Tonight was a lesson in limits and respecting those limits. After my last 30K in Johnson City, I began experiencing some inner knee pain with my left knee. I tried a short recovery run a few days after the race and could barely finish. I decided to hold off on running to allow the knee to heal before tonight's 60K and opted for yoga, instead. As I toed the start line tonight, I was nervous as to how my knee would hold up. Before the first aid station, which was four miles into the race, my knee began to ache. Every step was painful. After finishing the first 15K loop, I took some ibuprofen and began my second loop. I've learned these races involve a fair number of cost-benefit analyses: forgo filling up water to save time versus ensuring I have enough until the next station; solid food versus a packet of peanut butter; finishing the 60K this evening versus being able to run 50 miles at Cactus Rose. Painfully, in a power of will kind of way, I made the decision to drop out of the race at the 30K mark. While I felt a great deal of disappointment in not finishing a goal I'd set for myself, I am proud of my resolve to respect my ultimate race goal and listen to the cues my body was giving me. Plus, I should keep reminding myself that running a 30K, at night, at the height the hottest summer on record, is nothing to scoff at. Off to recover, I go.
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