It is amazing – for the normal marathon training schedule, the runner puts in hundreds (maybe thousands) of miles, hours of workouts, money for shoes, attention to detail, etc, but there is always some little thing that can hamper all of it! Here is my little story:
I was out in the sun yesterday with my family (beautiful weather). I was careful to put sunscreen on to make sure I did not burn before my race. I also wore a hat to keep my (balding) head from burning. I sprayed myself with my sunscreen and thought everything was great. One problem – I sprayed my feet with my sandals on! So guess what happened when I laid down on a chair with my bare feet? That’s right, a very nice burn on the top of my feet! Today, I had to walk around a bit and was wearing socks. The pain of the socks on the burn was not pleasant. It wouldn’t be pleasant anytime but when thinking about running 26.2 miles in a couple of days? Highly unpleasant! So, I am putting lotion on them constantly to try and ease the swelling and rehydrate the burned skin. I can’t believe I was that stupid!
So, my question to you: Have you ever done something where you had prepared so well for a race but then the smallest thing threw a wrench in your nice plans? Of course I will still be running, it just might hurt a bit more than I am used to! Thankfully, it was several days before. So, note to self: PUT SUNSCREEN ON YOUR WHOLE FEET!!!! 🙂
