Another Marathon in the books! Good times were had by all, but I believe my entire team questioned our ability to finish.
The Humboldt Bay Marathon came with a slew of obstacles completely different from Oakland. First of all, training is difficult in the summertime! David and I went on a couple of trips–one of which was to a 3 day music festival in which…ahem…much fun was had (I definitely lost a week of training from that trip). Then, 2 weeks later, we went to a wedding in Oregon. By then (last weekend of June), a new injury had presented itself: I was experiencing constant hip pain from a mystery source which was/is likely my lower back. I still managed to sneak in a 10 mile run during that vacation, but that ended up being my last workout for 2 weeks as I brought home Covid from Oregon.
Covid kicked my ass. I was so frickn sick; I had a fever, swollen and raw throat, migraines, cough, congestion and major body pain. It was as if every part of my body that was already inflamed was being attacked my the virus. I couldn’t get comfortable for 2 full weeks.
At the tail-end of my bout with Covid, I managed to complete a 12 mile run. My lungs burned, my head hurt and my hip was aching the entire time. That was my last “successful” training run before I hit the 26.2 mile course along the waterfront in Eureka last Sunday.
Due to the severity of my hip issues, I was unable to run any more. I waited, mobilized, strengthened and hoped that my body would allow me at least one long training run before the race, but the best I managed to squeak out was a pathetic 2 mile run the week before the race…At least by then, my hip was finally feeling much better.
My team was as follows and we ALL had our issues:
My sister and brother-in-law had some major setbacks. Aside from dealing with Covid in the early training weeks, their whole family came down with Norovirus just 3 weeks before Humboldt Bay Marathon. Along with the persistent vomiting and diarrhea, Hilary dealt with foot issues and fatigue and Russell’s body blessed him with a hernia. Regardless of the struggles, they were all smiles on race day. Russell finished the full in 4:07:52 and Hilary tackled the half in 2:49:41
Sei Hee held it together pretty well… As per her usual training routine, she took it easy and made sure to vacation and enjoy herself to the fullest in the height of training. I never doubted her, but she and I always joke that this next race (whatever it may be) is going to be the one to kill us. She finished in an impressive 2:35:27
My friend, Mary had sworn to never do another full marathon, but decided in the middle of her training schedule to go for it! Her strategy was to run strong the first 10 miles, and then just make sure to finish. She actually did great! Finishing with a time of 5:51:42.
My boyfriend, David, signed up for the half marathon…He has never run that far! His training consisted of approximately 5-2 mile casual runs on a trail near his house. He wore old shoes that gave him blisters. I worried about him the most. Amazingly, he looked so happy at the start of the race, but he hit a wall around mile 10. I passed him at his mile 11 (my mile 20) and he was in so much pain! To my utter surprise, he was chipper and cheerful when I saw him at the finish line an hour later. I am so damn proud of him! It’s amazing what your body can achieve once you set your mind to it. Finish time: 3:10:54
I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect from myself on race day, mentally or physically. I laced up my shoes (NOT the Nike’s I wore at the Oakland Marathon, thankfully!), pinned on my Vad-Ass team logo, fueled up and felt pretty dang good! The course was two out-and-backs, so I got to run past my team and all other racers several times. I was waving and cheering for every damn person out there, racers and volunteers alike. I felt pretty great and was happy with my pace, although I knew it would slow toward the end of the race. My lungs felt half their normal size, I assume from my recent Covid ordeal.
I did eventually hit a wall…Mile 18 or so I slowed way down. My body felt great, but I felt like I was running with weights on my arms, ankles and lungs. I eventually allowed myself to stop and walk 30 seconds every mile until the finish line. Amazingly, my body felt great. I had suffered from zero blisters, my hip felt lovely, even my knees felt no pain…AND I managed to maintain my telltale goofy smile the entirety of the run. Finish time: 4:37:28!
In the end, I am so damn proud of everyone, including myself. We all pushed through some major obstacles and came out the other side with these beautiful memories that will last a lifetime. I hope to inspire more to join next time around.
Aside from running the Humboldt Bay marathon, I was able to meet the race creators, directors, photographers and volunteers who make this wonderful tradition happen. Terri Vroman-Little et al welcomed me into their community and even named the Humboldt Bay 5k after my cause, VAD-Ass! We did some fundraising and I was able to talk about stroke awareness. I met some amazing survivors and some others that have been touched by the sorrow of stroke in their families. I’m blessed to have been a part of something so honest, beautiful and dear to my heart.
Thanks all for reading! If you want to donate to Tedy’s Team to build awareness for stroke symptoms and those affected by stroke and heart disease, click on the button below.
