I'm going to preface this race report with good news...
I finished!!!
Now, let's back up a little bit...
In January, I had to quit Celebration Half-Marathon at Mile 6, due to some really bad Plantar Fasciitis and leg pain. It wrecked me, mentally, and I had a bit of a mini-meltdown afterward.
But I was determined to get up and fight, so I took care of myself in the weeks after (lots of massage and stretching), and I was able to complete both races in February at Gasparilla.
And what about Gate River Run? It was literally six days after Gasparilla... I was so mad when I had to quit Gate last year because of weird side/rib cramps, that I felt determined that I HAD to do it this year. I knew that it would be an amazingly stupid decision to do another (almost) 10 miles on a jacked up foot. But I didn't want to waste the money that I paid to do it, so I wondered if there was any sort of deferral (very rare) or virtual option. I reached out to 1st Place Sports and was told that there was no 'official' virtual option, but that if I picked up my packet at the expo, they could mail me my medal the following week after the race.
Okay, so now I'm facing a dilemma... I have to go to Jacksonville anyway, no matter what, so should I do it? Should I not? I mean, I'm already there... I argued with myself all week long and on Friday night, I decided to prepare for actually doing it, see how I felt when I got there, and give myself the permission to quit as soon as I felt anything absurdly painful (like at Celebration).
So, on Saturday, I drove up to Jacksonville. I was going alone (Hubby wasn't feeling up to going along), and I had a plan... I was going to park in the Sports Complex Parking Garage - we've parked there enough that I knew I'd be able to find my way back afterward, when suffering from Run Brain. Packet Pickup is at the Fairgrounds, and the After-Party is at the Fairgrounds, as well, so very easy for me to make my way back to the garage.
 |
| The walk from the Garage to the Fairgrounds would've been so easy! |
Unfortunately, busy morning traffic wouldn't let me merge so I had to go to the next exit for the stadium, and I got all turned around. I wanted to turn right, but it was blocked off. I explained to the nice officer that I wanted to specifically park in the Sports Complex Parking Garage, and asked if there was any way to get there from here. He gave me directions that took me all around downtown Jax, but in the wrong direction! Somehow I ended on East Bay Street on the west side of the stadium, along the river! At this point, there was nowhere left to go, so I slid into Lot S and parked in the grass.
 |
| Took this, just in case I got so lost I had to ask for directions! |
And to add insult to... well, injury... I still had to GO to Packet Pickup! I measured it out later: from the parking lot to the Expo was about 3/4 of a mile. I walked from parking to packet pick-up, back to parking, then over to the start line... This was just shy of three miles that I had to walk... before I even STARTED this race! I practically did a half-marathon today, lol.
 |
| They were doing construction, too, so I couldn't just walk in straight lines! |
But... let's look on the bright side; I was well and thoroughly warmed up by the time I got to my corral! I was able to catch my breath, enjoy the vibes, find the entrance to my corral, and just soak in the morning.
 |
| Okay, it's official... let's do this |
 |
| I think I'm in my corral? |
 |
| Start Line Photo (usually we're already moving and I can't have this photo) |
We headed out on the road, and I was feeling... okay. Slight pain from the 5k I already walked, but nothing overly fucky. I told myself that there would be no running today, and hardly any fast walking, really. I'm here for miles, not speed.
 |
| Everyone is so optimistic on this bridge (then so miserable on the other one!) |
The first bridge is always the easier of the two, and I got my Footsie.
 |
| High above the St. John's River |
Made it to the other side of the river, where the water stops and music start, and then over to River Road where drunk neighbors throw Munchins at people... I got one this time!
 |
| First water stop, they're almost out of water already |
 |
| I miss 1990s Dunkin', when they were still tasty |
Through the neighborhoods (Miles 4-6), I was feeling like I might actually be able to do this... No creeping pain in my foot or leg.
 |
| I quit by this point last year, so I'm beating 2023 Me! |
No back pain (well, no extra back pain). I was slowing down even more by Mile 7 though, mostly because it was just hot, and I was underprepared. I knew it was soon time for my Bridge Selfie, and then my time to face the Green Monster.
