Big Cottonwood postscript

Three weeks ago the Big Cottonwood marathon broke my heart, and almost my spirit... almost, it was a close one. This was supposed to be 'the one', my BQ marathon. I did nearly everything correct in prepping for this one, but sometimes even the best laid plans crumble before our eyes as they descend down a mountain side. 

But that's just it, the incline really got me. This being my third downhill marathon, also turned out to be the hardest. The first 8 miles were somewhat strong, but by mile 9 my IT bands were on fire. Quads not so bad, but those tendons were screaming. At mile 13 I was stretching and even massaging my sides, this had now turned into a 'let's manage this' run. The dream of a BQ was once again gone. 

The thunderstorms started at mile 19-23, and I started to have a conversation with a past Boston marathoner and she put things into perspective. We even made jokes at our casual pace while dripping wet. And I needed that for my own attitude. 

The following day I woke up with one of the worst muscle tears I've ever had, which made the rest of my time in Utah a real challenge. Between the funk of defeat and the jarring pain in my leg, my outlook wasn't the best. 

Even as I type this I'm perplexed by this run. On one hand I was ready to throw in the towel and declare that maybe Boston was beyond my scope, but on the other when I suffer set backs it only makes me want to keep pushing. It's like the universe asks me 'How bad to you want this.'

I'm still wounded, but I still want this really bad. So the mission continues. 

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