One of the nice things about running in races is after the race many runners get together and talk about the race and how they felt during the race. The runners that finish near the front and may win an award hang around for the presentation ceremony. Even at gatherings with other people there is always that group of runners that get off by themselves and talk about the races they have run. The language is strictly running lingo and non-runners think that they are talking some strange dialect or in code and tend to find a more normal group to converse with.
There is one topic that runners tend to avoid more than some stories. The topic is often called, “Post Race Blues” and covers the events after a hard race. The shorter 5K and 10K races are not usually in this topic. The one 10 K race I ran that fits the “blues” category was a race I was not in shape for and was going to run just for fun. But, it turned into a mad sprint for over a quarter of a mile against another runner. I ended up crossing the finish line and ended up with a series of ‘dry heaves’ during my recovery. That is when a friend of mine asked me, “Are you having fun now?” But it is more the half-marathons and full marathons that find stories about the downside of running.
A common comment heard from first time marathon runners is the muscle cramps in the legs. After my first marathon I had to be helped up a curb while crossing a street as my legs were locked in place. My friends leaned me up against the wall of a building to put my sweat pants on as I couldn’t bend my legs. And, the following Monday at work, the task of walking up stairs was hard, but it was the walking down the stairs that found you almost sliding down the banisters to avoid bending the knees.