 |
| Soon.... |
I stopped at the base of the entrance ramp for a good calf stretch, then put my head down and slogged up that hill.
 |
| So very few people! |
 |
| So, I don't think I'm gonna get this in under 3:00 huh? |
 |
| I am winning. I am awesome. I will not sag! |
 |
| Top o' the Mornin' to ya, from The Green Monster |
I beat the Green Monster, you guys, and I've never been so happy to see a downhill. At this point, you know that the rest is easy. Downhill, to another downhill, to one more downhill, and a straight-away.
Oh, but wait a minute... Let's talk about that downhill. This entire walk, my foot and leg have felt okay... not pain-free, of course, but not the way they felt in January. But then I hit the downhill portion, and it was like ropes of fire in my shins and the tops of my feet! What the shit? That was definitely a new pain! And, if I remember correctly, this was the pain that started the first little niggle of you might have hurt yourself, darling. I powered through the last mile, simply because I came this far, motherfucker, I'm not quitting at the bottom of this fucking bridge!!! My last mile was super-slow (a full two minutes slower than the one before it, when I was climbing UP the damn bridge), and every step I landed on my left side was misery, but I wasn't gonna quit now!!!
 |
| I hear the finish line, I'm so close! |
 |
| Bonus of the Slowness - look how I have the entire finish line area to myself! |
 |
| Are you not entertained? |
 |
| Yay for me! Woo hoo! |
 |
| I believe at this point, the phrase Fuck Yeah entered my head |
 |
| Absolutely horrible picture, but the sentiment is real! |
I was finisher 11745, with only 60 people behind me. My time was 3:11:57, which... honestly? So much better than I was expecting! 6276th female (out of 6330). 658th out of 661 in my age group. The last finisher came in around 3:40, so I had a good 30 minutes on them...
After getting my medal, that's when things started to go downhill a bit... I had stopped moving "because I was in a race," and instead was just moseying my way around... I could tell that my leg and foot were gonna HURT later. I walked the mile back to my car - slowly - and peeled off my shoes and socks at the trunk. Oof, just bending over was a chore! I slowly folded myself in to the car like an 80-year old woman, then pulled out the Garmin to decide what I was going to do with my day. Definitely didn't have the energy to go out to Safe Harbor for lunch (the wait in line would kill me). Nor did I have the stamina for a trip around IKEA. I decided that I'd point the Garmin toward Orange Park and have a shopping day - I could pop into a store, do some shopping, but then have a break when I was back in the car travelling to the next place.
Well, that plan was quickly shot to hell, because when I got to a nearby RaceTrac (to change and get a soda), I literally could not put weight on my left foot. When I attempted to step out of the car, it felt like my leg would give out underneath me! But I had to go to the Ladies' Room - I had to pee! So I grit my teeth and put weight on my foot and all the nerves in my body were immediately on edge... there was a lot of pain, and I had to do that lurching, lean-to-the-right walk all the way from the front door to the bathroom... It felt like everyone was staring at me! And it felt like it took forever to change out of my sweaty race clothes and into a pair of shorts and a tee...
I got my soda and lurched back to my car to reassess the situation. Obviously, shopping was out. If I couldn't walk normally in a convenience store, how could I go grocery shopping or wander around Old Time Pottery? I threw in the towel, went to Culver's for lunch, and then drove home early.
 |
| Not even delicious Cheese Curds could cure my throbbing foot pain |
At home, I kept my foot elevated pretty much the rest of the day. Any time I had to get up and walk around (like to go to the kitchen), it was torture... just like at the gas station, I couldn't put weight on it for a few seconds until I got warmed up so to speak. Then I could, but I was lurching across the floor.
I haven't really said anything to Hubby yet, but in the back of my mind, I'm pretty sure I hurt myself. Like, badly... Something is torn, or fractured, or sprained, or something. I think I'm going to go ahead and set up an appointment with my doctor and see what she has to say.
