My First Failed Full Marathon Attempt

I was looking for a new challenge after finished the The Four Seasons Half Marathon Challenge.
 
Partly it was my dream and partly it was inspired by Wenqin's training on her first Half Marathon, I decided to go for my first Full Marathon.  I signed up for the race in early October and started my training.
 
This morning the race day finially came.  It was a cloudy day with the temperature in 60s which I could not complain.  The main street was filled with runners before behind the race start line.  Twenty five thousands runners were expected to participate in all running events including Full Marathon, Marathon Relay, Half Marathon, Mayor's 5K run.  At eight, the national anthem was sung.  Five minuates later, the gun fired for the Marathon/Half marathon with the lound music from the speakers and cheers from the crowd.  
 
I moved with the crowd at a pace that is slower than my usual pace.  I was hoping that I would be able to finish the full course without any incidence and if I feel more comfortable later in the race I would speed up.  Unfortunately after 7 miles, I could not run any more.  So I just walked for anoter four and half miles.  It then felt that it was painful even when I lifted my right leg.  I guessed I was cursed again. :-)  I decided not to fight aginst god's will and went to a police office.  I asked her to have someone give me a ride to the city's Convention Center where the race course ended.  She made some calls but no car came to pick me up.  She gave me a folded chair and let me sit in her chair.  A lady lives nearby came to ask me if I need a drink or food. I did not need anything but thanked her for the offer.  After the last runner had passed that point, the police office gave me a ride to a street near the finish line.  She was working for her second job today.  I started looking for my co-workers who also participated in the event today, but found none of them.  With the help of a volunteer, I found that my running budy had finished the coursed in 4:54.  I then left the event for the day.

That's how it was going with my first Full Marathon attempt.  I have tried, made a mistake, and learned a lesson.

I have tried for after I had trained for more than one months, I was able to run 20 miles on a Sunday and 6 miles at a good pace the following day.  I was quite confident then that I would have a good race.
 
I made a mistake for I overtrained by running too many miles (50 all together) in a week just a coule weeks before the race day.  Before that week, I only ran about 30 miles a week.  One of my co-workers who experienced various kinds of runner injuries heard of my situation and suggested I see a doctor immediately.   I did not follow his advice for I felt better after I had not run for a week.
 
Lesson learned:  Don't increase runing distance dramatically.  Stop running if you feel any uncomfortable in your running.  Do not hesitate to visit a doctor.
 
Where there was a first attempt, there will be a second attempt.  "After all... tomorrow is another day."



To avoid traffic jam at the race side, I took a train to the downtown this morning.




There are statuses near the city's Convention Center where the event was held.





More statuses



Where there are cows, there are cowboys.



A more closer look of the cowboy




Last evening, workers were still working on the finish line.




The race course (picture is from the Internet) - It (the green line) starts at the yellow spot (Convention Center) at the bottom of the picture and goes cross the top (north) of the lake (right top)and goes downs (southward) along the east side of the lake.  It then goes back to the downtown from the the bottom of the lake.