MARATHON!!!

For years now I have been saying that I want to run a Marathon one day (see this post here #74). When I wrote that 2 1/2 years ago I very vividly remember thinking that I would never actually be able to accomplish that. I've always hated to run, I never ever believed that I would be able to over come that. And then yesterday I ran my goal, my Marathon. It was the most amazing, incredible experience. I am so proud of myself for being able to finally conquer this goal and to prove to myself that I can do what ever it is that I set out do to, even running 26.2 miles. I started training for this big event back in September with my friend Hailey. But then I got cold feet and decided to just do a half marathon first. After running my first half marathon, I finally changed my thought process from believing I couldn't run a marathon to Knowing that I COULD run a marathon. And that was a pretty amazing realization. So then I began truly training for my Marathon. I think a lot of people don't realize the months and hours of running that are put into training for a marathon. During these last 5 months I have run somewhere around 415 miles. These last seven weeks I have had a long run every Saturday, 13 miles, 15 miles, 16.8 miles, 20 miles, 18.6 miles, 14.4 miles and then 18.7 miles. I started to feel burnt out, I starting to question why I was doing this to myself, my kids still aren't sleeping great at night, most mornings I was complaining to Hailey about the lack of sleep I had gotten that night (sorry Hailey), I'm still nursing Talli, it was a lot of work. But I kept pushing through, I knew it would be worth it when I crossed that finished line. Then I started looking at the website of the race I had decided to run. I decided to run the Red Rock Marathon race because it was the only race I could find on a Saturday that was about the same time that my training would be up. And then I started to panic. The elevation for this race was intense, this was a marathon for experienced runners, not first timers. I talked to several people from Vegas who said that it was a hard course and they couldn't believe I would do it for my first race.

Elevation Picture (we're talking close to 1000 feet elevation change)

So then I got on active.com and starting frantically looking for another Marathon that would be on a Saturday (I don't run Sundays and that's when all the races are) and I couldn't find any. This really bummed me out because I knew that my time wouldn't be very impressive running this course and I knew that I had trained for a decent time. My goal was 4 hours and 30 minutes and after looking at this elevation and course I was hoping just to beat 5 hours. Then 2 weeks before my race my friend found out about a race near St. George Utah that was suppose to be a much better course. I looked into it and strongly considered doing that one instead and then realized that I would have five more weeks of training and it landed right during David's block week, it just wouldn't work out. So I mentally prepared myself for Red Rock and had settled on the idea that I wouldn't get a great time but as long as I crossed that finished line that was all that mattered. Five days before my race I started to really feel unprepared, I started questioning whether I had trained enough, if I was truly ready, I even told David that it would probably be better if I didn't run at all, then run and not be able to finish. He gave me tons of encouragement and despite the freezing cold feet I was getting, I was still excited for this race.

Friday night the kids and I ate lots of pasta for dinner, my sweet running partner dropped off flowers for good luck/good job, then when David got home from studying we hung out together until bed and then I tried my hardest to get a good night sleep. It didn't happen. My mind was so busy, I couldn't shut it off, I finally fell asleep sometime after 11:15 and then I woke up a 1:30 and again at 3. And I'm pretty sure I never once fell into a deep sleep. Finally my alarm went off at 4:15 in the morning, yes I said 4:15, the race started at 6 and it was a 35 minute drive to the buses that would shuttle us in to the start. So I was a little worried about being sleep deprived. This race is a very small race, not a ton of people, just a small little family that puts it on. Their rule was that every one had to be shuttle in, runners and spectators and the spectators could not drive the course and watch their runners. The road was too narrow and they didn't have permission to close off the whole thing, so they were looking out for our safety. Although after running it I realize that people still drive the course and cheer their runners on, oh well, we were obedient :) So I got to the start and prayed that David would be able to get the kids ready to make the last shuttle so he could be at the finish line. I talked to lots of people at the start before the gun shot and all of them were amazed that I was running this race for my first marathon. The DJ asked if there were any first timers and only about 5-8 people raised their hands. I wasn't feeling super encouraged by that. But the gun went off and off I went. And I felt GREAT! I couldn't believe how good I was feeling. The first 5 miles are always kind of a mind game. You feel every little kink in your body and my mind is playing all these mind games, but I was finally able to tune out myself and just run. The first 14 miles were smooth sailing. The first 8 miles were all up hill but it was still so early on in my race that I hardly noticed. Once I hit mile 8, the downhills, I took off. I'm pretty sure I had never run so fast in my life, I wish I could have had a Garmin with me to tell me my pace, because I'm pretty sure I was running a 6:45 to 7:00 pace for the next five miles. The people that I had been playing leap frog with for the first 8 miles suddenly could no longer keep up. And I never did see them again. It was a good feeling. Mile 15-17 were tough, straight uphill again. At mile 17 I got a little relief, a small down hill appeared. And then 17.5 to 19 straight uphill again. That hill was pretty tough, I couldn't believe how many people were walking. And to brag a bit, I never once, not once walked, I ran that entire thing, every single hill. After 19 it was downhill again, with a few rollers. And I was still feeling good. I never hit the "wall" that I've heard so many people talk about. But I knew I still had one really big hill to finish. That hill was right at mile 23, I could feel my legs and my hips screaming by that point, my Ipod died, so it was just me and that hill. I kept on pushing, past a lot of walkers and made it up that hill. From there it was all down hill again. When I reached mile marker 25 I just kept saying right out loud, "I did, I did, I actually did!" The adrenaline kicked back up into high gear again, I was still feeling strong and then I rounded the last corner and I could see the finish line. And then I spotted David and the kids and that was an incredible sight to see them there cheering me on. Only point 1 mile to go and it felt so good and then I saw the clock, 4:22:00 it said when I stepped on that mat. The announcer called out my name and I was done I had finished my first Marathon. My official time was 4:21:36. That was the most incredible thing. I kept saying during my run, your goal is 4:30, come on you can do that. But some of those hills when I was running at snail pace I thought for sure I was coming in at 5 hours. I was so thrilled to have beat my goal.

I walked over to David and the kids, Maylee ran out to hug me and then I walked up to David and got a big hug and congratulations from him. I kept saying to him "I did it, I ran a marathon". It felt so great, my legs felt like jelly but it didn't even matter. I was done, I accomplished my goal. We hung out there for a while, waited for the official times to be posted, ate some post race food, talk to a few people and then boarded the bus back to our cars.

I think Talli must have been feeling a bit heavy here.

It was such a pretty run, I ran right in those mountains back there.

This truly has been such an awesome experience. I'm so grateful to have such a great running friend. I know that I wouldn't have done this if I had to do all those runs by myself. And it was so great to have a friend to chat with 3 days a week before my kids were even awake. I've loved running with Hailey. Most of all I'm grateful for David. He has been so great through this all. Never once gripped about waking up early three days a week with the kids while I was out running. Never once complained about my 3 hour runs every Saturday for the last 5 weeks. Always was willing to let me take a nap after those runs when I just couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. Always encouraging. Thanks David, I love you, you're the best.

This was a great Marathon, I learned a lot through it all. I feel like a stronger more confident person after this. And it won't be my last Marathon, I'm not done running yet.

The official times were posted online tonight. 175 people ran this Marathon (see I told you this was a tiny race). Anyways out of 175 people I finished number 72. I feeling really awesome about that. In my age group of women, I came in at number 8 out of 15, right in the middle. Pretty proud of that too.