Marathon Recap

Race day came too early. Dawn picked Mary and me up at 5:30. I was ready to go just not ready to run. And that fact was made glaringly evident when we drove past the Mile 25 marker to pull into the parking garage. I thought I'd lose the little bite of breakfast I'd eaten.

Seus, Dawn, Mary

We walked the short distance to the start, found a warm spot inside and did a final gear check.

The sun and the temperatures began to rise as start time inched closer. I began feeling sicker. I didn't feel like chatting. I felt like throwing up and running back to the car. It was about a half mile from the start. What the hell was I thinking, signing up for a marathon!

Mary and Dawn had no such worries and laughed at my nerves. Neither of them doubted my ability to finish. I was so self-absorbed that I forgot that my brother and his wife were also signed up for the half-marathon. In fact, I didn't remember them at all until my brother caught up with Mary and me during the first mile. With dawn just breaking, the corrals all packed, the national anthem sung, the gun sounded and we were off. Well, Dawn was off. She's the goal I aspire to!

A tower built in a sinkhole

Mary decided to walk with me the first mile. I need to learn pacing... and time management... and race strategy. My training is more like go-till-drop. Negative spit? I know what it is. I've never managed to achieve it.

Mary left me to run her race at Mile Marker 1. My nerves had settled and I was keeping what I thought was a slow, steady pace. I was chatting with other racers. I even stopped to check on the girl limping at along mile 2. She had  stress fracture in her foot and she thought she could make it. I know her pain and disappointment; nobody wants a DNF beside her name.

I picked out 5 people I wanted to try to keep in my sites. They were between the 5:45 and 6:30 pacers. Pink shorts and turquoise top, the couple in white, and the girl in black. I was ahead of all but  pink and turquoise for the first half of the race.

I was feeling really good at Mile Marker 5, until I checked my watch and I was way ahead of pace. I thought I was slowing down, but I was faster the next 3 miles. That's how you sink a race.

And then I got something in my shoe along the greenway on mile 8. That annoyance slowed me down, slowed me down enough to think and thinking isn't always my strong suit. I began doubting everything I was doing.  The girl in black passed me here. Mile Marker 9, I thought about quitting. I sat down and tried to get whatever was in my shoe out. That spot on my foot bothered me the rest of the way.

At Mile Marker 11, I knew I'd gone out way too fast. At the Candy Factory, the marathon/half-marathon split, I came to a complete stop. I could TURN RIGHT (Doctor Who reference!) and be done with the whole damn thing. I didn't want to do this. Why was I doing this? The couple in white passed me.

But I continued, and didn't let myself stop until after the split to check my foot again. Coming into the Fourth and Gill area, the course became incredibly lonely. I once again settled into a comfortable pace and tried to ignore my foot and the voice in the back of my head telling me to quit. Miles 17, 18, and 19 were horrible. I began feeling sick and had to stop a couple of times. That part of the course was a ghost town. I was losing site of the couple in white and I needed to catch up. I pushed until I passed them, then the 6:30 pacers passed me and I it was all I could do to keep picking my feet up.

Then I came to Mile Marker 20. I've done 20 miles before! I was almost done! Just 6 miles to go! Missy Kane, a local celebrity took this picture for me!

I could see the out and back that is Island Home from the bridge. The finish was so close. I began to feel better, a second wind.

My mom and Dawn and Mary's dog, Henry, were waiting for me just across the bridge. Then they drove a couple of miles ahead to watch through Island Home.

Island Home is just about 2 miles. "Two miles, out and back," the volunteers assured me. Except out and back is more like out and turn and turn and straight and turn and turn and turn and turn and turn... It's a never ending soul suck. And my absolute worst mile time. Nearly 20 minutes for one mile. OMFG! I didn't think I'd ever get out of there. On the way in I passed turquoise shirt on her way out. Pink shorts was nowhere in sight.

Mom was waiting with Henry at mile 23. H ran with me for a while. Gave me some spirit back. Dawn walked with me on mile 24 so she could more the car closer to the finish. I told here I was going to catch the girl in the turquoise shirt, but I didn't know how far ahead pink shorts was. And I got even more of my spirit back. Having cheerleaders along the course really helps.

And then the dreaded Mile Marker 25 was no longer dreaded. I had to navigate my way through a crowded Market Square (I may have passed the girl in black here, but it was crowded and I can't be sure), which was packed with finished marathoners already finishing up lunch. And then I was back at the start. And I ran, passing 8 stragglers, including turquoise shirt, along the last mile. I was tired, but I was done! Across the bridge, down a hill, up a hill, and into the stadium to the 50 yard line!

I got a faint feeling entering the shaded part of the stadium. I staggered, but stopping was out of the question. The   finish line was there. And I could run. And I could still walk at the finish, but I couldn't eat the steak that I'd wanted for a week.

My grin was permanently attached to my face. My time was nearly 40 minutes slower than I would have liked, but at the finish line it doesn't matter. I Am A Marathoner!

Thor Today!

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Wonder Clutch!

This pencil case, I found at Wal-Mart while shopping for office supplies, is my new clutch!


Wonder Woman is awesome!