The Marathon

Now this is a race report I never thought I'd be writing. If you had asked me a year ago if I'd ever run a marathon, I would have said, "No way" "No, I can barely run 6 miles--you'll never see me run 26!" or something along those lines. But then something happened when I watched Boston 2011. I started thinking to myself, "I don't know..maybe..maybe a marathon wouldn't be that bad?" And before I knew it, I had researched races, found the perfect event, and posted an ad on Facebook that read, "Thinking about signing up for a marathon. Anyone want to join??" Not two minutes later, T's uncle (we'll call him TU) replied with an emphatic yes. And with that, it was settled.

But that was back in April. I still had a full triathlon season ahead of me and Sprint Age Group Nationals in August to train for. So I registered, and then I waited five months to begin training. In September, I started training. And that experience deserves a post all its own. So let's move on to Race Day.

I still can't believe how calm I felt all day. When I woke up the morning of the race, I felt no nerves. I felt tired, and a bit cold, but fine otherwise. I got up, got dressed, and made some instant oatmeal for the bus ride. TU met us in our hotel room, and T walked us to our bus. With a kiss and a wave, he left and TU and I were all alone in a long line of runners.

We found ourselves on a bus in no time flat, despite the line wrapping around the block and down the street. The ride to Folsom from Sacramento was quiet. TU and I chatted about the race, about strategies, about how we'd trained. I ate my (now cold) oatmeal. I put too much protein powder in it, and the banana tasted awful. Normally that would really bother me, but this morning I thought to myself, "It is what it is, no use worrying". I ate my gross, cold breakfast diligently, like it was my job, or a chore.

Once we got to the start line, I knew I needed to get in a PortaPotty line right away. TU decided to wait on the bus, since the start was still 30 minutes or so away and they were letting folks stay onboard to keep warm. Little did we know, despite the long line of PortaPotties, the number of runners needing them were too great. The line took 20 minutes! Once it was my turn, I moved fast. I don't think I have ever 'dashed in and out' so fast in my life. TMI? Sorry.

By that point runners were flocking towards the start line, and I still had to get back to the bus to find TU. I started running through the sea of busses, and began to get really nervous. I couldn't believe we were going to miss the start of the race, or worse, that we'd gotten separated before the race even began. I was not prepared to run this race alone. Thankfully, just as I started to get really frantic, I saw him and we made our way to bag drop and then the start line. We found a spot between the 3:45 and 3:55 pacers, and before we knew it (neither of us heard a gun!) we were off!

Miles 1-6

These miles were so much fun. The race starts on a long slow downhill, so we settled into a comfortable pace that felt really easy, somewhere in the 8:50-9:00 range (neither of us wear Garmins, so we don't have mile splits). About 800 meters into the race, I knew I was going to have to make a pit stop. Runners were ducking behind bushes left and right, but I thought I'd wait for a PortaPotty. The first station we came to already had a line of runners waiting to use them, so I decided to hold off until the next station. I was a little uncomfortable running with a full bladder the next few miles, but it wasn't agonizing. Plus, the gorgeous sights and cheering crowds helped distract me. These miles cut through a rural/residential neighborhood, and we ran past several stables and horse pastures. One spectator even showed up with his dog and a goat! and the goat was on a leash! Too cute! The signs were great, too. One read, "You're not almost there!" which made TU and I crack up.

Finally around mile 5 I stopped to use a PortaPotty, and we lost about 45 seconds. But right after that, we ran into The Family! My parents, TU's girlfriend, T, and my aunt and uncle were all out cheering for us. We knew they'd be at about the 6 mile, 13 mile and 20 mile marks. And there they were! It was a huge boost, knowing I only had to run a few miles between each cheering spot.

Miles 7-13.1

These miles also ticked by pretty quickly. I don't remember much, other than hitting the 10-mile mark and thinking, "You're in double digits now! You got this!" We kept a remarkably steady pace through these miles: we were averaging exactly 9-mintue miles the whole way (we checked our watches at each mile marker). The pace felt right, and we were both eating and drinking as needed. Around mile 12 I ate part of an Odwalla bar--it was dry, but seemed to sit better in my stomach than the chews I'd eaten earlier. My stomach started to feel a bit upset around mile 13, but I put it out of my mind.

Miles 13.1-18

Passing through the half-marathon mark was so cool. I realized I was halfway done, and I was feeling strong, and that this was really going to happen. But right after we passed by The Family for the second time, my mood started to drop. I figured this was because I wasn't eating enough, but I couldn't stomach any more food. I started drinking Gatorate at the water stops, to fuel up as best I could.

This was also where things started to hurt. Right after mile 13 my feet started bothering me. They felt unsupported, and sore already. I knew this was bad, but I also knew there was nothing I could do abuot it at that point, I just had to push through. The pain came and went, and although it was frustrating, it was manageable. I popped a few ibuprophen around mile 16, and that did seem to help. I also had my iPod with me loaded with loud, energizing music, and I told myself to hold off putting in my headphones for as long as I could. At mile 17 I was ready for some tunes, so when TU took a quick bathroom break I used the moment to start up my iPod. That really did help. I could zone out, listen to my music, and just keep up with TU.

Miles 18-24

I don't remember much about these miles. I remember running by The Family at mile 20 or 21, and giving T a huge hug and a kiss. I was tired, my feet and my legs (and my torso?) were really starting to hurt. But I felt strong, and I knew that not meeting my goal was not an option. Shortly after that, I asked TU how he was doing, and he said, "I'm struggling a bit." I realized I might be better off than he was, and at this point we took turns leading the way. We walked through a few aid stations, and then would sort of nudge each other to keep running again. We weren't talking much. At mile 24 my other aunt and uncle (though I never saw him!) were cheering for us! My aunt was screaming and going wild, and it totally helped motivate me. I realized we were almost there, that we were going to reach our goal!

Miles 24-26.2

At mile 24, something amazing happened. My playlist started playing the most perfect songs. Right after we saw my aunt, "Sing" by My Chemical Romance came on, and I thought I was going to cry with joy. After that came "Let It Be", "Born to Run" and this one rap song I can't remember the title of. We were starting to fade, but kept pushing each other. When a new song came on, I'd get revved up and take the lead, pulling TU along for as long as I could. When I faded, he'd take over. Our teamwork was impeccible. Finally, we were nearing the end. We had passed the 26 mile mark, and were heading towards the turn to the finish. As we rounded the corner, "Good Life" by One Republic came on, and I really almost started crying. This was my moment. They separated the men and women at the finish to avoid conjestion, so TU and I fist-bumped and I ran my heart out the last 200 meters. I could see my family screaming on the sideline. With the words, "This is gonna be a good life, a good, good life" blaring in my ears, I crossed the finish line in 3:56:24.

I stumbled to a chip-collector, someone threw a space blanket around me, and I got my medal and official photo taken. Then the family was all around me, congratulating me. I kept looking aruond for TU, but the men were in a totally separate area. I didn't see him or his girlfriend again until we met for lunch later.

I remember immediately making my way to a curb so I could sit down. Lowering myself down was so, so painful. Standing up for hugs and photos was even worse. But it was all so worth it! Finally we headed back to the hotel, thankfully only a few blocks away. T walked suuuuper sloooowly with me, as my feet and legs were on fire. When we got to our room, my amazing parents showed up with epsom salts and chocoalte milk. Perfection.

And that's that. The story of how I, who swore she'd never run such a crazy distance, ran the perfect marathon. I have never finished a race feeling more excited, euphoric and proud.

And I've already started planning my next marathon goal. Boston, anyone?