Well it’s over. My first marathon is behind me, and I am now a runner. All that training, motivation and hard work paid off in the form of a beautiful Sunday morning run through the streets and parkways of Long Island, and in the end I was left with a medal, an achy body, and a big fat check off my bucket list.
So how was it? It was hard. Up until about 17 miles I was OK, but after that point, even though I’ve kept up withrunning tips, I think my body was ready to be done. It took some serious motivation and some slow walks through the hydration stations to continue the marathon. I learned that the body can indeed be pushed harder and farther than I thought possible, and that the mind is a powerful force. Upon hitting the wall at the 17 mile point, I had to tell myself that I was not going home without finishing, failure was not an option, and I was going to show the marathon who was boss (to phrase it for a PG rated audience). These are the moments that make us, and I had plenty of my own.
At the 23rd mile mark, I was able to summon a burst of energy to run until the end, but my quadriceps muscles were not happy about it. Despite their protest, I carried through to the end, reached the finish line, and emerged a different type of runner, finally joining the ranks of so many who have also completed the full 26.2, going all the way back to Phidippides. After hydrating, tweeting, and posting, I took the long walk back to my car, a victor in the battle against the Wantagh Parkway.
Now four days later I am recovering nicely. After resting and stretching, I am now once again able to descend stairs without having to hold on to the banister. My toenails feel better after I drained the blood from under the nail plate using an 18 gauge needle – one of many conditions I’ve treated in my NYC podiatry office. And I can still feel the endorphin rush. Not ready to run quite yet, but really looking forward to the next race. Think I’ll take a short 10 mile run on Sunday.
See you in the office.
Ernest L. Isaacson, DPM
