I'm a Marathoner

This journey starts sometime months ago when my silly brain said, "hey, you should run a marathon this year". And I tried to tell my brain to shut up, but it didn't... and I asked Annette if she would want to do it too (since we ran our first race ever together, our first 1/2 marathon together, our first Ragnar together) and the crazy girl said yes. So, here we are... registered and stuck. We've got to run this thing or die trying.

Training was tough at times... I had to run some of my very long runs all by myself, but I loved the feeling of accomplishment each time I ran farther than I ever had before. It's empowering. It helped that Annette was running the same training plan as me, and we could encourage each other. I had a glitch when I got tendonitis in my right foot, but since the doctor said I could run on it, I did.

I felt great the week of the race... confident, not worried, ready... until about 2 days before. Then I thought I might throw up, cry, stay home... I was a little nervous. ;) Luckily both Annette and I made it there and we were as ready as we would ever be.

We had fun going to the expo the night before, buying socks and sweatshirts (Annette bought mine because she's jerky that way... sigh, friends. What are you going to do with them? ;), then eating the obligatory pasta dinner (which I paid for, because if a friend is a jerk, I have to be a jerk right back) which was actually pretty good, AND we got to "spin the wheel" and both of us got great prizes that more than paid for our entry fee to the race, even though we both said we never win anything good. (Annette won a camelbak and I won a car organizer thing... it's impossible for me to explain.) Then we talked until almost 10:00... wishing we could talk longer. I miss living with our back yards connecting and being able to hang out whenever we want to.

I actually slept great that night... until I dreamed that I ran 1 1/2 miles of the marathon in high heels and a dress, finally realizing I was running in heels, then running back to the start so I could change into my shoes. I was relieved when I woke up and realized I hadn't started the race yet. It was almost time to get up at that point, so I got up and started to get ready.

We went to the buses that would take us to the starting line in the dark and the cold, and then the bus drove us up to the top of the canyon... and that ride took FOREVER. I kept thinking "this is what we're running... we're running this far, and the bus is never going to stop". We did finally get there, stood in line for the potties, then found the "tent of heat". It was so weird... people mushed together in a tent, sitting or standing, many with their heads down, nobody talking, and all facing the same direction in the dark. I said that it looked like some sort of strange ritual or something, and some dude next to me said "hey, that's what I thought too... I'm just waiting for the spiritual leader to come". He reminded me of my brother Geoff but with long hair. (What I could see of him in the dark).

Then, it was time to start, so we stood there freezing until the guns went off... then it was the slow surge of masses of people moving forward. It was exciting to finally be starting, and it felt good to get the blood flowing. It was cold for quite awhile, and I did wish I had brought gloves.

The first half of the race was downhill, which is nice in a way, but oh boy, I started feeling muscles that I don't normally feel, and it HURT! It was also very hard to judge how fast to go... I knew I needed to keep a fairly easy pace, and not go out too fast, but how do you judge that for your first marathon? It felt easy, I was breathing super easy... so I figured I should go with it. Annette and I were running together most of the race, and we kept asking each other if we were feeling good... and we were.

The scenery was gorgeous, and I had to keep reminding myself to take it all in. We hit mile 13 at 2 hours, which is slightly more than my half marathon time. Probably too fast, but that was a few years ago, I felt good, and it was downhill. I ate a gu at almost mile 9, and 1/2 a gu 14, and was drinking water at most water stations, but not all.

I still felt good at this point, but my hips and thighs were already feeling very sore from that constant downhill. The run was still gorgeous, and I had lots of moments where I thought, "I LOVE this! I'm so glad I'm doing this!" It hurt, yes, but totally manageable. At around mile 18 it started to feel a bit harder. My legs were screaming, and it was getting hot. When we were almost to mile 19 Annette and I parted ways. I would've stayed with her, but I felt like I had to run the exact pace my legs felt like at that point, so I went ahead. (It was the plan from the beginning to stay together only as long as it felt right for both of us, so don't worry... she told me to go). I ate another 1/2 a gu sometime around this point, and part of another a few miles later, but I'm not positive when. (Things get a little fuzzy at this point).

