Marathon

I know it's been a while since any of us have posted on the family site, and that's my fault for shirking in my duties as blog nazi. I guess I didn't like being a pest :) Someone else should take over the title, I really wouldn't oppose.

Anyway, I thought I should write down my experience from my marathon this past weekend while it's still fresh on the mind and sore on the body. This is going to be lengthy, so if your up for a novel, sit back and relax while I tell you a story that was anything but relaxing for me.

While I was training, I ran a lot of long miles on very lonely roads, and I had a lot of time to think, especially on my longer runs. There were times that were really hard, in fact, I didn't even finish my 18 mile run because of the rigorous course I mapped out for myself and not being properly hydrated before I left. My entire body locked up, my knees hurt so bad, and I was glad Adam came and found me a little while later. I just broke down and cried as soon as I saw him. But I didn't give up there. I rested a couple of days, got back into my routine, and ran 20 the very next week. It was hard, but I was more prepared. Finally I got to taper off for a couple of weeks before race day. I was nervous that week, my knees had been hurting on my little 3 mile runs, and I could only imagine the pain I would be in after 26.2... if I got there. I prayed a lot. I had trained for so long, and it was something I HAD to do. I couldn't just not finish the marathon and bag it, I HAD TO RUN 26.2 MILES at some point in my life, so it might as well be now (since I've put in all this training), even if it killed me.

The day before the race came. We drove down to Logan and checked in. I felt like a rock star with all these super-fit, multi-marathoners that were lean, mean, fighting machines. I was so excited when I found out that I could get my knee taped up by the people at the sports therapy booth. Even if it didn't help, it really helped my psyche. That night Adam and Dad gave me a blessing that I would be proud of my efforts during my race. No words that I would finish, or that I would die trying, but just that I would be proud of what I had accomplished. That was good enough for about 2.5 hours of sleep :)

I "woke up" (or rather, got out of bed) at 3:30 in the morning. Mom and Dad were so nice and they both drove me all the way up to Logan, about an hour and 15 min. drive. Mom and Dad talked to me the whole way up, which I was glad for, to keep my mind off the butterflies. As soon as I saw all the traffic in Logan at 5 in the morning though, those butterflies soared. I got out of the car, wearing Brad's Boston marathon jacket, feeling WAY cooler than I really was, and hopped on the bus. I told most of you about the guy I sat next to on the bus... he looked not even 2 years older than me (although he must have been about 10 years older). He was an OB from Kansas City, Missouri who had a goal to run a marathon in all 50 states. He had 10 down so far, but had actually run a marathon in Antarctica (!!!). He said it was 20 below with 30 mph winds the whole way, and some areas were super muddy, others thick with snow. I couldn't believe it! Anyway, his story was amazing, but I'm getting off on a tangent.

We finally arrived to the top of the canyon after what seemed like an hour (even with Tim's amazing Antarctica story). We got off and stood in line forever to use the putrid porta-potties, and then I went over by the starting line to find my pace group. I was hoping to finish in 4:15. It had stopped raining, so I shed the Boston jacket, but then of course like 10 minutes before the race started, it dumped on us. Luckily I had my trash bag, so I put that on and stood as close to the fire as I could.

At last, the guns went off and we were on our way. I felt good, better than I thought I would, and after just a mile or two, the rain stopped. I was getting hot after 3, so I shed the trash bag. Around 4 miles, I was getting so hot that I shed the long-sleeved shirt Brad gave me. At 6 or 7, I shed the gloves and the headband/ear warmer thing :) I really felt good, and I was staying right with my pace group. The canyon was gorgeous. Until it started raining. Then I couldn't tell if anything was gorgeous because I couldn't even see (this was round 9 miles or so). Then it started hailing. Like, big ol' hail. I remember thinking that if they got any bigger, I might have to run for cover. Luckily it only lasted a half mile or so, and the rain stopped after 2 or 3 miles. Between miles 13 and 14, we came out of the canyon. At this point, my pace group was a little bit ahead of me, but only by about 3 minutes or so. I didn't stress about it too much, I felt awesome and I really thought I would catch up with them at some point (ha). It was great to see all the people cheering us on out of the canyon. We wound through neighborhoods and streets, and I just kept chugging. I could feel that my body was slowing down a little at about 15 miles, but I didn't want to push myself too hard (that was when my knees REALLY hurt, when I tried to go faster than I should have). Mom met up with me at about mile 16 and ran a couple hundred yards with me to see how I was doing. What a great mom :) Adam met up with me at 16.5 and we just kept chugging along. The plan was that he would run 4 or so miles with me, and then I would meet him at the end. But I have no ordinary husband. He finished that race with me, and I'm glad he did.
I was feeling good until mile 21. I was slowing down, I knew that, but after mile 20, I really believed I could finish in 4:30. 21 miles though, and my body started shutting down. My already cramped calves just got tighter and tighter. My fingers and lips started to stiffen. I had that happen before, when I've had panic attacks and when I was severely dehydrated. I couldn't be dehydrated though, I thought to myself, I took water (with Brad's electrolyte elixir) at every station. Adam started pumping me full of electrolytes and that helped after a mile or so. The hills though. The hills were DEATH. My body would just scream NO, NO, NO!!! on every hill I came to. I walked the worst ones, with Adam's arms around me, but walking hurt just as bad as running. If I walked, my knees hurt more, I even found it harder to breathe when I walked (it really was similar to the couple of panic attacks I've had, but I've learned how to work through them all right). If I ran, my calves killed and my body screamed. I ended up walking about a half mile overall. My pace slowed to a snail's between miles 21 and 26 though. Finally when we hit 24, I told myself I had to run it all, I was almost there! So I found whatever itty bitty strength was left in me, grabbed a banana for some potassium to help my calves out, and ran the last 2.2. I remembered feeling elated when I had about half a mile left, I knew the finish line was right around the corner, and I was going to make it!!
I saw my family when I rounded the finish corner. Hallie and Ashton (carried by Adam) came and ran the last 300 yards with us. That finish line never looked so beautiful. My finish time was about a half hour later than I wanted it to be, but I FINISHED. I had to tell myself to be proud of that.
Running that marathon really was an amazing experience. I found so many gospel parallels as I trained and ran the marathon. Parallels like not being too worried about how fast I finished the race, but that finishing was the important thing, much like our journey to try to make it to the celestial kingdom. Also, when I hit those miles between 21 and 24 and really thought that my entire body might completely shut down, I thought of the trials we all have to face in life. Some might be small, but others will feel so heavy and debilitating that we'll wonder how we can ever keep going. But after much tribulation comes the blessing (the finish line!), like we're told in the Doctrine and Covenants. Also, while I was training, I was alone. It can be harder when you're alone, I think. Easier to give up. No one's watching, and all you have to do is stop moving your legs when it gets to hard, it's just that easy. Sometimes in life, when things get hard, it's easy to think that all you have to do is just stop trying, just give up, it would be so easy! But somehow, we... and I, kept moving. You pray hard and you just keep moving, and you make it.

I’ve also thought about human nature quite a bit on my runs. We have been sent down on this earth to be tested and tried, to endure what comes to us. We are stretched beyond what we believe to be our limits. When I did my 20 mile run, I listened to the song “child of light” where it says “you were made to shine, you were meant to fly, child of light”. That line has really motivated me… I was made to shine, to fly, to achieve great things. I am a daughter of God. And although a marathon may not seem very “eternal” in nature, I think the lessons and the realization of what I can accomplish if I desire it has had a lot of spiritual implications for me. It has helped me realize that I can do really hard things. Things that I didn’t even think I was capable of doing. Heavenly father made me that way, and I want to live up to my full potential.