About Me

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I grew up in Franklin, Kentucky. I moved to Virginia Beach in 2003 and in 2004 I met the gang at Final Kick. Final Kick quickly became my home away from home. I ran my first marathon in 2005 (Shamrock Marathon). It was one of the most painful and amazing experiences of my life. I ran a 3:07 and I crossed the finish line with bloody heels (the right socks are so important). I couldn't wait to run another marathon and I choose The Richmond Marathon. I loved this race and it's still one of my favorites. Shamrock 2006 was my breakout race. I won it in a time of 2:45:40 and I was ecstatic. I also qualified for the trials with this race. Over the next couple of years I graduated from Nursing school and then eventually received my Master's in Exercise Science. In 2010 I raced the Chicago Marathon in a time of 2:45:26 and again qualified for the 2012 Olympic Trials. This was an amazing day for me. And I can't wait to race in Houston 2012
"Running to him was real, the way he did it the realest thing he knew. It was all joy and woe, hard as diamond; it made him weary beyond comprehension. But it also made him free." Once a Runner

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

A Learning Experience, the Hard Way

This might seem like an odd time to begin a blog but I actually think it's the perfect time. I'm hoping I can just explain what happened on Sunday and close this chapter of my racing career. Chalk it up to a lesson learned.
So, my first DNF
I'd been training for the Shamrock Marathon. I'd put a lot of pressure on this race and I really wanted to do well. I had trained hard and I had family watching (it would be their first race) But a week and a half before the race I came down with a horrible cold. Basically, I developed a cough, chest congestion, and I was tired all the time. I wasn't able to run more than four miles at a time but I kept hoping that I'd wake up the next day and be cured. I still did everything like I usually would. I got a massage from Balance Massage, I went and saw Jim at Kinetic Health, and I rested and ate my pasta on Saturday night. Unfortunately, I never did get better. On Sunday, I woke up still coughing but I just prayed that I'd be able to get through the race.
I started out feeling great. Mile 1 was perfect 6:20 (I was right on pace) and I thought, I can keep this up. But it didn't last. I began falling off the pace early and all I could think about was, that it was too early for me to be feeling this way. I was tired. Exhausted already. decided to end the race at Mile 11 hoping to save the fight for another day. It was a tough decision. I fought the idea for almost 2 miles. When I found my friends, I cried. I couldn't believe that it was over. At first, I was beyond crushed and I felt like I had failed.
But I know that I did the right thing. I will pick myself up off the ground and do it again. This time I will not be sick and I will be much stronger. Just got to get better and refocus.
So, I hope this will help people understand.

4 comments:

  1. In my opinion, you made some tough and brave decisions on Sunday. And, just so you know, you didn't let anyone down. You have good support, and a lot of miles ahead of you. Keep moving forward.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You made the right choice Renee. Trying to push through a possible respiratory infection could have exacerbated the condition and dealt you a much more serious setback. Recover well and come back hungrier!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I was wondering what happened! You trained your arse off for that race and it sucks you had to bag it. Plenty of time tho girl, plenty of time : }

    ReplyDelete

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