Cinderella .262 Miler

Yeah, you read that title correctly: Cinderella *POINT* 262 Miler.  I had originally registered for the full marathon, but due to injuries, I dropped down to the 10k.  As I embarked on my trek up this mountain known as "Cinderella," I felt that nagging sharp pain in my back and leg, and had to turn around.  I was about .13 miles in.  My total for the day was .262 miles.  I would love to move that decimal point to places to the right, but I'll take the DNF for what it is.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one to drop out of the marathon.  My running buddies all dropped down to the 10k.  Word on the trail is that a hooded Asian thug with a machete chopped down all the pink and orange ribbons causing many runners to get lost in the woods! Who would do that?  Nonetheless, my running mates had great time.  This was a good warm up for all of us before the Bay To Breakers the next day!

Can you find Chewbacca in this photo?

Let's talk injuries for a moment.  You may recall that something happened to me the weekend of the Country Music/Flying Pigs double marathon.  I had and MRI done and here are the results:

• L1 -- L2: Unremarkable
• L2 -- L3: Unremarkable
• L3 -- L4: Minimal bilobed disc bulge only, essentially unremarkable
• L4 -- L5: The disc is slightly desiccated and diminished in height. There is a mild broad-based disc bulge eccentric to the right, most prominent lateral to the vertebral bodies. There is a right foraminal moderately large disc extrusion which compresses the right exiting L4 nerve root in the mid to lateral foramen. The left foramen is patent.
• L5 -- S1: The disc is desiccated and minimally diminished in height. There is a mild broad-based disc bulge with osteophyte which contacts the right S1 nerve root but does not compress it. There are mild facet degenerative changes. Foramina patent.

In layman's terms, what this means is that I have a bulging disc that is causing havoc on my sciatic nerve.  You know those butterflies that you get before a race?  Well, those caterpillars with wings mutated into Mothra and migrated to spine where it caused nonstop havoc to my sciatic nerve!

You gotta remember Mothra!  It's Godzilla's lepidoptera nemesis!

This sciatic nerve inconvenience knocked me out of the race for a few weeks.  I had to drop out of four marathons, which puts my quest for Titanium behind.  But at the end of the day, my health is much more important to me, so Titanium will have to wait until I heal!  I tried to have Cinderella be my comeback marathon, but it just didn't happen.  That's ok, at least I'll be rested up for the Bay To Breakers.  Here are two of my favorite shots of the B2B expo and carbo load dinner.  Good times.

When Meb saw me in line, he said, "Endorphin Dude! I remember you from San Jose!"  

And of course, the group photo.  So many Marathon Maniacs and Half Fanatics in this shot.  I love these peeps!