As you know from the post below, I had a terrible week leading up to this race. I felt awful. My achilles hurt all the time and wasn’t getting any better. I quit working out in hopes that it would heal. I was trying to eat enough to maintain my energy for the race, but ended up gaining like 5 lbs. as I wasn’t working out. As the week went on I got crankier and crankier until I was about impossible to live with. I am surprised my family didn’t move out. I almost trashed the race — just gave up. I didn’t think I could do it and I was scared to even try.
My first break was that the mini-triathlon on Friday was canceled because of flooding (that’s right, Western South Dakota has gone from 8 years of intense drought to a spring of record rains and flooding). So I didn’t have that to worry about anymore. I rested and ate and rested and moaned and groaned until Sunday morning.
Mark had been trying to convince me all week to try Jeff Galloway’s walk/run technique. He said with my achilles problems this was probably my only hope. Now, we all know that my ego has a hard time with stuff like this. I mean, if I am going to run the marathon, I am going to RUN the MARATHON. None of this pansy walk crap. But as the week went on I started to listen to what Mark had to say. Our friend Todd, who you may remember from other races, was planning on doing this as his first marathon too and was sold on the Galloway technique. So on Saturday night I had a big hissy fit and started researching Galloway and his technique and conceded that Mark was right. I better try it.
We got up at 5:30 am to make the trip to Rochford, SD which is about an hour from my house. Because the race only lets you pick up packets at the race expo which was in Deadwood, about 2 hours from my house, Todd graciously offered to pick up my packet for me. Todd took the shuttle bus from Deadwood and met us at the start line. I knew from running the first 8 mile relay leg of this race last year that it would be very cold at the start of this race. Technically you aren’t supposed to drive to the race start, but we did anyway. That way I got to sit in the toasty car until race time. I had a nice bowl of Kashi Puffs and frozen cherries on the way up and felt pretty good to go at race start, if not like a big fat cow because of the weight I had put on over the last week. I armed myself with my new anti-blister socks, blister stuff on my feet, my race belt loaded with shot blocks and the complimentary Hammergel that was in my race pack and my mp3 clip, which at the last minute the race directors decided to allow.
Todd and I put our heads together and formed a strategy. We would run the first couple of miles until the crowd thinned out and start the walk/run technique when we hit the trail. The first part of the marathon runs through the town of Rochford to a turn-around and then backs up to the trail. The “Mick” is a nice even gravel road, a rails to trails project, so the footing is nice and even and soft. Good for me with my achilles problems.
The Start
The first 13 miles is all uphill. It’s a gradual uphill so it kind of tricks you. Todd had his watch set to beep at us at 4 minute intervals so we knew when to walk for a minute. I looked forward to that beeping and honestly the miles really did start to tick by. At the 8 mile relay exchange Mark and the girls met us. The twins were all excited jumping up and down and Bean ran out to meet me to run into the exchange area. I sat on a bench and put some more blister stuff on my foot as I could feel a blister starting to form. Todd was antsy to get going, so he took off after I waved him on. Truthfully, he runs much faster than I do, and when he walked he was walking super fast. I really wanted to do this at my own pace and not worry about holding Todd back. So he went on and I started a few seconds after him.
Mile 11 or so — getting tired
The twins ran with me a few yards and I started getting all weepy about having my girls with me on this marathon. I started off, watching my Garmin for the time intervals, but then with my crappy math skills I never could calculate when I should stop and walk so I just kinda winged it. I think I probably averaged a run ten-minute/ walk a minute ratio.
At the half-way point I was starting to drag. The psychological aspect of it was getting to me. I was starting to question why the heck I went through with this, what was I thinking? It had been all uphill to this point and I was getting tired. I had stopped at all the aid stations and had a piece of orange and some Powerade and water, but still I could tell I was getting depleted. I pulled out that Hammergel and thought “Oh what the heck” and downed it. Oh. My. Gawd. Five minutes later it was like I was on crack. I felt great! I could run all day! I was practically skipping on the trail. I saw the kids and Mark at mile 18 and I was like WOOO HOOO here I go! I am RUNNING THE MARATHON! They told me Todd was a good 15 minutes ahead and was going to “kick it out” for the last 8 miles and abandon the walk/run. Bean goes — Mommy you need to kick it in gear. Sure you betcha little Bean, I said. I walk/ran to mile 20 and then I was going to bring it on home.
Mile 20-21 was tough. It is a very very steep downhill. I decided to walk it to avoid messing up my knee. That was a good call. It was not only very downhill but it was very muddy. Then it started to rain. Then sleet and then hail a little. Luckily that only lasted for about 10 minutes.
After the downhills I slammed another Hammergel, waited five minutes and again — Holy COW! I was flying high. I started running and running and running. I looked at Garmin. It said I was going at a sub- 8 minute pace. Whew, I don’t even run 5K’s that fast! I started ticking off the people that had passed me before. Some of them looked pretty bad. I would come up behind someone and –tick, they would be behind me. I was passing relay teams who were only running the last few miles. I was UNSTOPPABLE! The people that were doing the whole marathon had orange bibs and the relay people had white bibs. I was all — okay orange bib — tick buh-bye — white bib — tick — buh bye~! Then I see this orange bib up in front of me and thought — okay another marathoner to pass. Then I looked closer and saw this white ponytail. Holy crap that’s Todd! He looked pretty bad. He was walking, very slowly. I ran up to him, reached out and goosed him on the butt. He turns — and this was hilarious — he did the biggest double take I have ever seen anyone do. He couldn’t believe I had caught up to him. I was laughing so hard! I was running and laughing my ass off at mile 24!
Mile 22 — jacked on Hammergels
I said, let’s bring it home Todd. He took off and I stayed behind him. After all he had done for me at the start I didn’t want to come in ahead of him.
Todd went across the finish and can you believe it — Mark and the twins MISSED ME COMING ACROSS! They weren’t expecting that I would be right behind Todd. I had a fantasy in my head of the twins running across the finish with me, but they were so busy congratulating Todd that they didn’t even see me come across.
Across the Finish!
Afterward I broke down and cried. Just bawled. I had been talking the big marathon talk back in college, in my 20’s and had chickened out then. Then I gained all that weight and went through all the infertility problems. Now, here I was 42 years old with the best support system of my husband and my little girls and my good friend Todd and I finally did it. I actually did it. I am a marathoner. And, that my friends, is what it is all about. This is life!
Todd & Me — marathoners!
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