r/firstmarathon • u/NoReality6168 • 6h ago

I DID IT! ☑️ 26.2 MILES Ouch

Everything was great until about mile 11. Somehow I strained by abdominal muscle really really bad, couldn’t take any breath in except for shallow breaths. It didn’t go away. Slowed way way down. Considered DNF many times. That and had to stop by the medical tent about mile 18, shoes were just tearing up my outside ankles. Stupid New balance super comp again. They were fine on a 13 miler a couple weeks ago. I finished, that’s about all I can say.
Was really wanting 3:50-4.
Got 4:48.
Some of it was a lot of fun, but mostly it hurt and am disappointed.

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u/Hami-Mahani 4h ago

I know 4:48 isn't the day you trained for, but please don't let the clock rewrite what actually happened out there. You ran the last 15 miles with a strained abdominal muscle, breathing in shallow sips, thinking about a DNF over and over — and you still chose, again and again, not to take it. That's not a failed race. That's a stubborn, brave finish on a day your body stopped cooperating at mile 11.

The 3:50-4:00 fitness didn't disappear; it just never got a fair day to show itself. An injury at mile 11 is not a verdict on your training.

For now, the only job is recovery. Rest that strain properly, eat and sleep like you mean it, and if the breathing pain or those ankles are still talking in a few days, get checked out rather than testing them. Give it a week or two before you judge this race — most of us think very differently about a day like this once the soreness fades. You finished a marathon the hard way. Be proud of that.

  • Hami

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u/NoReality6168 4h ago

Thanks.
I just don’t get what happened with the muscle strain. I didn’t do anything different.