Marathon 9/5/2009

Here's how my marathon went:

2 days beforehand I got a cold. I lost my voice and everything. I still had junk in my sinuses and lungs. Not ideal, but I still ran.

4:45am I wake up to get ready.
5:20am I catch the bus to take me to the starting line.

I'm figuring I have a lot of time because the race isn't until 6:15. So I get in line for the port-a-potty (The port-t-potties were literally lined up in someones pasture, only in Idaho right?) Just before I get in the port-a-potty I get a 5 minute warning until race time. When I get out I take off my long-sleeved shirt and put my bag in the truck to be taken to the finish line. By then I have like 2 minutes. So I try to find a spot where I won't get trampled at the start. I do a couple of stretches, but don't really have time to do much. Then BANG -- the race starts.

Mile 1: is a steep downhill. I didn't see the point in using energy to slow myself down, so I let the hill take me down. I probably went too fast, because I passed nearly everyone. But it felt sooooo good to be running free!
Mile 2: I settle into my pace. Everyone begins to pass me.
Mile 3: I'm thinking where is the first aid station. There's supposed to be like 15 of them, shouldn't I be passing one soon?
Mile 4: A group of girls catch up to me and I think, I can keep up with them. I pace with them for a mile, but soon they pass me for good. A guy in a red hat, realizes it's my first marathon and give me some advice. "When you can't run, just keep walking, or crawling to the finish line."
Mile 5: There was this horse in the pasture going crazy as all of us ran past. He was sprinting from one end of his enclosure to the other. He was fun to watch.
Mile 6: I notice, that my gluts have cramped up and it hurts. I want to stop a stretch, but no one even stops running at the aid stations. So I keep running.
Mile 7: I can't take it anymore I stop and hang stretch to try and fix my gluts and hamstrings. But to no avail...they are too tight.
Mile 8: The man in white, grabs me and keeps me from stopping at the aid station so he can give me advice. He'd noticed that I was cramped up and told me I was over-pronating, therefore wasting energy. So he helped me refine my stride.
Mile 9: I stop at the aid station and get 2 cups of Powerade.
Mile 10: I realize that by straightening out my stride, I am beginning to get blisters on my arches like I did when I first bought these cheap shoes. So I go back to running how I normally do.
Mile 11: Past by quickly.
Mile 12: I take some IB Profin. Stopped and stretched some more. Just trying to get comfortable before spectators can start watching.
Mile 13: Halfway!!!! My butt hurts so much, that I really have no idea how I'm going to finish.
Mile 14: I run with another girl. Curtis finds me and continues to follow me for the remainder of the race. The kids get out with signs they made for mommy. It was so adorable and quite distracting. I told a couple of runners that those are my kids; I was so proud.
Mile 15: The first aid station with bananas and oranges. I take an orange slice and keep running.
Mile 16: I hit the WALL!!! I realize that I needed some food -- bananas would have been great (potassium helps with cramps). Oops, it's gonna be a while before an aid station has bananas. (I the next one will be at mile 19!)
Mile 17: I get lightheaded, my fingers are numb, I feel like I'm going to pass out at any moment. I send Curtis out to get me some much needed food.
Mile 18: This other runner gives me a "salt pill" and some mustard. I said I'd save it for later, but I actually never took his no name pill. Weirdo!
Mile 19: I cried! I ate three piece of banana! I drank! Hope was restored. And I took off running strong and caught up to the pack in the next mile.
Mile 20: Curtis got me a power bar and I devoured it very quickly.
Mile 21: Not a bad mile for me.
Mile 22: I start counting down. 4 miles left!
Mile 23: I took some more IB Profin, just because I was offered it. That's what I like about the marathon. There is no shame in taking pills in order to finish. It makes me laugh.
Mile 24: I know I can make it. There were encouraging people cheering me on.
Mile 25: I pick up the pace, running as fast as I can, so I can finish strong.
Mile 26.2: FINISH!!! Again, I cried! It was an AWESOME feeling to finish! I got my medal. There was a lot of food at the finish line for me to partake. My time was 5 hours 13 minutes.I would compare the feeling to delivering a baby. As soon as you cross the finish line, you forget all the pain you had to go through to get there. Your body will feel it and remind you that you've been through an ordeal, but your mind will only tell you that it was worth it.

2 days later, I feel much better. I've stopped taking drugs and I can walk without drawing too much attention.