I actually, COMPLETED A MARATHON!!!
I suppose I will give my real life regular human being version of how it went down.
For the few weeks before (basically since I ran in Portland Oregon, crap I should recap that first before I post this... after!)
Ok so for a few weeks before, since PDX, I kind of slacked on my runs. I ran 15-20 during the week (2 5's and a 10) and then maybe a bit on Saturday with a 'long run" on Sunday. My long runs included a 10k race (Run for Water, man I slacked and didn't recount that either) and an 18k long run the weekend before. That was a hot run, so hot that I thought my friend wasn't going to make it and she was my marathon buddy!! But we did and it was all good after.
I didn't do much the week of. Friday I dropped the girls off at school with their people lined up to pick them up and spend the night with family, hubby got home from work and we were off around 10 am.
We stopped at some outlets on the way down (yup recounting the whole thing for you). And then we headed down to Seattle to the Expo. (I am going to try and put up pictures! but right now Blogger is a bit down). The expo is down, my DH had not been to one before and I think he enjoyed just seeing all of the stuff even though he has no interest in running. We tried on some Hoka One One and he really liked some, he is a big guy and favoured the cushioning. I found a pair of Altra's on sale and more Injinji socks and I can't wait to try them out!
After the Expo we were out to our hotel. Went for a walk to find the start line and then found some food. I ordered Pizza at Whole Foods. That was such a bad move, I need gluten free and they said yeah sure, we do gluten free..... and then the kid used all the flour covered tools.... I got back to the hotel ate a few bites of the topping, decided the pizza was gross anyways and tossed it. I had a backup salad. :)
Organized my race wear, the always battle of which shirt, which hat, which socks bla bla bla. I had never gone more than 32 km before so I had no idea!!!
And then to bed. 5am wake up call. I tend to have stomach issues and I wasn't sure if the pizza was going to do me over or not so I needed to make sure I could have enough time to get things moving while still at the hotel. I had a nasty breakfast of almond yogurt (I grabbed plain instead of vanilla) and some bar thing that tasted cardboardish... I only ate half of each, I didn't have much appetite. DH even asked "Is that all you are eating???" Uh thats all I can get in!!! And half a coffee. Started getting messages from my Marathon Buddy, (MB), and planned to meet in our corral. Did the rest of the morning stuff and headed out to the start line. Leaving only half an hour to walk to the start felt weird, but I could have left an hour later at the time we started!!
I got to the start line. The corrals were just opening and there were tons and tons of people milling around the Space Needle. I got into Corral 26 and found our 'meeting spot'... and waited....and waited.... and watched all the people... and waited... and then it was the first start. The fireworks/rockets went off of the space needle and the first group was off! And my MB was no where to be seen. I made small talk with others around me and eventually started moving forward. I always love the herd of cattle effect. I had pretty much given up on MB, I figured either she was starting with her friend running the half way up ahead, or she hadn't got her package yet or something.... And then about half way to the start she was in the corral! I wasn't running it alone!
Got to the start, and our corral was OFF!! The back of the packers. I didn't realize just exactly how true this was going to become. I am often a mid/back pack runner in my half's, I don't have a lot of speed.
Ran past hubby at km 1 or 2, and trucked along. Talked a lot. Laughed some. These were the beginning km. I was on my slow steady 7 min/km ish pace......
In the first 5 k we both needed to bathroom break. Found one with lots of porta pottys and an okay line, only took a few minutes. Ran on. Somewhere around 10 k the half marathoners split away from us as we headed towards Seward Park. At this point we were pretty much "alone" and more so as we had fallen farther and farther behind the mid pack runners. My MB was starting to have stomach issues. No biggie, more bathroom breaks, I was committed to finishing it together. We went around Seward park and as we were on the opposite side we caught sight of the Sag Wagon... it was only a few km behind us!! I personally had no desire to see it so darn close. But what happens happens.
We exited the park and headed towards the bridge (I don't know what it was called)... up the little hill to get onto it and then along we went. At this point, around 20 or so km my MB was starting to hurt. There was nothing that I could do but keep on chattering along, being my obnoxious self, hoping I could distract her every now and then. We both had our music on most of this time. I was otherwise zoned out just doing my own thing. I was a bit hungry but otherwise feeling good. I had a lot of extra walk breaks as my pace kept me going ahead of her and if I got too far I would stop and walk while she caught up. I credit all of these extra walk breaks for how good I feel today.
We crossed the bridge and then into the long tunnel. Running on those damn slanted roads was awful. AWFUL. When I hiked the Jasper Skyline trail we were constantly on the side of a mountain, with loose skree, and always with our ankles turned one side or the other... it opened up a lot of problems for me... and I knew if I wasn't careful these banked roads were going to do me in. MB was having trouble on them too and I pointed out where it looked the most flat to hopefully help her along... anything to ease the pain that was written on her face. They also had really really loud music playing in the tunnel. Its a tunnel! no need for that! Just regular loud is fine.
Exit tunnel, go to turn around, more outhouse breaks, and back we go. Someone was being taken away by the medic now too, that is never fun to see but they looked okay. Which is much better than the experiences we had at RnR Vancouver. Back through the tunnel... more slanty road.. back onto bridge... we took water or gatorade at every stop they had, plus our water that was on us. We continued on. Lots of stretch breaks. Lots of walking. And then another hill. I had my real zombie apocalypse thoughts in the last tunnel... hazy, humid, yellow ick!! Then we were onto the viaduct. It was interesting seeing all the backed up traffic all around us, and we in the middle of an empty ramp. There were 5 or 6 km to go now and we had a walk break.
MB spirits were up because it was only that much farther. We took a picture and talked to some others that were around us (not many!). And then we started to the finish. I said to whoever was around... we can do ANYTHING for 30 minutes. We run 5 km all the time, we run it tired, we run it hurt, we run it in our sleep, 5 km is a piece of cake. And then at 20 minutes, and at 7 minutes... I could see everyone around us was tired, exhausted. But we were almost there.
I picked up my imaginary tow rope (yes I totally imagined that I had a tow rope from me to MB, and I was going to get her there damnit!) and we got to the end. She had her family and friends there and my husband, who had been waiting for almost 2 hours was there too!! It was great seeing their faces and knowing we were done.
We had completed a marathon. We are Marathoners!! We are full crazy.
Afterwards my DH admitted, he was getting a bit worried and thinking of checking in with the medics. He had known how my training was, he knew I was feeling great that morning, and he had watched my progress and felt that I could/should/was on track for my under 5 finish. But he also understood/agreed when I told him it didn't matter, we were so alone out there, any choice other than staying with my friend would have been the wrong choice. There are always other runs. ;)
And it is now the 2nd morning after. I feel awesome! I can hardly believe that I feel this good. (knock on wood) My hips are the tiniest bit stiff still, but I barely notice because it is my normal hip stiff. I did run (jog) across the school yard this morning because I was late, and my lungs are clearly not recovered... I was a wheeze ball after 100 meters. So I will just do a couple of walks this week while I recover.
Just never stop moving. Live to Run. Run to Live.
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