Calamity struck when I pulled my left quadricep 16 miles into the Mohican Trail Marathon.
The next 10 miles were a long and painful journey filled with introspection and bizarre philosophical musings.
I realized things were getting weird when I found myself kneeled down, petting the soft green moss that carpets the floor of Mohican-Memorial State Forest — the finish line was only a mile away, but, after nearly six hours of running and limping, time and space had lost their relevance.
The sensation that a phantom paring knife was lodged into my leg probably made it all worse.
I trudged slowly onward and completed the 26.2-mile course more than an hour behind schedule (and my little brother).
My nieces cheered. My wife, Nicole, hugged me. I stumbled to a chair and sat down, shocked that the adventure was over.
Some muscle strains require surgery
Like many people in their 30s, I decided last year to adopt a regular exercise routine. I chose running, but strength training, cycling and swimming are other popular options.
I increased my distances over winter to include several training runs that were a half-marathon (13.1 miles) or longer.
My legs and core grew stronger, but I became residually tired sometime in early May.
The morning of the marathon, I could sense that I was one misstep from disaster. I ran carefully up and down hills, through mud and over rocks and stumps, but lost the game when I tripped over a tree root around mile 16 of the race.
My body instinctively contorted itself after the trip to prevent falling face-first onto the trail. The sudden, full-body reaction overwhelmed and pulled my already-weakened left quadricep. The pain caused me to shout out loud.
My mission immediately changed from racing my brother, Thaddaeus, to finishing the marathon without any lasting medical issues.
I took it slow and finished, but the Cleveland Clinic notes that some muscle strains are so severe that they can require surgery to heal correctly.
Endurance events unite runners
The Mohican trail runs in Loudonville are some of Ohio’s most popular endurance events. Runners come from across the nation to take on the 100-, 50- and 26.2-mile races.
Competition at “Mo,” as the course is affectionately called, is not against people, but the trails themselves. Running in a pack with others during the early stages keeps morale high.
My brother and I ran together for the first six miles of the race. Our wives, our Mom and his four daughters met us at aid stations along the way. Our aunt walked the marathon behind us.
So many people were in the race that someone was always nearby even after injury slowed me down.
A portion of the course’s later stages was clear enough that I could see about a dozen runners making their way uphill ahead of me. I watched them and wondered what part of their bodies hurt as badly as my left leg; when those injuries had befallen them; how they were coping; and why they, or any of us, chose to run obscene distances across grueling terrain.
The race reminded me that, inside our minds, our individual streams of consciousness are similar — we are alike, but molded uniquely by circumstance and choice.
I was everyone for a moment. Then I needed a drink of water.
What’s next after Mohican Trail Marathon?
Our family gathered at my parents’ house after the race. Dad ordered pizza for everyone. Some of us took naps.
Then, in the dark of the night, my brother and I drove back to the race course to work at an aid station from midnight to 4 a.m.
Our marathon may have ended, but many runners in the 100-mile race would be competing until after sunrise, 30 hours after their event had started.
Cheering for those athletes, filling their water bottles and helping them find the right snacks reminded me that my 6-hour jog was far from extreme.
I will never comprehend how ultrarunners complete such monumental distances. A standard marathon is a short race for them, but it will always be a long one for me.
That’s probably why, after taking a few days off to rest, I chose to do my recovery work on a high school track. I even put on a pair of track spikes and tested my speed. It wasn’t fast, but it was all right.
Now I’m eager for my next challenge: a one-mile track race June 20 at Otterbein University in Westerville.
After an event calculated in hours, I’m excited for one that will be determined by seconds.
ztuggle@gannett.com
419-564-3508
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: News Journal reporter finishes Mohican Trail Marathon with strained quad, plans next race
Reporting by Zach Tuggle, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
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