My Adventures in the NYRR Medical Tent

Before I start this post I just must say: no, it wasn't a big deal, but yes, I ended up in the medical tent after the More Half Marathon. It was actually my first experience of this sort in all of my running career, which I guess is sort of impressive...especially considering my tendency for injury when I ran cross-country in high-school.

Anyway, it all pretty much started AFTER the race. I was freezing cold and couldn't wait to get into my warm and dry clothes since I had been running in the rain for 2+ hours. Bill and I maneuvered this over by bagcheck. He held up two umbrellas and handed me dry clothes while I did a soccer change (this is where you change your shirt into a new shirt without showing any skin...it came from the days when we would get our soccer jerseys the day of the game.) I was so glad I brought lots of clothes. Off came the soaking technical shirt and sportsbra and on went the dry race t-shirt, a dry sweatshirt hoodie and a dry racing jacket. I also dumped my wet socks and shoes for sandles. Unfortunately, I didn't even bother with bringing pants because I figured there was no way to change out of my skirt in a non-obscene way. (Yes, I could have gone into a port-o-let, but I think that's kind of gross and anyways I don't trust my balance these days.) At any rate, I think this whole not-changing-out-of-my-skirt was my downfall. (In my defense though, I DID look all over for those space blankets for afterwards, but I think they had run out by the time I finished.)

We then proceeded to find Gina to cheer on our other friend Bess, who hadn't finished yet. Gina and I were very pumped to go to brunch afterwards. So after we saw Bess finish, I stepped off of the curb to head over to the finish and OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

I didn't even know what to call where I was feeling pain. My inner thigh? Was this my groin? My adductor? All I know is that it was this immense, radiating pain and it made it very hard to walk. I have NEVER EVER felt pain like this. We were now way behind Gina and I told Bill we might be taking a cab to brunch, even though it was only a few blocks away.

Each step intensified the pain and I actually started making audible noises. They were so loud that people started looking. Luckily, one nice man said "There's a massage tent back there." We thanked him and turned around. Bill texted Gina to go ahead without us. The massage tent seemed so far away, and I couldn't even tell which tent it was. It was getting worse and worse and I really couldn't move.

Bill then went over to a course attendant and asked where the medical tent was. Luckily it was only about 10 feet away. But those 10 feet seemed like a mile. I barely made it in. I just kept thinking "Maybe they could get a wheelchair and bring me in."

Now, from the minute we got into the tent it was all business. I kid you not. NYRR does NOT mess around.

They made me lie down on a cot (quite a feat) where they covered me in three blankets. They made me wrap one around my head and I felt like I looked like the guys in the sleeping pods from 2001 Space Odyssey.

This lady with a clipboard asked me for my number (of course, attached to my wet shirt in a plastic bag within a bag, so that took awhile to get) and took down a bunch of information from my tag.

Then, they moved me to the "warmer part" of the tent onto another cot. A man asked me what was going on and then called over a doctor saying that it was my hip (aha! my hip) and that I needed it worked out.

So the doctor asked me all about the pain, and I just kept stressing how this has NEVER happened, EVER in all my running. Bill thought that this was funny because he thought the guy probably was like "haha. What? In all your training you did for this half marathon?" I really did feel stupid being there. Like I didn't know what I was doing or something and overexerted myself (which I didn't).

I am very very sensitive about this now. I think it's because people keep asking me "Is it really okay to run while your pregnant? Really? Even all of that mileage?" And believe me, everything I've read says yes, its okay, but most importantly my OB says it's ok. So I'm all worried that people will be like "See, you shouldn't run like that!" and "You have to be more careful!"

Anyway, the doctor was great and only had to work my leg for like 10 minutes before I could move it completely again.

He said that it was just a muscle spasm brought on by the cold. Standing around afterwards in a wet skirt certainly didn't help matters. He also said it was probably also due to the fact that my circulation is much much different since I am pregnant. The solution? Go home as soon as possible, get into a warm bath and just make sure I got warm. I could also alternate cold and warm compresses on it. (He also had no problem with me running a half marathon while four months pregnant.)

When I went to stand up, I could move again without ANY pain! I could walk normally without a limp! It was amazing!!!

I actually made it almost all the way out of the park normally without it seizing up again. But when it did, it hurt LOTS. So we took a cab home. A whole 3 blocks.

It must have just been the cold though, because as soon as I got into the building from the warm cab I was walking with only a slight limp, and once I was out of the tub I didn't have any pain for the rest of the day.

Guess I learned my lesson – body temps drop dramatically after you STOP running. I may have been able to get away with it before, but not anymore: change into ALL dry clothes after a wet run.