Hi All!
Here is your weekly dose of “5-Frank Points Friday,” a list of what I’m pondering and exploring.
Running my first marathon ever – Near death experience!!!
Last week I shared with you that I was getting ready to run my first marathon ever. Well I did it, I quit! I knew I am a wuss but I didn’t know how much of a wuss I am or how unready and unequipped I was to finish the marathon.
On the day of the run it was really cold, my weather app said it was 28F/-2.2C and accounting for the wind and a cloudy day, it was more like 21F/-6.1C. So it was really cold! On top of being a wuss and no training, I also didn’t have the right clothes for the day. I had a t-shirt on, with some shorts, black socks, some shoes I found in the closet that my brother left here when he was visiting, a small sweater and some small gloves that I might’ve bought at dollar tree!
The way the marathon is set up is; those who are running the half-marathon will only do 1 loop which is 13.1miles/21.08km and the rest of us, full marathon runners, have to do 2 loops to make it 26.2 miles/42.17km.
At the start of the run I was feeling great, but after 15 min into the run I was really cold, I already couldn’t feel my hands, luckily my sister called me, and we started talking about what we were going to do that evening, this call got me out of my head and I kept running for an other 30 min. Then I started to slow down and I couldn’t feel my legs either, I felt like I was running fast, but I kept seeing people who are walking, pass me like I was just standing there! Even an old guy who had cancer and bit it, had 2 knee replacements, had some kind of big surgery, he too passed me and that’s when I realized I wasn’t running, I was more like crawling at this point.
That’s when I quit! In my mind I was done! Mind you that I had just hit Mile 6. Then the hard part comes: I realize that I am in the middle of nowhere, because we are running in this small town with no cars, no paved road, no house that I could see, I am one of the people in the back, I can’t feel my hands or use them for anything, I can’t feel the lower part of my body and the closest aid station was at mile 11. I started thinking to myself, even if I quit and stop running, I still have to walk about 5 miles to get help. so I kept limping and listening to my podcasts! Then at mile 10, I break my left ankle, and the muscles in my lower right leg hurt so bad but I had no choice but to keep walking/crawling.
I get to the aid station, and I’m like “oh man, this can’t be happening!” There is only a couple of people who are just handing out water to the marathon runners, they have no car, no extra jacket and for that matter, no first aid kit either! Well, no choice again but to keep walking for an other 2.1miles to get to the starting point, which is where I left my car! After 2hrs and 53min I finally get there, I immediately go to the bathroom, then a guy comes to me and asks” hey are you one of the people running the half-marathon?” without doubt or hesitation I said yes, I am one of them and I finally finished! The guy hands me a medal and I walk to my car! At this point, I can’t even walk because my left ankle is hurting so bad, I am more like jumping on one leg!
So I only ran a half-marathon (13.1miles/21.08km) in almost 3 hours. That’s how much unprepared and unequipped I was!
When I got in my car, I turned the car heat all the way and I waited for 40 min to be able to move my hands! I had to drive for 30 min to get home, but it goes without saying, that drive was very interesting since I couldn’t properly use my legs, I had to use both legs on the brake for the car to stop!! So here I am, a week later and my left ankle still hurts although it is getting better!
So guys, I’m a wuss. I didn’t finish my run, but I tried! and this is not the end, it’s the start! My goal is to run a marathon without any training and I will achieve it!
Podcast I have been enjoying listening to –
up first – It’s an NPR (National Public Radio) news podcast about three biggest story of the day and it’s released everyday at 6.00 am ET. I’ve been enjoying this podcast because it’s short (less than 15 min) and it gives me just the right news/ information about what happened.
What I’m thinking –
Be kind to one an other, we are all doing the best we can with the tools we have right now!
Question of the week –
Would you be better off living life by yourself? On your own terms?
Quote I’m pondering –
“You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts.”
Great poem by Kahlil Gibran in The Prophet
And, as always, please give me feedback on Twitter. Which point above is your favorite? What do you want more or less of? Other suggestions? Please let me know. Just send a tweet to @realfrankibanga and put #5FrankPointsFriday at the end so I can find it.
Have a wonderful weekend, all.
Much love to you and yours,
Frank
Frank's Blog 