Back in March 2011 I participated in the Shamrock Marathon Weekend in Virginia Beach. I signed up to do the Dolphin Challenge, which is when you run the 8K on Saturday and the Half Marathon on Sunday. I had been really excited about this for awhile and had been training hard, but of course all my efforts were once again thwarted when I came down with food poisoning.Thursday night C (my husband) and I went to The Melting Pot for my birthday. It is one of my favorite restaurants and I have been there several times before, but I guess something really got to me this time. I woke up Friday morning and it felt like someone was ripping my stomach open. I got up and went to work for my half day and got out of there ASAP. C and I had planned on taking a half day anyways so we could get to the beach early since there was no packet pick up on Saturday morning. I'm glad we did becausetraffic was pretty bad. Not to mention I felt like total hell.
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| Sorority sisters and their men met us for dinner Friday night. It was a good time to catch up. |
I laid in bed and cried most of the night because I was in so much pain and couldn't sleep and kept thinking that I was going to be in the hospital the next day, unable to participate in my races that I had so been looking forward to.
I am one of those stubborn people that will run a race regardless once I have paid the race fee. So Saturday morning since I was feeling a little better I insisted on running my 8K. I was feeling kinda bad but thought it was because I had run on an empty stomach so we got lunch, hoping that would make me feel better. I had fun, but got sick later. Seriously, this is the worst pain I have ever felt.
I am one of those stubborn people that will run a race regardless once I have paid the race fee. So Saturday morning since I was feeling a little better I insisted on running my 8K. I was feeling kinda bad but thought it was because I had run on an empty stomach so we got lunch, hoping that would make me feel better. I had fun, but got sick later. Seriously, this is the worst pain I have ever felt.
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| By the sand sculpture that was not quite finished yet. |
We spent the rest of the day taking it easy. C nursed me along and I was able to get up on Sunday and run. I think the magical bread at the Italian place we went helped a lot. It was a long walk from the hotel to the start and we didn't make it in time for me to start with my corral, which was 4. It was also terribly windy and cold. I ended up in the last corral, which was 6. I was with people who were walking at the start. Who walks a freaking half marathon??? I mean I know you can do it, but aren't you supposed to at least TRY and shuffle along quickly? After about mile 2 or 3 I finally got out of the slow mass of bodies and up with the real runners. I was feeling pretty good for awhile. Then I got about half way done and my body had about had it with me. My hamstrings pretty much suck as it is so they were tight and hurting and they made my lower back hurt worse than it has in my whole life. I walked a lot and held on to my lower back, leaning over in pain. I've never been so happy to see a finish line.
But I was able to run and look happy for the finish...I collected all my finisher's items and food and walked around the gate to meet C where I promptly buried my face in his chest and burst into tears. It was the hardest race I think I have done, mostly because I felt so sick. It is a shame that I felt so bad because I was really looking forward to that weekend and it kinda put a black cloud over it...not to mention it was my birthday as well...
After I got that out of my system and sat for a few minutes to give my back a break, we went over to the party tent and I got some Irish stew and some free beer in me. I felt a little better after that and cheered up some. The stew was sooo great and really helped me out.
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| I gave the beer the thumbs up since it didn't make me feel worse. |
I won't say I didn't have fun, because I did. It was nice to get away for the weekend, it just stinks that I had to be sick AGAIN for a long race. I had a sinus infection at the Richmond half marathon just a few months before. I do recommend this race though because it had everything a runner could want, right down to corny jokes along the course...
So what did I get for my race fees?
-2 medals
-a technical shirt
-a finisher's shirt
-a finisher's hat
-a long sleeved shirt
-2 free drawstring backpacks
-free stew and beer
And since I also completed the Dolphin challenge, I got a pin that looks like the medals but has a dolphin on it. I also completed the Live, Love, Run VB Challenge, which is where you run all four of the J&A races in one year, starting with the Wicked 10K in October and ending with the Shamrock in March. For this I got a pint glass and a cooler!
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| My awesome medals, which are also bottle openers!! |
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