The Marathon

I always thought I would do a marathon one day, but wasn't doing anything to get there until last June when I couldn't run 2 miles straight.  I had stopped thinking about doing a marathon and had moved on to being a mom. Even training for a half marathon, the training schedules for a full marathon were overwhelming. I signed up for this December 31, hours before the price jumped even higher.  I was nervous if I could pull it off.

My favorite comment about running a marathon came from my mom.  "You should be glad you're running a marathon."  In many ways, I am glad like that I am running a marathon by just being healthy and able, but this was in reference to my brother Mike and his wife Summer were competing in a hike, bike and paddle excursion where you have to read a map and find your way to all these checkpoints on the same day as my marathon.  It took them nearly 13 hours to complete. 

The weather was an answer to prayers.  It was supposed to rain, like 60-70% chance, and by morning it was down to 0% chance until 11 am and it didn't even rain then.  It was beautiful!  Overcast and nice.  I think it was in the 50's!  Pretty ideal!  

I ate PB toast for breakfast and a s'mores pop tart right before.  I choked down a GU gel at 9 miles and had a baby food packet of fruit with a Power Bar logo at 15.  I also drank lots of Gatorade.  It is crazy how hungry you get, but all my snacks were enough even with the estimated 2576 calories burned (according to RunKeeper).

At the starting line

I started out waiting in line for a porta potty for like a half an hour, then gave up and tinkled by a tree in downtown DC. Half of the runners had already started, so it was only a crowd of about 10,000.  (If it starts this good, I wonder what else happens :) )  While waiting for the porta potty, one of the good tips offered was to not stop for a potty break, since your legs can freeze up.  

Pain.  There was the expected knee pain, but that happens on even 2 mile runs, but it was definitely better than expected and I felt blessed.  Then about mile 10 my left hip started to hurt, but if you keep going things tend to work themselves out and something else sets in.  My feet felt like they had been pounded, since I was kicking so much asphalt, and I popped some children's chewable IB Profen at about mile 15.  Then the 20s theme was cramping, first my left quad, then my hamstrings, and finally some calf action.  There were a few runners along the way that were hurting more than I was, so I couldn't feel too bad for myself.  It was a bit crazy, but I was able to run the whole way and gave myself permission to walk through the water/Gatorade stations.  The day after, wow!!  I'm sore!  Four days later, I no longer thought about walking and started going down the stairs without holding on or going down backwards (which is easier when you're sore).

In the last 18 weeks, I ran 400 miles.  Who knows how many Justin Bieber songs that is?  As I went along I was working for the 400.  For example at 19 miles, I had 393 miles  under my belt.  Hitting 20 miles was so great.  It was the furthest I had ever run.  It was exciting to think one of my dreams is about to happen.  This is it!  I've got this!  I kept thinking of the quote I found just days before the race "You were strong enough to get this far. You are strong enough to keep going."    Over the last 30 weeks, I ran 625 miles between training for the half marathon and full marathon.  

Along the way I met this guy dressed in a super man suit with an "m" instead of an"s".  He was so nice and whipped out his phone and interviewed me.  He was very nice and entertaining.  While we were running, he shouted "best tour of the city."  Things are a little funnier after you have run for 14 miles and have 12 ahead of you.  I totally should have taken my picture with him.  His name is Trent "Marathon Man" Morrow from Australia.  He is going for a Guinness World Record for the most marathons run in a year and is going for 160 or so in 20 different countries.  This was #25 this year and the 1st of 17 marathons in 17 days.  I had no idea who I had met at the time.  I hope he makes it!  

I was waiting for "the wall" and wondering what it felt like, but didn't hit a distinct wall, just traveling soreness and a decreasing desire to keep running.  By mile 23 I was chanting to myself, "you never have to do this again."  I really didn't want to run the last mile, but I had gone that far, so I kept going to 26 and then there was the .2.  Never has a fifth of a mile been so far, it is almost 4 football fields though.  Holy cow!  At the finish line, one of the photographers asked if I was okay and commented "most people aren't staggering that much."  I thought it was funny and ever so slowly staggered to all the free food.  You get more handed to you the slower you go!

My splits were 28:34 at the 3.1 mile (5 k), 57:58 at 6.2 miles (10 k), 1:33 at mile 10, 2:02 at 13.1 miles, 3:06 at mile 20, and 4:08 at the finish!  My cheerleaders were right at the finish line!  It was so great to see them and then I wonder who had the harder job, the runner or the caretaker.  Thanks Jas!!  He has put on a lot of babysitting hours to get me across the finish line!  

My running tracking app "Runkeeper" said I ran 28.01 miles, but I don't know if they make a sticker of that :) and I'm pretty sure I didn't get lost.  At any rate, I was due for an ice bath when we got home.  My legs went totally numb and didn't move well.  It mimicked the feeling of an epidural.

It feels surreal to have done a marathon.  I don't feel too different, minus the soreness.  I guess I know what it is like and can say I've done it.  I still think running a few miles is hard, but I enjoy the time to think.  I wasn't sure if I'd want to keep running after, and I think I will :)