Flying Pig: Post Race

It did not take long for me to realize that something was seriously amiss soon after I completed the Flying Pig. Sure, I was sore and achy, but this was to be expected. Alas, I didn't feel very good and I could barely put any weight on my right foot, which I took as a bad sign.

Jody was in no better condition. She did the half-marathon ... while she was five months pregnant! Sure, she walked most of it, but she still did it with minimal amount of preparation! Amazing!

There were no post-race selfies. Jody and I limped back to the hotel; all we wanted was a nap and a shower before our six hour drive back to Milwaukee. Alas, just getting back to the hotel was feat that mirrored the race itself. The three blocks felt like 10 miles. Every curb looked like Mt. Everest. We were not sure if we could cross streets before the light changed, even if we had a head start. I swear I heard a few cars rev their engines.

After cleaning up the room, we limped through the hotel and to the car. Each step I took hurt like a @#$%. This was not the typical post-race stiffness. My right foot and achilles were giving me serious problems.

I returned to the office the next day. For some asinine reason, I scheduled a meeting with a student. I work on the fourth floor. I've only taken the elevator a handful of times and this was one of those times. I walked around the office with a serious limp.

Three days later, I was in no better shape, but I decided to try to play golf. It's probably a sign that I should have skipped the round when I knew I needed a cart for the 9 holes. I hate carts! You just cannot get in a rhythm with them. I also forgot that I had to walk around the greens. Fortunately, I was able to hit the ball without any discomfort, though mentally, I'm sure the foot affected a handful of shots. Like at the office, I limped my way around each green. I shot one of the worst rounds of the year.

I never did see a doctor about the foot, but I'm pretty sure I did significant damage to the achilles, possibly nearly tearing it. I vaguely recall having a couple moments during the race when my feet didn't feel very good, but I just chalked this up to the heat and overall physical exhaustion. Reflecting back to the run, I wonder if my shoes were not the right fit. I purchased them in the final weeks of my training. They were fine for short distances but I never tested them for longer runs. I demoted the shoes after the run and have only used them for walks.

My next run would not be until June 11, over a month after the marathon, when I had aspirations of running marathon number two of that year...