My Marathon Experience

I am baaaacckkkk!!! Has everyone missed me and my charming personality? I knew you did! 

I took a long hiatus after my debut into the world of a bikini competitor. I had other goals to complete that required a lot of time. I had a marathon to finish! No not Netflix but a real life, grueling 26.2 mile type of marathon.

I joined a group of like minded individuals to endure the Beat the Blerch marathon this last September in Carnation Washington. This race completes me on a soul deep level as the aid stations actually have tasty snacks like Nutella sandwiches and cake. One of the stations had potato chips! Banana’s be damned!

I put a lot of hours and miles into my marathon training. Two to three days during the week were spent running “short” distances and every weekend a loooong run. I would then spend the other days of the week in the gym cross training or in the pool to give my joints a break. Towards the end of my marathon training the only thing I wanted more than anything was to be done. I had spent so much time doing *something*. I had to be running and before that in the gym or I would not get the results that I wanted. If I didn’t run in the days prior to the race then race day would not be successful. I was tired. I was painful. I was ready to be done.

So, race weekend appears and my mom and I load up the car and drive up to Carnation. It was a fun trip up and we reserved a yurt right on the race course so commute would be quick. It was relatively dry the day before as we tucked into our carb load and then to bed. Nerves and an increasingly loud squeaky mattress kept me up for a while before I was able to drift off into sleep. Race day my eyes pop open and what do my ears hear? Rain. Goody. I get out of bed with hopes it’s my imagination (it’s not) and start dressing in my running gear. Happy that my overpacking nature is serving me well today. I apply my anti-chafing cream (weird with another person in the room by the way), get my rain jacket and lace up my sneakers. It’s time to run.

Like every race, the excitement from the pack mentality is exhilarating! We listen to the opening speech (the monologue from Independence Day) catch some marshmallows that were hurled from the platform and we are off. The rain is still falling but after half a mile I am HOT. So I am now committed to running with a jacket tied around my waste for 26 miles. I really had a difficult time finding my stride for a bit but after a few miles I am able to space out and get into my groove.

Mile 17 arrives and I hate seeing it. Mentally calculating how much further I have to go. If we stopped at 18 I could do this but the thought of 8 MORE miles almost breaks my brain. After 18 I start to fall apart. My body is getting increasingly painful, my feet are soaked and I am so very tired. But I slog on. Once I hit mile 20 I conceded to walking. My knee hurts when I run but my hip hurts when I walk, I find blood and realize I am bleeding on my stomach. That’s what happens after 20 miles of a shirt barely touching moles, they bleed. I have rocks in my shoes and I am an eyelash width away from tears at the thought of 6 more miles. I shuffled and despaired for 4 miles and saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I started to run more. I wasn’t going to make my goal of under 5 hours but I WOULD make it over the finish line under my own power, damn it. I can see the finish line now. I put on the biggest burst of speed I could muster, I had to pass that couple walking after all.

 

I did it! I completed 26.2 miles under my own will power. It took 5 hours and 37 minutes of shambling, shuffling, and determination to make it across that finish line. The endorphin dump and victorious feeling eased my aching joints and raw skin. Would I do it again? Oh gawd NO! Am I happy that I did it? Absolutely! And I plan on bragging about it forever (sorry not sorry).

I did it!!

I did it!!

If you have been hanging around me or following my blog posts you may have picked up that I was training for my first half marathon.  Well, that day finally came!

I ran Beat the Blerch in Seattle.  What is a Blerch you ask?  It is a fat little cherub that follows you everywhere encouraging you slow down, to quit and do all manner of unhealthy things.  It is described in a wonderful web comic called “The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances” by The Oatmeal aka Matt Inman.  This comic is actually what helped motivate me to start exercising and running.  It helped me know that I was definitely not abnormal.  That other people struggled with rewarding themselves with fat snacks and Netflix binges for unhealthy amounts of time.  The description of the Blerch is EXACTLY what I feel so many days.

So Mr. Oatmeal created a glorious race in honor of all our Blerchs.  Whether we are trying to outrun them or embrace them or both.  Last year was the very first year and I did the 10K.  This year I graduated to the half marathon.  At the aid stations there is cake, Nutella sandwiches, and magic purple drink.  Throughout the race there are comfy couches, Sasquatch and Blerchs personified.  At the end there are more snacks to be had.  This run there was chocolate drizzled, bacon sprinkled, whip cream topped marshmallows!!  I mean really?!  It’s a magical and beautiful creation.

I don’t have any notions that I am going to break the sound barrier with my speedy running.  Or even come remotely close to top three finishers.  My goal for myself is to complete the race in the middle of the pack.  And guess what folks?  I did that and better.  I placed slightly ABOVE middle of the pack!!  My time was 2 hours and 20 minutes (don’t mind me while I toot my own horn).  I know the pressing question is did I in fact consume cake, Nutella sandwiches and magic purple drink during my run.  The answer is abso-freakin-lutely!  But this was an endurance race so I made sure to pace myself.  One item at each aid station, I had a system.

My goal is to do the full marathon next year.  The half left me creaky and taking a week off but I want to be able to check it off my ‘bucket list’.  The Beat the Blerch pays homage to my inner fat kid that I regularly struggle with (and sometimes lose to).  Besides it’s really the best of both worlds.  I will be high on endorphins and cake!

 Keep smashing those goals boys and girls!  Let there be agony, let there be cake!!

What motivates YOU?

What is one of the things that keeps you out and moving?  Do you have goals you want to reach?  A race to complete?  A weight to achieve?  An ex to make jealous (I am not judging you)?  Do you find that just having that end goal keeps you driving through the days that you do NOT want to be out working on it?

For me knowing that I have an event coming helps to keep me motivated but it is not the end all be all.  I know I have races coming up and I should probably train a little harder but I always think I have more time.  To my defense the half marathon is in October, I will start kicking butt and taking names in June….after vacation.

One thing that helps me keep going is my kids.  I want to be able to run, jump, skip and keep up with them.  If I am asked (suckered) into coaching a sports team of theirs I want to be able to show those other kids a good example.  If coach asks you to do burpees she will do them too.  The kids where only five years old and I only asked them to do three, but man you should of heard the groans and laughs from the parents behind me.

Another thing that keeps me going, that I noticed on accident, is moving really helps me when I am upset.  Last November, my Grandfather passed away.  Unfortunately, it was not a quick process.  He teetered on the edge of this world and the next for over a week.  We knew it was coming but we didn’t know when the other shoe would drop.  Death doesn’t really bother me, it’s a part of our journey, but I was very close to my grandfather.  And even though I know he was ready, it didn’t make it any easier for me.  I felt restless and agitated inside.  Lacing up my shoes and pounding the bike path help to give it an outlet.  And it was raining, no one would know if I started to cry.

On those runs I would start to think about how thankful I was to be able to move.  There are people who just want to walk.  Imagine how they would feel to be running?

I don’t run fast or lift a lot.  I don’t love it while it’s happening.  It doesn’t feel particularly good to be doing it, while doing it.  But I do it and afterwards THAT is the pay off.  My muscles feel like they have expended the crazy energy that could get out no other way.  I am thankful that I am able to move my body.  And even though I may not be able to run a 10 minute mile I still get out and move.
Every day move your body with intention and be thankful for what you CAN do.  You don’t have to go fast, you don’t have to PR every time, you just have to go.

I dedicate this post to my sister.  She recently tried to knock her brain through her butt and is currently on bed rest until her concussion subsides.  I will run one for you sis :).