I did it! I did it!!

Swag!!!

Wow.  That's really the best way to sum up the Marathon.  But, considering this is a blog, and blogs are, generally, written by folks who like to say more than one word about things...I guess I will expound on that thought.

I'll give the play-by-play, as much as I can remember - leaving out the boring stuff.

First, I have to say that I have the most amazing coach/ support staff in Mr. Arjay Hinek - I absolutely could not have done it without his love, encouragement, and support.  (Does this sound like an Oscar speech?  Good.)

I was so worried last week that I wouldn't even make it to the starting line, and that if I did, I wouldn't be able to finish.  I woke up Monday morning with a sore throat that progressed into a whole head/bronchial tube extravaganza.  I carted myself to Urgent Care on Saturday morning, and left with a prescription for nasonex, and an albuterol inhaler, and instructions to continue with the Mucinex D.  The doctor said things were ok for running, i.e., my lungs sounded good, and there didn't appear to be any viral or bacterial infection - just allergies.  So, yay!  We went to my grand-nephew's 1st birthday party after that, and had a grand old time, and then headed home to begin the final preparations, making sure I could be in bed by 9, with nothing left to think about in the morning, except getting up, getting dressed, eating, and getting in the car by 5:15.

I had a pretty fitful sleep, waking up a few times in coughing fits, but when I was sleeping, I think it was good sleep.  Arjay said I got to some pretty good snoring, so I guess I did sleep afterall!

putting on my kicks

everyone waiting to do "final preparations"

Sunday morning went as seamlessly as I could have hoped!  We got out of bed at 4:30, ate the pancakes we'd made the night before, got dressed, heated up a bowl of oatmeal, got the food bag we'd packed the night before, and hit the road!  We got to the venue right at 6:00am, leaving plenty of time for two trips to the porta-johns, and some good stretching.

in the staring chute

With so many other folks running the marathon, and the 1/2 marathon starting at the same time...I decided to plant myself in the back of the starting chute, so as not to get trampled by the really fast people.  I actually crossed the start line about 4 minutes after the gun went off.

I had run the first part of the course a few weeks earlier, so kinda knew what to expect.  It seemed much easier though!  I had done my long training runs walking for 1 minute of every mile, after the 1st.  I felt so good at mile one, though...and my heart rate was still pretty low, so I decided to go on another mile before walking, so took my first break at mile 2...but only for 30 seconds, instead of the minute - I just felt really, really good...and my heart rate was good, so I figured I'd just use that as my guide.

3 miles in and feeling good!

Arjay met me at about 3 miles, it was good to see his face!  He gave me a hearty cheer, and an "i love you" to help get me through the next 10 miles, until I'd see him again.  There were lots of nice spectators along the way, including a goat and a horse at mile 4-ish (it's an out and back, so I saw them again later.).  I can't say enough about how awesome all the water-stop volunteers were!  I think my favorite water station was the one "womanned" by the Black Girls Run group.  Those ladies had so much energy, big smiles, and wonderful encouraging words!!

I was drinking so much fluid, that I started hearing nature's call around mile 6.  Luckily, there were porta-johns at pretty much every water stop, so I didn't even have to go "in nature."  It's tough worrying about finding a secluded enough spot, so I was glad I didn't have to do that!

The turn-around point was at roughly 8.5 miles, another fun place, with lots of awesome volunteers.  I had a bad patch at 10 miles, when I switched from my audio book (The Great Hunt - book 2 in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series) to music.  I had planned to do the last 3 hours of the race with music - when it got too hard to focus on the story, and all I wanted was Lady Gaga yelling at me.  But, the one thing I forgot to do was to check that my play list was actually ready to go.  So, turns out it wasn't, and I had to "find" it.  That took a little longer than I had hoped - and at a little slower walking pace.  I had been walking roughly 45-60 seconds every 2 miles, but that walk ended up being about 2 minutes, maybe a little more, while I cussed at my phone.  But it was worth it!  I had loaded the player up with some up-lifting tunes, and it all started with  Katy Perry telling me what a Firework I was!  Cheesy pop music, but I love it!

coming up on 13.1 still feeling great!

