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Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Post-race - or, "In which my calf reconfigures itself into a baseballand stays that way forever"

As soon as I finished the marathon Sunday, I (stuffing pretzels in my mouth) staggered to the New Orleans Track Club tent. I said my hellos before unceremoniously dumping my glasses, Powerbars, Gatorade, Garmin, and banana in a corner and trotting off to get my marathon finisher's jacket. I did not want to wait forever in line, and I figured earlier was better! Sure enough, there were no women in line at all, and I got my jacket easily. Have you ever worn one of those disposable surgical gowns? The kind you would wear to make a sterile IV or perform surgery? This jacket is basically the same material. I would think long and hard before attempting to wash it...or even wear it in the rain.
Biodegradable jacket

Back at the NOTC tent, I grabbed a beer, and a friend made me a bag of ice. I alternated sitting on it (for my hips) with plopping it on my knees. Then David showed up with my post-race bag, which was most gratifying, as I finally got to slather more chapstick on. You know how I am about chapstick.
My friend Celeste showed up in no time - she'd tried to catch me on the course, and the funny thing is that I DID see her, but she didn't see me. Or I hallucinated that I saw her. That's just as likely given my Jell-o brain.
Anyway, I got up to greet her, and had the most massive calf cramp ever. I was rolling around like a baby clutching that thing and it just wouldn't loosen up. Eventually it relaxed a little, but I'm typing this Tuesday night and it's still in a big knot.
I kicked off my shoes and OH MY GOODNESS WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED TO MY FEET. I had huge blisters and my toes and toenails were one big swollen blood blister. I didn't even notice this while running (and I don't usually blister, so you'd think I'd notice). I pulled a safety pin off my bib and popped everything right away to get it to start draining, and the grass pretty much looked like I'd just killed a rabbit when I was done.
Then Audrey and her friend Joy stopped by! That was fun! It was so nice to meet them and get a chance to talk (more or less incoherently, sorry about that). The NOTC had plenty of beer, so we drank some and talked about things to do here in NOLA. Hope you two had a wonderful trip full of super delicious food!
After they left, Celeste biked home, and David and I walked to the car. Slowly. And when we got home I just kind of lay there with a book all day and wished my stomach would stop cramping so I could eat real food, until we had to go to an Oscars party at night (I wore heels. I deserve an Oscar just for that).
Monday, it was back to work standing for 9 hours, but I survived. And then we did a recovery day at track: 100m stride, stretches, 100m jog back x 10. The rest of the group followed that by a 2-mile run, but I went home and did Runner's World yoga with a foam roller. It was pretty good: a combination of yoga using the foam roller as support (much like you'd use a yoga block) plus some foam rolling. It was nice, just enough without being painful. I hope the rest of the week I continue to recover and don't have some lurking injury!

12 comments:

  1. Ouch, that calf cramp sounds painful - and your poor toes! I got really bad blisters when I ran twin cities and I wrecked my big toenails. I'm still waiting for one of the black ones to fully grow out so my feet don't look scary!! Good thing it's not sandals season here yet.

    I don't know how you wore heels on Sunday night... that's cray cray!!!

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  2. The calf cramp is the WORST! You deserve an award for wearing heels!

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  3. Sounds painful! My legs are still sore today (mostly quads). This was actually my second RNR jacket, and I kind of like them -- mostly the weight, the mesh and the reflectivity. For me, it's perfect when I commute since it's dark and I'm alone on my run home, and it's usually not cold enough to wear a heavy jacket in the evening. It seems like just the right weight since it's so light. But we haven't had enough days to wear my RNR jacket yet that I've actually seen how it holds up in the wash, you might be right...

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    1. Yay for a good jacket review! Maybe I will love it! Also, I find that this particular marathon is a long recovery. It's SO flat that it can beat you up - you just use the same muscles over and over.

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  4. You did so well Sunday!! I read your recap earlier but didn't have the chance to comment until now. It seems like no matter how many marathons I run those last 6-8 miles get me just about every time. It sounds like the gel/liquid situation played a role in that. I've never heard of that type of gel but I will remember this!
    I love the look of the jacket. Hopefully it will last you awhile! and yes, you DO deserve for wearing heels after a marathon?!!! I don't think I wear heels for at least a week after one.

    Congrats on the much anticipated first marathon back in forever!! Are you thinking Boston 2017? :-)

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    1. Thanks, Tia! I have work to do, but I know where my weaknesses are. I think the gels were an issue, but wouldn't have been if I'd been in better shape. Losing those weeks to the knee injury were my downfall :(

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  5. I think you just have a ridiculously high tolerance for pain. Those blisters sound awful, and good thing your calf cramped up after the race, and not during. I had the worst calf cramps during the last six miles of a marathon once. It was a death march.

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    1. I DO have a high pain tolerance (so bad for injury-prone people!) but I don't think I could run through a calf cramp! They are the most terrible thing ever! I'd definitely DNF!

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  7. I can't BELIEVE you wore heels that night! True champion, right there. It was so fun meeting you, and all of your suggestions for eats/drinks were amazing - I'm basically thinking I should quit my job and open up a Boston division of Bacchanal, so that I can go there whenever I please. Hope your recovery is going well! See you in Boston next year? :)

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    1. And same to you! Maybe maybe maybe see you at Boston next year!

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  8. Ouch, ouch, ouch. Cramp and blisters - why do we voluntarily do this to ourselves? And after the pain of doing it once, why do we sign up to do it again? It's crazy!

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