Eastern Credit Union 15k 2019 - I did it!
I've told the story on here before about the first 15k race I ever participated in.
Actually it was the first race I ever participated in and it was a horrible experience.
I was severely overweight and completely deluded myself into thinking I could do the Eastern Credit Union 15k with no training and no preparation.
Well, I did it. In over 5 hours. Long after the race had closed and the timer was shut off and mostly everyone had already gone home.
It was humiliating. I swore I would never do the ECU race again.
Three years and many 5ks, 10ks, 15ks, a 20k, and even a half marathon later, I decided to enter the 2019 Eastern Credit Union 15k.
This time I had more confidence that I could do it because I'd done greater distances than that since 2016.
But I knew I wasn't prepared for it.
For starters, I had kind of slacked off for the past four months, not walking and hiking as much as I used to. So I knew I would struggle. But I entered anyway.
Well let's just say the struggle was real.
I started off strong, running and keeping up with the crowd. but before a mile I slowed to a jog. Pretty soon I was out of breath and down to a power walk. Still I could look back and see people behind me so I knew I wasn't gonna be last. I was doing fine for the first 90 minutes or so. Then somewhere around 9km both my legs buckled and gave out and the ambulance approached me.
It was like dejavu.
That fucking ambulance.
At this point I'm trying to outrun the ambulance because I don't want a replay of three years ago.
But it was like the faster I tried to go, the more my legs locked up. Eventually I had to stop and wait out the cramp.
The medics came over and sprayed my calves with something (I dunno what the hell it was) but it brought instant and temporary relief.
While I waited out the cramp, the few people who were behind me passed by. At that point I knew I was gonna be last. But I'd be damned if they shut off the timer before I got in.
So I got my ass up and started again.
Shortly after my legs buckled again and I got the spray treatment again.
I finished the race in 2hours and 45 minutes. Dead last and in pain but happy because I remembered how long it took the first time.
So that last place is a win to me. And now I have a better memory of the ECU race to replace the old one with.
Not much better but an improvement all the same.
Actually it was the first race I ever participated in and it was a horrible experience.
I was severely overweight and completely deluded myself into thinking I could do the Eastern Credit Union 15k with no training and no preparation.
Well, I did it. In over 5 hours. Long after the race had closed and the timer was shut off and mostly everyone had already gone home.
It was humiliating. I swore I would never do the ECU race again.
Three years and many 5ks, 10ks, 15ks, a 20k, and even a half marathon later, I decided to enter the 2019 Eastern Credit Union 15k.
This time I had more confidence that I could do it because I'd done greater distances than that since 2016.
But I knew I wasn't prepared for it.
For starters, I had kind of slacked off for the past four months, not walking and hiking as much as I used to. So I knew I would struggle. But I entered anyway.
Well let's just say the struggle was real.
I started off strong, running and keeping up with the crowd. but before a mile I slowed to a jog. Pretty soon I was out of breath and down to a power walk. Still I could look back and see people behind me so I knew I wasn't gonna be last. I was doing fine for the first 90 minutes or so. Then somewhere around 9km both my legs buckled and gave out and the ambulance approached me.
It was like dejavu.
That fucking ambulance.
At this point I'm trying to outrun the ambulance because I don't want a replay of three years ago.
But it was like the faster I tried to go, the more my legs locked up. Eventually I had to stop and wait out the cramp.
The medics came over and sprayed my calves with something (I dunno what the hell it was) but it brought instant and temporary relief.
While I waited out the cramp, the few people who were behind me passed by. At that point I knew I was gonna be last. But I'd be damned if they shut off the timer before I got in.
So I got my ass up and started again.
Shortly after my legs buckled again and I got the spray treatment again.
I finished the race in 2hours and 45 minutes. Dead last and in pain but happy because I remembered how long it took the first time.
So that last place is a win to me. And now I have a better memory of the ECU race to replace the old one with.
Not much better but an improvement all the same.
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