Report Back

As I set out up the trails of Rock Creek Park North for my vaunted 20-miler, I felt good, and I felt prepared.  I had my bag of Jelly Belly Endurance Beans, my lucky socks, a little bit of ABBA on my ipod and gorgeous 68 degree weather.   I cruised down Beach Drive (closed to traffic on the weekends!) up to Bethesda, right on pace.  There were a few (mossy) waterfountains along the path, which helped since I abandoned my fuel belt. (A side note here: how are you supposed to wear those things? or to be more specific, how do women with any semblance of hips manage to prevent the belts from sliding up to their waists?  A disappointing purchase)  Somewhere around mile 14, I stopped at a water fountain, took a good long swig, and as I turned to get back into a rhythm, I felt it–the stabbing pain in my knee, and the weird feeling that something hadn’t hinged quite right.  I tried walking it out for 10 minutes, and while the pain dissipated, as soon as I tried to jog, my knee locked up again.  My choices were: limp-run (a graceless and potentially dangerous option) or walk the 6 miles home.  I chose the later.  Does it still count as a 20-miler if I walked the last 6? I’m disappointed and a bit worried that similar things will happen in Chicago.