I COMPLETED MY FIRST MARATHON!!!
Lets do the play by play shall we! As a reminder, the weather in Denver on Saturday was rainy, chilly, and windy (as I like to call the triple threat of running a race). The news informed me that it was the first day in around 5 months since snow had capped the mountains, so needless to say I was a bit anxious on what the race day weather conditions might look like. To my pleasure we avoided two conditions Sunday, rain and wind! I managed to prepare myself that morning wearing my warm Lululemon gear and beginning to fuel my water belt. To start off the fuel session, I had a toasted english muffin with 2 Tbsp of Peanut Butter (just about the only thing my stomach will handle in the early mornings). My water belt complete with chapstick, Gu Gel, Gu Chomps, and 4 water bottles weighed a good couple pounds. The 2 girls and I set out for our early morning in the dark. Denver drew nearly 16000 runners for both races, a little over 2000 being marathon runners. We found the bag check, got back to the corral area, and I managed to say goodbye to my dad. My whole body rang with adrenaline as the race began with a large roar. The girls and I moved up in our corral, and I luckily was able to get my dad's attention before I started my race. Off we went!! The one item I left at home unfortunately was my running watch that tracks all of my pacing and whatnot. I had to trust that after the first mile my brain could calculate my pace and try timing myself that way. I would say around the 10K(6.4 mile) mark you are in this zone where you really get in a groove and can enjoy your surroundings. From the beginning I separated from the other 2 girls and was on my own pace. I managed to chat with others and people watch with funny signs. That kept me really sidetracked for a good part of the first half of the race. The course splits the half from the full participants around mile 11. At that point your brain recognizes a "no bailing now" mentality. Luckily for me, that was the first point I saw my dad, cousin, and cousin-in-law! At this point I'm in a great mood, feeling and looking good. I hand over my heavier pullover to them and head off again. Around mile 18 I hit the infamous "Runner Wall". I thought it was all mental, but this is the actual point that your body gives signs of fatigue and pain. I think psychologically this is a warning sign and you get to thinking "you have a ways to go, you need to figure this out now". I mentally overcame it with, make it 2 more miles and you get to see your family again. Mile 19 comes around, my knees and lower back are giving me extreme grief. I continue to motivate and will myself to the 20 mile marker where I can see my dad in the near future. I finally reach him and have a breakdown. I'm talking I can't move, my knees are locking, and back spasms are occurring in full force. With a little family support, motivation, and will power I have made my way up to mile 21. I won't lie, the next couple of miles were pretty much torture. Around 24.5 miles into the run I have hit the big mama mountain of a hill. I feel at this point, it is par for the course. It was a reality check for pain. If I thought I knew pain, look again! I make it to mile 26 to find my friend coming up to me to finish the last 0.2 miles with me. I can't even explain to you what that meant to me. To see a person running to me meant in my head the end was really near! Seeing that finish line and running through it really triggered every emotion I could think of. I cried immediately tears of happiness, pain, disbelief, and much more. I still today can't believe that I accomplished 26.2 miles in under 6 hours. It will forever be an experience I never forget. My only piece of advice to myself next race is to run in flat areas. I was a little over ambitious in thinking Denver being the same altitude would somehow be easier for me to race in. I am proud of myself and hope that my story of the training and success that has been occurring over the last 6 months will be encouragement to others that you really can do whatever you put your mind to. I know it sounds cheesy but sometimes it takes someone you know doing something you or they didn't think they could do to give you new perspective! Until the next tale!
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