Running in Circles

Today is the 15th running of the Philadelphia marathon.

I won't be there running it this year. Instead, I plan to run it next year and run the Rothman half marathon early next year. However, I will be there cheering on someone. Someone who I hope to run next to in the 2009 marathon. I think I am the only girl who can keep pace with him. I am guessing it's the practice we endured as children growing up in the shadows of the Empire State Building and Grand Central during rush hour. Not to mention that the others were no comparison given they are Asian shiksas shopping in my tribal department.

My biggest fear in running the marathon is hyponatremia. I get chest pains just worrying about it, as I am scared to drop to the ground mid-way thru. Hyponatremia occurs in a substantial fraction of nonelite marathon runners and can be dangerous. Considerable weight gain while running, a long racing time, and body-mass-index extremes are associated with hyponatremia. I am at risk due to medical concerns earlier this year in addition to my genetics and being prone to certain runner's issues. My physician has cleared me to run next year, but she is not letting up on watching me like a hawk and seeing me every 8 weeks until the oncologist is willing to stop watching his med-mal insurance and set me free into the general public. I am hopeful I get cleared soon so that I can do more training than the five miles I am running three to four times a week.