The Marathon

Last weekend was warm-fall, we collected leaves on our trail and made leaf-art with them.

Finley had two soccer games this week - I know these pictures are all similar, but someday Finley (or maybe his wife or kids) will look back and want to see them all...or maybe not.  But just in case, here we go.

Saturday's game was downright frigid.  We had extra spectators - Melissa & Elle, Grandpa & Grandma, Spencer & Easton.

Not only does Hadley's hat keep her warm, but also quiet.

My school hosted a Fall Festival!  Finley was very excited and had a blast! 

Finley was brave enough to stick his hand inside the Mystery Bags.  I hate these things.  Beaver Creek always had them on our field trips, and I was always worried about what they'd put inside (like a snake skin).

There was face painting...

...and dancing!

After watching big kids breakdance, someone broke out some moves of his own.

 Love him.

Grandpa's Girl wearing her M&J sweatshirt...

....and new kicks.  Crazy Auntie Jackie gave Hadley a shoe collection of various sized shoes when she was born.  The biggest pair finally fit - her adorable pink Converse.

It was Marathon Weekend!  Saturday, we dropped the kids off and headed to St. Paul.  My parents and kids spent the night in Hudson.  Finley caught a nap on the way...

...and enjoyed swimming "all by myself in the middle of the pool" at the hotel.

Patrick & I made our way to St. Paul for packet pick-up.  We stayed at a hotel near the finish line and was home to the "elite" marathoners (professional runners).  It was quite intmidating to see these people - talk about sleek bodies!  I felt better after visiting packet pick-up and seeing "real" people that looked like me.  Despite a room party across the hall (come on wedding-goers, you are in a hotel with hundreds of runners, go to a bar to drink and talk loudly), I did sleep OK.  I met up with Rachel and a few other EC women at 5:45 a.m. to leave for the Metrodome.

We were housed in the Metrodome until being ushered outside in the COLD about 15 minutes before gunshot.  Based on our half-marathon times, Rachel & I both qualifed to be in Corral 1, the first group to take off.  It was interesting to be part of this group (not Corral 1 specifically, but this group of people about to run 26.2 miles).  The gear, the rituals, it was all interesting.  About 4 minutes before the gun, throw-away clothes started being tossed out of the pack and onto the sidewalks.

And we were off.  At mile 7, I felt great and said it would be awesome to feel like this the entire run.  I knew better, but for some reason, a part of me believed I'd feel that great the whole way.

I can't remember what mile I first saw my family, but it was quick and I almost missed them.  I acutally yelled to Patrick to run, I was ready to ditch my music, gloves and headband.  That's me with my arm up.

I knew Heidi & Jill were out on the course, I kept watching for them, but we missed each other at their first stop (there were TONS of spectators).  I spent many miles scanning the crowd for them.  Finally we saw each other, and as Rachel & I quickly passed, I questioned who the third person was.  Kristi surprised me :)

While I pounded pavement, my kids were hustled around.  I think it was a lot of "hurry up and wait".  Perhaps dragging them along wasn't the easiest / best idea, but knowing they were there was nice (even though I worried they were probably cold and miserable). 

Despite the crowds, my parents, Patrick & kids found me FOUR times.  I'm quite impressed by that!  These pictures were from the half-marathon mark.  I can tell, I'm still smiling.  

Everything I worried about - cold temps, clothes, stomach issues, hip flexor proved NOT to be issues at all.  The thing I didn't worry about proved to be my biggest challenge - exhaustion.  Around mile 18, I was getting tired.  Seeing my kids, family and friends started to make me teary, I was tired.

Pre-race, I'd spoken to a few Twin Cities Marathon veterans, everyone talked about "the hill" at mile 21.  Yes, it was there.  That's when the real exhaustion started settling in.  I was literally throwing one foot in front of the other...and kept thinking, I still have 5.2 miles to go.  "The hill" evened out a few times, but I swear that frickin' thing lasted 2-3 miles.  We'd even out, go up-hill, even out, go up-hill.  I kept waiting for the descent, I wanted gravity to help me!

Around mile 23-24, I could tell Rachel had more in her.  I was feeling done.  I was tired.  My legs hurt.  I could think of nothing but being tired, having sore legs and being thristy.  We'd been ahead of the 3:35 pacer (the Boston qualifying time for my age) most of the race, next thing I knew, he was in front of us...and getting further away.  But I didn't have it.  Rachel did, and kept going.

I can easily say, the crowd support was AWESOME.  The course was lined with marching bands, DJ's and all sorts of people out to support their own familiy/friends yet cheered for everyone.  There were some great signs.  My favorite?  Why 26.2 miles?  Because 26.3 would be CRAZY!  I saw that sign many times and enjoyed it each time - because really, why is it 26.2 miles and not an even 26?  I'm guessing it's some metric-formula or something.  The one I hated?  I thought you said 2.62 miles.  It was funny the first time, but when I was mentally beating myself down, I wanted to kick the people holding it.

The homestretch was about a mile long, crowds were huge.  My family saw me just before I hit the mile 26 marker.  I think my face says it all.  Not fun anymore.

Mile 26 was marked by fire trucks and a US flag.  Both awesome and annoying (because I still had .2 miles to go). 

I could see the finish line for the last 1/4 mile.  There I go...

...and that last 1/4 mile, felt like someone was asking me to do another 20 miles.  But, I was determined to NOT walk (I was going to shuffle if I had to).  And I did it.  I finished without walking (not even a shuffle)!!  In a decent time of 3:38:33.

Rachel did it too!  She finished a little before me and I quickly found her afterwards.  We made our way to the family zone to meet up with our friends and families.  It was fun to accomplish this milestone with Rachel.  Many years ago, we started training for our first 10-miler, before that, I'd run 7 miles and she'd run 6.  Now look at us - we've done 10-milers, half-marathons (plural there) and finally the biggest one - the marathon.

My friends and familiy had an important role in my journey.  From cheering on race day to watching my kids so I could run (and run and run) during training.  They also put up with me the week before as the anticipation started eating at me. 

How do I feel today?  Sore.  My legs and knees are feeling it, so is my back.  I'm tired.  Very tired.  Will I do another one?  Not today.  I won't say no to forever, but I do say no for awhile.  Maybe it'll be like childbirth and I'll forget the pain?  Had I finished feeling great/high, yes, but right now I'm spooked.  And had someone offered me an epidural to numb my legs - I'd have taken it!

So, what did I learn?

- Marathons are hard.  Phycially and mentally.

- Those people that run 50 marathons in 50 days (or whatever crazy-ass thing you hear), have to be slightly insane or have a refillable prescription of vicodin.

- While running, I can remove my bib (four saftey pins) and place it on my undershirt, then take off my topshirt. (Not impressed?  I was.)

- Hills always suck.

- What I think might be my biggest challenges, might not bug me.

- You can finish a marathon in an awesome time, but still feel disappointed (I do).

- I might never eat a Cliff Shot Block in strawberry again.

- Seeing the 100 "likes" and nearly 40 comments on my post-race update = humbling and inspiring.
- Next time, my friends/family are going to hold balloons or something, they were hard to spot. 
- Next time, I'm dressing in bright yellow, evidently I was hard to spot too.

- Wearing a "Marathon Finisher" medal gets you Congratulations from strangers and the right to eat as much pizza as you want (I did). 

- Wearing a "Marathon Finisher" medal does not get you a break from small children that need dinner, bath and bed.  OK, Patrick did do bath time.

So, even though I'm disappointed today (I'd be lying if I didn't secretly wish I could've been 3:33 faster and finished as a Boston qualifier)...I'm proudly sporting two new decals on my car.