway track that I used to take my cat for a walk on (when I was a student and lived on a poor excuse for a boat on the Truro River); then it was on to Playing Place, where Kim used to go to cub scouts; then to Carnon Downs where I frequent the garden centre and Devoran where I used to go for a weekly aerobics class in the village hall (and eat cake at the village flower show – which was a laugh and a half!).  From here we ran along the side of a beautiful creek that I walk along regularly today, past the quay where I take Kim to a fireworks display each 5th of November, and then on to Point, where I lived for 7 months.  We carried on up a steep hill where I had to take a pit stop in the road side bushes (and cost myself some extremely valuable time!), on past The Punchbowl and Ladle, where I’ve spent many a cosy evening with friends and family and back down to Playing Place to follow the same route back to the city centre.

It was weird running somewhere so familiar,  just by virtue of the fact that I knew exactly where I was I felt I should have been up with the main pack of runners.  But no, I started at the back and I pretty much finished there (557/571!).  The majority of runners were from clubs across the county and finished the race in the blink of an eye.  They’d have been sat around having a beer by the time I got back, some 2 hours and 30 odd minutes later.

My training partner Jacqueline (who came in at 567/571) was a tad grumpy after the race and decided to go straight home.  I didn’t know what to do with myself, most of the celebrations and awards were over, and didn’t mean much to me anyway, so I sort of drifted off home myself. When I got back I ran a bath with Radox salts (I know!) and submersed myself in the wonderfully comforting heat.  An hour and 15 minutes later I woke up, cold.  I didn’t quite understand how you could get into a bath and be all relaxed and then wake up really agitated, but I did.  I hate being restless, I don’t seem to have a ‘build up’ of restlessness, I just go straight to the top of the scale.  I can’t concentrate; I feel an urge to do something but I don’t know what; I fidget and pace; I feel tense and impatient…and my head feels like it’s swimming.  I had to do something and I decided that I should at least mark the occasion of my first ever half marathon, so I went back into town thinking I’d find somewhere nice to eat.  I ended up in Costa’s.  Not quite what I had in mind, and in years to come I doubt I’ll remember that I marked the occasion with a cappuccino in a Whitbread chain.  I felt completely deflated, and this low miserable feeling’s lasted for days. All sorts of crap’s been going through my head and to be honest it’s still there and I don’t know what to do with it all.  I’m just continuing with my training and looking forward to the Eden race in 2 weeks time.  One thing’s for sure – the actual running of the race was brilliant, exhilarating.  And that’s why I want to do it again.  So, if you’ve got any ideas of what I could do in the few hours and days following the race, let me know,  ‘cos that’s obviously something I need to address.

Hope you’re having a good weekend.

Back soon with some knitting

love Stephie x