Big Sur #7

Last weekend was the Big Sur Marathon weekend.  The Seattle Friend and I were once again signed up to walk the 21 Miler.  Last June when we talked about signing up again I had just finished the 50K.  I was totally inspired.  We were going to train like crazy and have our best time ever.  I'm sure you know where this is going!

Yes.  Well.  I had an uninspired fall and winter.  I didn't really train. I didn't even do "gardening as cross-training." I got sick in February and stopped doing even the slow Sunday 7 miler that was the staple.  I think I may have walked with that Sunday group once in March.  Maybe.  I mostly holed up in the spare room with my yarn as my therapy.  But I did not train.  Not even a little.  Not even at the last minute, like cramming for a test.  The Sunday the week before Big Sur I didn't walk either.  I was afraid to find out how much it hurt to walk a few miles after being off for so long.

I was actually worried that I might hurt myself by doing Big Sur.  After all, I'm not as young as I used to be ;-)  So I went into Big Sur knowing that it would be painful and that maybe I would have my first DNF (did not finish) of my walking career.

However...  Take a look at the pictures below. 

Our bus to the starting line left Carmel at 4:15 am.  We got to the start at about 5:15 am.

Just a few minutes before the 6:45 am start!

Top of Hurricane Hill and we still look ok!

Getting close to Bixby Bridge and we still look ok!

Finished! 

The post walk ice bath is essential for recovery!

Really--I'm not kidding--there are three bags of ice in this water!

I think we have developed a new training method!  The ice bath at the end helped. (More about that in a future post.)  So did the 14 hours of sleep the night after.   The ibuprofen before and during?  They might have assisted, too.  Maybe the Manhattans and wine the night before were a boost, too?  Who knows, maybe the traditional training methods are for the young.  Or maybe we have a new training method that would really sell!