Phoenix AZ; Rock & Roll Marathon!

“Relax, it’s supposed to be fun remember”…that’s what one of my running buddies said. And that’s what I remember trying to remind myself the night before. I was getting REALLY freaked out and super nervous, just because I’d never ran that far before, and how I’d only made is to 20 and not 22 and how….just everything was going through my mind. Trying to sleep the night before was fairly difficult, but I managed to get about 6 hours in, and then of course, race day.
Funny story though, especially for my first marathon – I have a new rule. No matter how close you THINK you are to the start line, plan on being there an HOUR early. Tad, Jerry (driver & friend), and I went to the start line the night before. It took 15 minutes, so we planned for a 20 minute drive and would arrive about 30 minutes before gun time. Ha….funny thing happened. We went to Jefferson and 15th Street. No one was there. Then we thought to ourselves, that it was supposed to be by the Expo Center in Phoenix. Well….after driving around for about 15 minutes FREAKING out, we realized that we were suppose to go to 15th AVENUE not Street. So by the time we realized that, it was 7:30AM (the race started at 7:40). So we get fairly close, but then of course, the streets are closed off. So Tad and I decide to make a run for it. Yep, SMART idea. Let’s SPRINT to the start of my first marathon. I see all the other people running, but in the opposite way, and of course, we have to cross the start line before we can start. And of course, on the way, I end up tripping and falling, scraping my hand and knee. *laughs* Ridiculous, but we made it about 10 minutes after everyone started. My hand was dripping blood, so we scooped up a glove and I wore that until the blood clotted and I still was carrying my banana that I was going to eat before the race started. I started picking pieces of that off once we settled into a pace, and I think that helped to sustain my energy for about 6 -8 miles.

Tad and I actually were okay with starting at the back and coming up on everyone; that way we were constantly passing people. I told him though, that if we had been at the start line when we were supposed to be, then our warm up wouldn’t have been a sprint, more ideal. And….we could have gotten into the corral for 4:30 pace group (my goal). I did well until about mile 15, and then my heart rate started getting too high and I started feeling really tired. So I took an Ultram (pain medication from doctor for swelling), but I think because I didn’t eat anything substantial with it, it made me feel nauseous. Not a great combination. :-(

At mile 16, I made Tad walk while I went to the restroom, and from there on we walked through the water stations. Break it down to smaller achievable distances and I honestly, was just running from water station to water station. I knew as soon as we got there, that I could walk for about a minute and then we’d have to start again. I had said beforehand that as long as I didn’t walk, I was fine, even if I was running a 14 minute mile, I didn’t care, as long as I didn’t walk. The night before though, I decided that water stations were fine. It started getting more and more difficult to begin running after walking though, because by the time I had gotten my pace back up where it should be, there was another water station = walk again.

It’s definitely a mental game. It’s so strange that in training 16 is kind of difficult, 18 is harder and 20 was the farthest I had gone which was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done on my own in training. But having other people around you in the marathon, knowing that you have a goal and that you’re NOT going to quit, no matter how you feel – makes it a LITTLE easier. Not a lot, but a little. I had to start telling myself the negative things that other people had said to me before to help motivate me. “You’re the biggest girl I’ve ever dated” and how many people thought I couldn’t do it.
Water station to water station was what got me through. And I ALMOST cried when I crossed the finish line, almost. Especially when Tad hugged me, I just wanted to fall over. After we figured out how to get to Jerry, with the bagel and orange (and all the other crap), I just laid on the ground for about 20-30 minutes. Everything hurt, shoes off, sun beating down (yes, I DO have tan lines!), and just texting my friends and Facebooking. :-) Can’t forget to inform everyone that I was still alive!
4:43 was my time for my first marathon and although I didn’t make my goal (4:30), I’m still proud of it. I kept it under 5 hours which was my first goal and my Garmin read 10:34 but it has an automatic ‘shutoff’ if I slow down to over 13:00 / mile, so it’s not completely accurate since I walked too. Next time – I’m going to be there even earlier and I’m NOT sprinting to the start line!
Little Rock is the next marathon that I’m scheduled to do and I hear that it’s SUPER hilly – so…..we’re going to be incorporating a LOT more hill training and longer runs. I feel as though I need to get up and do at least one 22 miler before it, just so I feel more confident.
All in all – I’m glad I did it. I accomplished something that most people would never even dream of trying to start AND….I get to put that damn sticker on my car now!

26.2 Been There – Run That

4:43:02 was my time for 26.2 miles. Placed 3719th out of 5965, so I beat about 35% of the other people. 1403rd for females out of 2511, so I beat out 45% of the other girls, and 118th out of 220 for my age division, so I beat about 47% of the other 18-24 year olds!