The Aftermath

I mentioned in my post yesterday that I had read during my training that I shouldn't take ibuprofen DURING a run because all it will do is mask the pain.  It won't heal what's bothering you, only mask the pain while you continue to do damage.  I totally get that while training but when it comes game time, you got to do what you got to do.  So of course I took some yesterday when the pain in my knee got unbearable at mile 15.  I was able to run the next 7 miles pain free and then it returned for the final 4.  Well today I am feeling the effects of running through that pain.  My knee feels like it is being held together only by my skin.  Holy cow!  It hurts to straighten, it hurts to bend, it just hurts.  So I guess I will be out of commission for a while.  But, the more I get up and move around, the better it feels.  I even went to the gym with my wife and rode the bike for about 15 minutes and walked on a treadmill for 20 (while watching Rocky II).  That definitely made it feel better but I'm also so freakin' tired that I don't want to do anything active today.  So it's like a catch 22. 

Another thing that happened during the race was my toes were hurting.  I guess hurting is not the word.  Numb, on fire, burning, hit with a hammer.  Those are much better ways to describe how my toes felt during and after the race.  Last night while trying to sleep, trying being the main word, my blanket on top of my toes felt like a 50 lb dumbbell.  And today they have so many colors I'm not sure what they are supposed to look like.  I'm pretty sure I'll lose a couple of nails though.  Pleasant I know.  I definitely also realized how tight I ran yesterday because my neck and traps are very sore along with my inspiratory muscles and lungs because every time I take a deep breath in I feel soreness. 

So, was it all worth it?  A resounding yes!  I did what I didn't think I could do.  That was my goal.  It's good to have goals.  And I personally think you should set your goals beyond what you think is possible.  If you fail, at least you did something.  If you succeed, then you have accomplished something huge.  Like I said yesterday, I wonder if I could complete an ultra marathon?  You never know until you try, right?  But yes, all of the pain today and the pain towards the end of the race was worth it. 

Tomorrow I will try to come up with my next venture.  I have no idea what I want to train for now.  Maybe I'll try my hand at an MMA fight or something.