The Thrill of Victory/The Agony of De Calf - Heidi

We did it. Martha and I completed our last long run on Saturday. She had already run one 20-mile run, but this was my first and only. Up until now when asked how my training has been going, I have honestly been able to say positive things. Well, most of the run yesterday hurt like #$%&. This time Martha’s husband got the honor/chore of dropping the two of us off on Ash Street in Hopkinton. The morning was beautiful – sunny but cool. Martha had all sorts of great stories from her vacation and birthday celebration to distract me from the scheduled distance. But before we’d gone more than a few miles, I stopped for a few minutes to rub and stretch my right calf, which felt like it had a knot in it. Other than our fluid/food pauses, neither of us has ever had to “pull over.” Well, nothing made it significantly better and 20 miles served to tighten it further as opposed to loosen it up. There were two tables in Wellesley serving Gatorade and pretzels for runners training for Boston so we had a good excuse to stop briefly at those and refuel. Thank you Dana Farber/Team in Training for letting us crash your station. We both let out a cheer of relief when we hit the intersection of Temple Street on Commonwealth Avenue in Newton and got to turn around to go back to Wellesley. I’ve never been so happy to see my house. My legs and thighs felt like barrels by the time I got home. I actually took an ice bath, which was more like several quick dips. People who know me well know that I love fires, comforters and fleece so to get in a tub with ice floating in it was a truly desperate act. In retrospect, I think I only have myself to blame for my calf. Thursday evening was beautiful so I decided to run for 45 to 50 minutes up and down the hills of Comm. Ave. I’d had a vigorous track work out the day before with the Suburban Striders. I had a busy Friday at the Hospital with deliveries and surgeries. Now that I’m 24 hours out from the 20 miler, I feel pretty good with the exception of that one spot on my right calf. Granted, I smell like menthol from the China Gel I’ve been rubbing into it and I’ve taken more Motrin in the last 24 hours than I have in the last month. Having received my packet of information from the BAA on Friday, however, I’m determined to carry on. Quoting one of my patients this week, I’m hoping that the Marathon “will be a celebration of our training.”