5:05:20 - Part One

Would you believe I didn't even know my official finish time? John was the one that looked and told me. The last time I saw the clock, I finally got over the military wall, and it said 5:01. After that, I was just so happy to be done and to have finished that I didn't really care. I finished in less than six hours, so I was quite thrilled with myself. I simply finished, so I was quite thrilled with myself.

I really shouldn't be here right now. I should be sitting on my duff with my leg propped up, because I twisted my ankle very early in the race. It hurt like hell at the time, as did my knee, which also took the force of the fall. Another racer who asked if I was all right told me to walk on it right away, or I wouldn't be able to. I think he was right, because I did get up and start walking, and the pain subsided enough for me to finish the whole thing. On the car ride home, it started swelling. When I took off my pants and socks, I was shocked to see how bruised and swollen it was. I couldn't walk on it at all by the time I got home, and I was stuck on the couch until today. It feels better, but I'm still seeing the doctor at 5:30 today to make sure I didn't break anything. I don't think I did, but I'd rather be safe.

The fact that I ran and did everything else on a sprain like this impresses me even more. It helps me deal with the disappointments a little better. As expected, I was the slowest person on the team. I spent a lot more time by myself than I would have liked, which made me feel even more like an anchor, but I kept going. I wasn't going to let anything like that stop me if a painful ankle and knee weren't going to do it. I was there to finish that race, and that's what I was going to do, even if I had to cross that finish line all by myself.

Some of the time alone was nice, because I could swear and grumble without worrying about anyone being offended. I also had my one wipeout on the bike while alone, so I didn't have to suffer the humiliation of witnesses. It got kind of lonely at times though, and I don't think I want to again be on a team that doesn't stick together better, not that they would want me either. Though they are both nice guys who always offered encouragement and never spoke a negative word to me, I know they were frustrated. I think we all were. At least it didn't get in the way of completing the race.