Peg Leg

Well, well, well...I walked a half-marathon yesterday. Not an actual, established half-marathon, but over 13.1 miles. That's the good news. The bad news is that for the last mile or mile-and-a-half, something on the outside of my right thigh--I'm told it's probably my glute--was not right, and I more or less hobbled that last bit at a pace that had my husband wondering if I'd ever make it home for lunch....or dinner. We're in Orlando for the weekend, and so I was also walking in warmer weather--and therefore less clothing--than I have since my training began. This led to some unfortunate chafing under my right arm, leaving me uncertain as to whether to drop my arm to my side and risk that hand's swelling, or keep the arm bent in correct racewalking form (which aggravated the chafing). I folded up some paper towel (which I got in the blessedly well located Ft. Gatlin Alliance Church, the ladies' room of which I snuck into just after turning the corner from Lake Margaret Dr. onto S. Bumby Ave.) and slipped it under the arm of my tank top, which temporarily relieved some of the rub and got rid of a little of the troublesome sweat (more information than you wanted, surely). I looked online for a picture of the aforementioned church, by way--I've never been one to withhold credit and thanks from brilliantly situated indoor plumbing, regardless of the belief system that put it there--but was unable to find one.

"Where are the stats?" you may be asking. I, too, would love to see them. But, alas, after a couple brief konk-outs earlier in the walk, my deadbeat Nike+ sensor plain old stopped working around 6.5 miles. Not being able to cheer for myself when I was halfway through the walk or when I had just a mile left--because I didn't know when those points were--really took away from the experience. I'm proud of myself, but boy, am I frustrated. Not just the sensor, not just the chafing, not just the temptation to re-nickname myself Hopalong, but everything together. The idea of doing two consecutive half-marathons is, at the moment, too daunting to seem possible. I hope it gets easier.