I saw my awesome husband at 13.1 miles, and he loaded me up with more Girls Scout Thin Mints (special shout-out to Sarah Little for hooking a sister up!), a banana, and we replaced 2 of my empty cytomax bottles with full, and gave me some ibuprofen, to ward off any aches and pains.  Arjay got on his bike to head up to meet me at the next stop - just a few miles ahead, where the greenway crossed the road home.  A nice guy that I had been running pretty close to for a good while said "you sure do have a good support team," and I assured him I knew it full well, and that I was a lucky, lucky gal!  I think that everyone in the race benefited from Arjay being out there.  He probably cheered every one of the thousand + people on at one point or another!

I ran the next few miles, just enjoying the day, and listening to the music, and feeling exceedingly grateful that my body was partnering with me, rather than breaking down.  I ran into Arjay again at mile 16/23 (i think?  I know it was mile 23 on the way back...not sure what it was on the way out.)  BUT - here is the important thing: It was the BEER stop!  Wonderful, wonderful people giving out tiny cups of PBR.  While not beer in the REAL sense...it was definitely a fun thing!  I told them I would be in need of that libation on the way back, but thought better of it when I still had some hard miles ahead, that had been AWFUL in the training runs.

I passed mile 18 without incident, and really began to KNOW that I was absolutely going to get this done, and even quicker than I'd planned!  20 ticked by, and I was in unknown territory, since my longest training run was 20 miles.  I hurt - but not nearly as bad as I had prepared to hurt.

Getting my tiny PBR from kilted volunteer!

Finally - I got to mile 23, and that sweet, tiny cup of PBR - just enough to take your mind off running, by the sheer surprise of it.  Also - getting that celebration started early!  Arjay was there to meet me - and asked if I wanted him to meet me at mile 24, or go on to the finish.  My Mom and Dad, and my brother Tim, and sister-in-law Heather, and nephews Brennan and Cameron were planning to meet me at the finish, so I told him I wanted him to go find them, and that I would be just fine for the last 3 miles.

They were a HARD 3 miles, but so good too.  I turned off the greenway, onto the main road, and boy!  Almost there!  I picked the pace up a bit - excitement, I guess, as well as just wanting it to be over.  Only 2 turns left to the finish road!  I saw a Mom and her two kids running out the finish with her...so sweet!

So elated!

The Go-Go's brought me through mile 24, and Madonna joined me in mile 25, but the very best thing...better than I could have hoped for - was that the song that started playing as I turned on to the finish road was "Home" by Phillip Phillips - who I just learned was an American Idol winner.  ha!  I just knew I loved that song.  Particularly this line  "Don't pay no mind to the demons, they fill you with fear."  So true.   Here's the video, check it out if you haven't heard it.

I began this blog on August 17th, 2012 - 7 months ago.  In all my life, I never dreamed I would ever run a marathon.  I never thought I COULD do it.  3 months ago, I wasn't sure.  5 weeks ago, I was terrified.  A week ago, I thought I would be too sick.  But yesterday I did it.  I wonder what other things I can do, if I just stop being afraid, if I just stop listening to the proverbial "demons."

would you get a load of that!

I am so proud.  And so grateful to all of my friends and family who told me in all your own ways "Know you're not alone."  Thank you for your prayers, for your advice, for your encouragement, and for making this process happen, and mostly, thank you for helping me to discover a new part of me.

Now - Sunday, November 3rd, 2013 - City of Oaks Marathon.  Who's with me???

P.S. - wanna see my splits?  click HERE.  yeah, they're negative splits.  =)  Also, this is "race time" my actual time is 4 minutes less, onaccounta being so far back in the starting line.