Fake It Til You Make It
Like I mentioned yesterday, when I’m coaching I’m not running for myself. I’m there for the people on my Team who need me. We get a lot of new runners because it is a charity program, and some of them have never done a 5k, let alone a half or full marathon!
So the race isn’t about me. However I feel doesn’t matter. If I’m hurting, cramping, chaffing, blistering, you name it, it doesn’t matter. I just suck it up and deal with it. And I’m happy to do it!
But sometimes it hurts.
During the half marathon on Saturday I got some of the worst blisters I’ve had in my life. Both my pinky toes were gross. The humidity had me sweating like a crazy person early in the race so I’m guessing my wet socks caused the blisters. But you’d never know it in these pictures:
Plus, my feet felt chaffed. I can’t explain it any better than that. The bottoms of them were KILLING me.
And I still had a full marathon to run on Sunday!
So I tried to spend the rest of Saturday vertical. Which was easy considering the weather was beautiful and our pool was 2 steps away from our room.
Despite my aching feet, it was a perfect way to spend the afternoon!
And Sunday morning I bandaged my toes the best I knew how and sucked it up. It was my first time coaching a full marathon and I knew it was going to be a long day!
But with the excitement of running Disney and being distracted by helping the runners, I never even thought about my feet.
Until afterwards. When I wanted to chop them off.
And then I saw this:
In addition to the blisters and chaffing, I got some sort of heat rash on my feet and up to my knees (at least I’m guessing that it was heat rash? It went away by Wednesday.)!
Yuck. So not pretty.
But, you know what, I survived. And, God willing, I’ll do it again.
Glutton for punishment? Maybe. Love my job? Definitely.
Have you ever had to “fake it til you make it”?
Oh ouch. I do know that feeling of your feet feeling chaffed too. Mine feel that way half of the summer no matter what socks I have. I’m still so impressed and inspired. Such dedication to do this type of thing. And yes, I’m faking it a lot lately
First of all, love your hat in that pool side photo… I totally know what you are talking about with the bottom of your feet feeling chaffed. I’ve had that feeling in a pair of boots of mine. Like the bottoms of my feet were on fire, like an indian burn! Never had it happen while running, but it poured during a half I ran in July and my feet blistered so bad I thought I would have to quit. Didn’t quit, actually PR’d… by like 20 seconds. But still! You did a great job! I hope you’re feeling better soon!
Wow. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have nearly been as good at faking it as you were in this situation — again I say I’m inspired by you and overwhelmed by your passion, I LOVE that about you!!!
Wow! You are amazing (haha I just saw Jess typed Wow to start her comment to). Way to ROCK through it. SO….are you doing the coaching for next year’s Disney half too? I want to do it. Can you coach from a distance so I can be on your team and run the race? <3 <3
You are such a rock star Heather. I know for a fact that I would never have finished the half without you cheering me on. I seriously can’t thank you enough.
And even though I finished saying I’d never run another half again in my life, once the pain faded and the craziness in my brain from the heat and humidity calmed down, I realized how much I enjoyed it because of you, Katrina and the team. And if you’re in for next year, so am I!
Wow… your athletes are so lucky to have you! Sounds like you count yourself lucky to have them as well
Your poor feet! Did you get a massage? I ran my first-ever 18 miler today and I went for a 1.5 hour massage this afternoon. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so good after a long run (and you had two!).
So glad you let us know how the race went! Hopefully your team had a blast (how could they not?!).
Faking it is the name of the game when you’re leading, right?! I think, as a mother, you even have to pull that off sometimes. You are such an incredible coach! Truly inspirational. I wish you lived closer. I could use you to push my butt too! I hope you’re feet are feeling better. That sounds miserable!
after running only the CLE half in the heat and humidity last year, i have no idea how you pushed through! you’re an awesome coach!
Congrats on Goofy (I am a bit late to the game)! A friend of mine ran it and had blisters as well, but not that heat rash! Ouch! I hope it is feeling better!
Ouch! I’m not good at faking it. In fact, if something hurts, the world has to know about it with me. I will push through discomfort to a degree but I let everyone know.
As for your feet – eeek…have you tried Injinji socks? I almost ALWAYS wear them and don’t get blisters.
Seconding Julie’s comment – love you in that hat.
Also seconding Sarena’s – there are definitely moments when as a leader you can’t let those depending on you know how much it’s hurting. Or how worried you are (my usual operating procedure.)
You make running the Goofy look so exciting – even knowing what happened to your feet afterwards!!
It says so much about you that even though you were hurting, you know the weekend wasn’t about you, you were there to help others achieve their goals and that is phenomenal! Go you! That must be a phenomenal feeling!
holy crap, you are amazing!! I can’t believe how much you had to fake it, all that pain! You did so awesome, and kept your team going, that is the sign of an incredible coach and athlete!!
Heather your poor feet!! I’m mega impressed with your coaches spirit…and that you ran that much in just one little weekend! You totally deserve some lay by the pool time
Thank you for being so inspirational
Hope your feet feel better soon!!
You are such a trooper. What an adventure though. Congrats!
I am writing a post on “faking it til you make it” and doing a little research and that’s how I found you. You’d think I would have found you because you’re a runner in CLE like me, but no. Funny how that happens
Congrats on the goofy challenge – so BA!