I am part of a local running club in my area, so when the president of the run club said he wanted to run his last marathon (his lucky number 13!), I jumped at the opportunity. There was a large group of us traveling from the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island to Seattle. I was both excited and nervous for the adventure; not because I am a nervous traveler, but because I also had the Chicago Marathon on my horizon. Nevertheless, I worked hard during my training cycle, but about three weeks before the marathon disappointment set in.
An old hip injury flared up, and I was left with a choice. Either I push through and complete the marathon, or figure out an alternate plan. What would this mean for Chicago training? However, I didn’t make any decisions right away. I had many physio appointments, lots of easy running and cutting speed workouts short. I listened to my body, wore my OOFOs any chance I could, and before I knew it, it was time to travel to Seattle. Sooner or later I’d have to make a decision, even if that was at the last minute on race morning.
The night before marathon morning, I made my choice. I was going to run the half with zero expectations. We were already in the city, and I knew I would not be honouring my body by pushing past my limit in that present moment. Plus, I couldn’t help but think that pushing now would jeopardize my training cycle for Chicago. I woke up that Sunday morning, pinned my number on, and headed to the start line with my fiance and my run group. Whatever happened that morning, I knew I had made the right decision.
That morning, I completed the half marathon. I treated it like an easy long run, which also included taking pictures of the sights and enjoying my first time in the city. To be honest, the moment I made the decision to complete the half marathon as opposed to the full that I had trained for, my mind felt at ease. I realized that just because you plan for things to happen one way, doesn’t mean that the experience is lost if your focus has to shift.
I enjoyed my time in Seattle, and I am so glad I brought my OOFOs with me for this journey. Not only did they save my feet while walking all over Seattle, but I believe they helped take the pressure off of my joints and helped speed up my recovery. It’s said that OOFOs absorbs 37% more shock compared to other recovery sandals, and I would have to say that is true. It’s like walking on clouds, and boy was that nice for my tired feet and calves.
Those Seattle hills are no joke!
Overall, sometimes our body has other plans for us. In my 10 years of running, I have learned that we must take the good races with the bad races, and sometimes our best laid plans turn out to be wonderful adventures. Although I didn’t end up running the marathon in Seattle, I ran my 24th half marathon, and that is pretty special to me!
You can follow Holly on Instagram @healthylivingholly or visit her website at Healthy Living Holly
