Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon

Yesterday I helped out at one of the medical tents at the Virginia Beach Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon.  Our tent was just past the finish line on the beach.  Pretty sweet gig for a nursing student of only 5 days.  I really wanted to help with those who were overheated or in big trouble since my goal for the moment is to become an ER/Trauma nurse, but I overlooked one minor detail.  Since we were on the beach, I wore flip flops.  People who have just run 13.1 miles puke.  Puke + Flip Flops = Disaster.

I instead opted to work with a local podiatrist helping those who had destroyed their feet and I also did some minor first aid cleaning and dressing wounds for people who had pretty bad road rash.  As it turns out, the podiatrist did his residency with the guy who did my bunion surgery back in College Station, TX.  Small world.  He finished up the year before my surgery, and I'm actually pretty good with that considering at the time Dr. Liesten's resident was hands down the hottest med student I had ever seen.  Don't judge me - I was 21 and just about to go under the knife only to spend my spring break on my mom's couch and not helicopter skiing in the Alps.  Hot med students can be very comforting when you are facing that kind of peril.

The half marathon went well and we didn't have anyone who got too seriously injured.  Most people who pass out get better after about 20 minutes of ice and rest.  We did entertain ourselves by telling those people they won just to see what their reaction was.  It's not near as fun as it sounds.  When you wake up and find yourself in a medical tent surrounded by strangers telling you that you won while giggling and trying to stifle their laughs, you could really give a crap.  Sounds reasonable.

A few words to the wise:  Train before you decide to run 13.1 miles in public amongst a herd of people.  Get good shoes and synthetic socks.  Pay lots of money for them.  Bananas and carbs are your friends in the days leading up to the race.  Puke happens.  So does passing out.  Don't do both on the idiot who wore flip flops.