The Marathon, 26.2, I Did It!

Wow, where do I even begin?  I remember last June, two months after I had Lucia, when I started running again.  It literally felt like I was running in quicksand and two miles would take me 30 minutes to complete.  I would wake up early in the morning before Rafa had to go work, and I would painfully run one foot in front of the other.  But day by day, despite little sleep and being a new mom, I improved with sheer will power.  By October, I ran the half marathon in Portland and I felt strong and fit.  And it was after that race that I said, I am going to keep going.  I am going to run a marathon.  So  I signed up for the Eugene Marathon, I joined a running group, and off I went.  Short runs during the week, weight training, and long Saturday morning runs.  It was quite a schedule to keep up with.  But week by week, I was increasing my mileage, and doing so in the dead of winter.  Cold doesn't begin to describe some of those runs.  I was completely frozen at times.  I learned so much about cold weather wear and quickly, I had to.  And then we went to Brasil, and my training stopped, cold turkey.  For one month, I didn't run once, and upon my return home, after spending days and days with my family, I had doubts about continuing training and devoting so much time to this goal.  I remember being reduced to tears in mid January, about ready to give up.  And then I kept going.  But, as a rookie, I decided that, after not running for one month, that it was a good idea to go out and run 17 miles with my running group.  Worst.  Idea. Ever.  And that led to my injury, tendinitis in my left foot.  I ignored the pain, and kept running.  Another rookie move.  And then a running friend said, you need to get physical therapy, and now.  So I did.  And for the next 6 weeks I went to my PT appointment's, recovering, and my running was non existent.  Instead, I was biking. But week after week, the pain diminished and by mid March, 6 weeks before the marathon, I got back out there, on my own, for the group runs were too long, too fast, and too hilly for where my training was.  Every Saturday I increased my mileage by 3...5 miles, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20.  And that left me with only 1 week to taper and then the marathon.

Morning of....Rafa walked me to the starting line, as our family waited back at the hotel room.  I was cool as a cucumber, I took it to heart when seasoned runners said "dont get caught up in the pre-race hype".  And so I didn't.  As Rafa left me at the starting line, I took deep breaths, repeated my mantra, "I can do this, I am strong" and off I went.  It was a beautiful gray and crisp morning, and the first 9 miles were wonderful, I felt great, lots of people around, and positive energy.  My family cheered my on at the mile 9 and then I approached mile 11 where the half marathoners and full marathoners split, and then I was completely alone.  And boy, was that the longest 13-20 miles of my life.  The course was quiet, and desolate, and it started to get really warm.  I felt sluggish and weak and thought I would never, ever get to mile 20.  It was just me and my heart.  And I kept running, talking to myself a lot, never giving up, legs feeling like complete lead.  I saw my cheering squad at 15 and 19 and at 23, and at 23 I could taste victory. Three more. All of this, and just three more.

I have been humbled my this experience. I am human, I am strong, but I have limits, when training for a marathon, you must be smart.  There is so much learning about what to where, what to eat, how to train with focus.  I was not expecting the evolution in my learning about the art of running, along with what my own limits are and how limitless I am too.

Three more.

It was so hot, I was thirsty, and now I felt like I was walking fast, but I was still running.  I rounded the bend onto the track, the stadium now empty.  Tears filled my eyes as the emotions peaked at what I was about to do.  The announcer said my name, and I passed the finish line.  And there it was, all 10 months of training, and I accomplished my goal.  Through the highs and the lows, the great runs, and the horrible runs, I never ever gave up.

And I never ever will.

And as I swore off ever running another marathon, before I ever even ran this one.  There is a teeny tiny part of me, two days after Eugene, that calls to me to run another, but faster.

First though, I need to master baking an apple pie, then I will think about it :)

Mile 9

Mile 15

Mile 19

Mile 23

At the end!