Run, Kat, Run Goes Marathoning

Sometime in January 2015 the thought of switching my registration from mini to full marathon went through my head.  I got excited!  I got hopeful!  I got ampped up!

I kept that thought to myself for a few weeks and secretly increased my long runs to test the waters and see just how far I could go.  In January I think my long runs were 8-12 miles, which in my book is pretty much trained for a mini-marathon.  Around the end of January I mentioned my #bigdream to my running partner Jessica, who fully supported my idea but said she would stick with the mini and then come run with last mile or two with me.  I was good with that but scared for dear life.  I talked to my husband about it, he fully supported with the side bar that I was in fact crazy in his eyes!  He had no idea why I couldn’t be happy with a half marathon.  And in my head, “bigger, better, faster” kept playing over and over again.  

So I ran and I ran some more and some more.  My “I’ll do the mini” running partner, ran with me as well and soon changed her tune.  If she was going to train with me, she might as well earn the medal with me.  We decided on a Sunday Runday that we were marathon bound and that no matter what we would stick together during the race.  If one had to pee we both stopped, if one of us needed to walk, then we both walked.  Along the way we met a new friend who joined our #bigdream and made our runs entertaining and exciting.  Now we had a new person to talk too, Jessica and I had talked about as much as we could talk—we had said all there was to say on 18 mile runs.  

Training was fun and awful all wrapped up in one.  Weekday runs were getting longer and weekend runs were LONG!  I loved it all but complained a significant amount of the time.  I had read a lot about marathon training and how it will change every aspect of your life.  I had no idea how true that was until one Friday night  (preparing for a Saturday morning 20 mile run) when I told my daughter that she was spending the night at grandma’s house, her response to me was “why don’t you want us to spend the night at our house anymore?”  My heart broke into a thousand pieces.  I tried to explain to her that this was temporary and that mommy was having to run a whole lot to prepare for the BIG race and I apologized over and over again and I think I even cried a little.  Everything I had read was right, marathon training was all encompassing and had taken over my life! 
  
Marathon week came and nerves had fully set in.  I was on 10 (as my students would say)!  The week turned into a few days and then a few days turned into the night before.  And the forecast turned into rain, which made me nervous! But I had great friends that had coached me through the process and both of them said the rain is better than the sun!  We changed our outfit to accommodate for rain and drank a ton of water and went to bed with nerves going strong.  

Race morning was fantastic, we got up early, headed to race, met up with a few friends, wanted to vomit a few times, poncho’ed up, and toe’d the start line (well not really since we were in corral D but you get the point).  The exhilaration that came with crossing the start line is unreal!  I was running a marathon! FOR REAL!!!!

All along the course there were tons of people we knew, old friends, co-workers, husbands, moms and dads, kids, running community friends, and so many more.  It was great!  We left out of Churchill Downs and saw my mom and dad—who had plenty of snacks and waters for us.  They were our breaking off point, the mini people went one way and the marathon people went the other.  Mom had fixed us little baggies of butterscotch and jolly ranchers—so sweet and useful!  We made it to the park with little incident, just rain and more rain, my niece, nephew and brother cheered us at the entrance to the park.  Around the back of the Iroquois Park my in-laws, hubby, and kids were there.  I stopped and gave hugs, I needed hugs!  We were at the half way point and I was getting tired.  At the front of the park was Jessica’s family.  It was so uplifting to see people you knew.  If you aren’t running a race, be a spectator!  We just love to see people cheering us on, we need it!

Coming out of the park my hamstring was not feeling good.  About mile 17 my hamstring quit!  I stretched it, I walked it, I stretched it, I kept running. I was in pain!  My foot was not picking up, it was shuffling.  I was having to verbally say outloud “pick up your foot” because it was not.  Things got rough at miles 17-19.  I had a pity party, my leg hurt, I still had a significant ways to go, and I was spent!  I HIT THE WALL!!!!  

My folks had waited for me at mile 18 with drinks and snacks again.  I cried when I left them.  I knew I was in for a long, painful finish.  

Around mile 22 my work BFF was there and she jumped in and ran a mile with us, really she probably just walked fast with us because at that point we were at a 13 min mile.  But a new person to talk to, to keep my mind off the pain, to tell us stories, or just be there was awesome!  Again, I cried when she left.

We pushed through and continued on stopping occasionally to pee or walk or stretch.  At mile 24 I got my 2nd wind.  Now let’s be clear my 2nd wind wasn’t a fast 2nd wind my 2nd wind was I could go on and I truly could finish it.  In my head I was repeating over and over “24 to 25, 24 to 25” and once I reached mile 25 that changed to “25 to 26, 25 to 26”.  For whatever reason that helped to just run one mile at a time.  

I saw the 26 mile flag and I punched Jessica in the arm!  I was so excited!!!  And then I saw my BFF, my kids, hubby, and in-laws!  I slowly made the turn to complete my .2 of the marathon and was smiling through immense hamstring pain.  But I didn’t care at all, I was finishing a marathon!  The best feeling is having someone put a medal around your neck for a race that you trained so hard for.  It was amazing!  

I can hardly remember all the details of the after, my BFF and daughter, met me all the way at the end of the finish line and walked SUPER slow with me.  I was slow, hurt, crying, proud, and over joyed all at the same time.  My emotions got the best of me.  I do remember saying “I never have to do that again.”  We walked a lot, met back up with my friends and made our way to the truck where I had to be hoisted into the truck—hamstring was DONE!  

The days following the marathon were rough but about 3 days after the race I was walking correctly again, able to sit on the toilet again, and pretty much a fully functioning person again.  The day after the race our new friend that we met during training sent us a text about “the next time”, I told her to never speak to me again.  I really didn’t mean it.  

About a week or two later my head went to ‘maybe next time we can get in under 5 hours’.  I quickly dismissed those thoughts but in my heart I’m certain that I will run another marathon.  My hamstring was still hurt but with a lot of ice, foam rolling, and ibuprofen it got better in about a month.  Life is back to normal now.  I took a few weeks off from running and got a new pair of shoes and hit the pavement again.  It felt good, I loved every minute of it!  

Everything I read is right: marathon training is all consuming of your life BUT for the rest of my life I can say that I ran a marathon!  I did it!!! WE DID IT!!!!!!!