Three Things Thursday

I have so many post-vacation blog posts to write but, as is prone to happen, I got sick two days after we landed back at home.  And knocked right on my ass with it.  Horrible chest cold, sinus thing, throat feeling swollen shut...and then add to that that I ended up with a gastrointestinal bug as a reminder of the Dominican...NOT FUN! Saw a doctor yesterday who assured me I am not actually dying.
Today I'm feeling much better so it all must be running its course.  Thank freaking goodness.  So, if you've been waiting on the edge of your seat for those fun post-vacay info-posts - they are coming.  They just aren't here yet.
***
My shin still hurts.  Next week was supposed to mark the end of the 4 extra weeks off and I am so not sure that the fracture is healed even now.   I have no clue why not.  I haven't been working out *just in case*.  I am totally not walking as much as I would like (with the exception of our vacation).  I finally decided that I am fed up.
And I booked an appointment with Elite Sport Performance.  I go next week.  I have wanted to book sooner, but I have not had a spare moment in months to rush to the doctor (hence why it took so long to get diagnosed in the first place).  These guys are right next door to my work and come highly recommended by a friend who had a stress fracture healed in their care.
Twelve weeks is too long.  I'm looking forward to just being healed and running again.
***
I tweeted this link yesterday and I think it bears re-sharing to my readers who may not be on twitter. Heather from Relentless Forward Commotion wrote a wonderful blog post about her first time experiencing a half marathon from the back of the pack.
140 characters is truly not enough for me to commentate on this.  I have always been a mid-pack runner, but I HAVE spent several races at the back.  Most notably, my first marathon in 2011 and my ultra-half marathon last Fall.
In the blog post - Heather writes about how she is not normally a slow runner (half mara PR of 1:40 to prove it), but last weekend, she woke up very sick and ended up almost quitting before a couple of back-of-the-packers convinced her to walk the rest of the race with them and she earned every step of her 3:31 finish time.   While she is normally used to a race course that is lined with spectators, has her choice of the food while it is still fresh and unpicked over and is comfortly on her way home (if not done her post-run bath) by the time the clock hits 3:30 - she now knows what it means to earn that time.   She has seen how dramatically different the race experience is for a 1:40 halfer compared to a 3:30 halfer.  And it has left her sad and angry enough to articulate the experience.   It didn't take away from her achievement of having finished - instead it left her with a greater appreciation of what the race is like long after she is usually gone.  Perhaps even inspired her to stick around and make someone elses 3:30 half a bit brighter as these runners are left in the wake of mounds of paper cups and tired (or dwindling) volunteers.
I personally think it does a speedster good to experience the silence of the back of the pack.  Most of them never will.  They will quit a race instead of finishing one slowly.
So, to a speedster who may be reading this and acknowledging that we each have our own journey...remember next time you go for the second energy bar in the post-race food that that might mean one less bar to feed someone who spent twice as long on the race course.   Remember, as you thank the volunteers along the way (if you are even able to at that speed) that that thank you might be what keeps them there to cheer on someone (or hand them water) near the end.  And remember that as much as you'd like to speed home after collecting your age group award - there may still be someone on that course who will miss the ceremony and reach the finish line only to discover that some speedy bandit (who didn't even pay for the race) was given their race medal and now there are no more left.
Ok - pushing my soapbox out of the way.  The original post touched me deeply. I hope everyone will take a moment to read it and not see it as a whiny speedy person who had to walk a race.  If that is how it's being read, you're missing the point. It is about the experience - not the speed.
(and if I get flamed for this - I WILL delete those comments.  My blog, my piece.  Just saying)