I hit mile 20 at 3:09:06. Things started to hurt even more, and when I got to around mile 21 I thought about my sister chasing me with a knife (that was her way to encourage me... she told me to imagine that at mile 21). It wasn't very helpful... I was kind of wishing that she would catch me with that knife and put me out of my misery. At this point, I totally understood why everyone says the last 6 miles are the hardest. I believed it, but now I was feeling it, experiencing it, living it. It was mostly mental, like everyone told me it would be, because my legs had nothing left. I was determined to continue running to the end. So many were walking, but I wanted to run it all the way... besides the couple of water stations that I walked through (because I could barely hold a cup) hurt so bad to start running again... it was easier just to "run". Around mile 23 we had a short but fairly steep downhill. It hurt so bad I almost cried.

Somewhere around mile 24 I heard someone yell my name, and it was my sis-in-law Melissa, sticking her head out her car window and waving her arms at me. It was the perfect thing at the perfect time... I was having such a hard time at that point, and it was so unexpected and encouraging. She wasn't able to make it to the finish line in time, because of the traffic, but I was so glad she was there, and that she saw me, and it meant so much to me that she would come cheer me on. I cried a little after I passed her. ;)

I was running so slow at this point, but I had to keep going. I wanted to be done soooo badly, and whenever I saw someone along the side with their finishers medal it would remind me that there IS a finish, and I will make it, and I WILL be one of those who are DONE! (Yeah, I was a little jealous of them too. ;)

Finally I turned a corner and saw the finish line. Oh, the glorious, beautiful FINISH LINE. I cried a little right there. It was one of the best things I've ever seen in my life. I ran, looking for my family, and then saw them all of a sudden, cheering me on. It was such a great moment. I. had. finished. a. marathon. 26.2 miles... 4 hours 19 minutes and 37 seconds... and it felt amazing. They called out my name, I raised my arms in victory, and then I was through the finish line. They handed me a medal, I went and got my sweaty, ugly picture taken, and wobbled over to the chocolate milk and bananas.

Minutes later I heard them call Annette's name, and I waited for her to come out of the finish maze. I was so proud of us... we did it! Yet another big racing milestone that we accomplished together. A girl came over to me and told me my family was looking for me over at the side (super nice of her... looking for me for them), and I got to hug my kids, who gave up birthday parties and jobs to come see their mom run through a finish line. I got to hug my mom-in-law, who kept my kids overnight, drove quite a distance, battled crazy traffic, tried to find a parking place, kept 3 kids safe in crazy crowds, and was there to cheer me on. Yeah, she's one in a million, and I am amazingly lucky. I love her so much, and it meant SO much to me that she was there, and that she helped my kids be there. Brandon had to work, and couldn't come, which was SO hard for me, but it all turned out okay.

Annette sat down on the grass, but I literally could not sit down. I had to bend forward, put my hands on the ground, and lower/plop myself down. It was very strange that my legs just wouldn't do what they were being told to do. I needed to take one step forward to hand someone a cell phone, and my leg wouldn't move. My foot was okay the whole race (thank goodness) but was killing me at this point.

Well, I could go on forever, I'm sure... and this has been a ridiculously long post, but I'll try to wrap it up. This was one of the most amazing and one of the most horrible things I've done, which I'm pretty sure makes it a good marathon. It was tough... physically tough, mentally tough, but I feel like I accomplished what I wanted to, and I pushed through, even when it was more than I thought I could do. I am so thankful for all of my family and my friends who have encouraged me all along the way, and there at the race. I know I've put so much of myself and my energy into training and running this marathon, and Brandon and the kids have never ever complained. They put up with crappy dinners, a messy house, and a tired mom, and only encouraged me. I love them. I felt the love and support of all of my friends while I was running the race, and I knew so many of you were thinking of me... that helped so much! Thank you!

I am a marathoner. I've looked 26.2 miles in the eye, and I've finished. It wasn't a perfect race, but it was a good race, and I'm really proud of me. So, the question so many will ask... am I going to run another one? Not next year, but maybe... maybe the year after. :)