It all began one balmy evening during the summer of 2009. Jeff and I were sitting in our garden enjoying the night breeze, the toad's were singing and the water garden burbling. At some point, and I don't remember the exact moment, our conversation turned into a disagreement. Our disagreement soon turned into an argument. Disagreements are not common, but we have always been able to come to a resolution. However this time, I knew he was right and this made me angry. It was this anger that led me to declare, "I'm going on a run." I've NEVER been able to run on pavement for any notable distance. Treadmills are much more my "thing" so it was a great shock to run a solid 4 miles that night.
Since then I have run 3 half marathons, each event ending with a personal best time. But this year I decided to step up my game and try a full marathon. I have watched Jeff complete two of them, and I have my own enthusiasm for running, so I was inspired to try. I could not have known that the summer of 2011 could not have been a worse time to train for a marathon. A heat wave hit us early in the summer and never let up. Scorching hot days turned into muggy, humid nights. I got up around 4:30 am to get in a long run before the sun came up, only to have the temperature already at a miserable 80 degrees. The few people I did meet up with during those training runs (not all so early in the morning) were quick to point out to the insanity of my actions!
I am thankful for those many painful runs. They taught me to know what to expect when I was becoming overheated, when to slow it down or speed it up, and how much to drink or not drink. Several runs in the hot sun made me feeling as though I would never be able to do it, but somehow I trudged on, and finally race weekend arrived.
The night before the race, Jeff's parents took us to a great Italian restaurant where we ate a TON of pasta. I horrified the waiter with how much pasta and bread I ate. In a nearly polite tone he said, "Wow, you ate all of that!?", but he couldn't disguise his shock and probable disgust. I didn't care. I had a race to prepare for and it's not every day I have the excuse to eat like that!
Jeff and I left the house VERY early and drove out to Ft. Worth (Jeff somehow convinced his parents to make the long drive to babysit and spend some quality time with the kids). We arrived on time despite a navigational error and proceeded to prepare for the race; donning bibs, queuing music, and eating our pre-race meal.
The race officials started everything off with a prayer which both Jeff and I appreciated, but it was painfully obvious that this is still a new venue (only 5 years old) that they're working out the kinks. We could barely hear anything being said and could only hope that we were starting at the right time. The weather was unseasonably warm. The morning temperature was already 68 degrees, and was forecast to climb into the mid to high-80's. It was not ideal marathon running weather but we hit the pavement and crossed the starting line.
The first few miles were awesome, while the temperature was still decent. There was shade, and everyone was in a good mood. We ran along the Trinity River, taking in the early morning sights and settling in for a long morning run. The first 4 miles are never fun for me in any run and I usually find my rhythm around mile 5. Today was an exception. I felt great from the start, and thanks to my GPS watch (a birthday gift from my in-laws) I was able to pace myself. By mile 10 I could feel the temperature climbing and felt myself starting to get tired. I routinely run 10-13 miles, so was surprised and slightly worried. Jeff passed me as he made his return trip from the half way point, which boosted my energy for a short time. By the time I got to mile 13 I was starting to struggle, as were the people around me. The temperature was still climbing and everyone around me was grumbling about it.
"I've never run a marathon in more than 5 hours. I should never have even bothered with this. This is a waste of time" were just some of the comments being made by runners surrounding me. I quickly made a point of trying to get as far ahead of them as possible. Long distance running is not just about physical endurance, but mental toughness as well. Negative thoughts can be incredibly damaging, so I knew I needed to keep my distance from them. At mile 16 I was really beginning to wear down. During my training runs I had hit 20 miles, so I knew I could do it, but the heat was beginning to take it's toll, and the 10.2 miles left seemed very far off.
As I reached the mile marker 16 , a guy running along side me asked me how I was doing. I explained that I was doing all right, but that the heat was getting to me. We started talking about previous races, families, and goals. He was neat to listen to and before I knew it we were at mile 18. He was anxious to keep pushing, so I encouraged him on, thankful for his support, and fell behind. Not long after he left, a woman caught up with me. "I've been trying to catch up with you for a while now!" She said as she came along side me. It turns out she had been using my bright pink shirt as a goal. We talked about all manner of things and I discovered that she is a triathlon participant, as well as the Wichita Falls Marathon weekend organizer. It was fascinating getting to talk to her as we ran along, and the miles ticked by. Before long she was also ready to head off on her own. I thanked her for her company and again fell behind.
Miles 22-24 were painfully slow for me. In the hot sun, with no shade and water stations only every 3 miles, it was agony. I am embarrassed by the slowness of those miles, but kept going, knowing that I was going to finish! When I reached mile 25 I decided it was time to quit acting like a baby and move. I ran down the hill and around the corner as fast as I could (which at that point wasn't very fast) and almost broke into tears when I crossed the finish line.
I completed my first full marathon - 26.2 miles, in 5 hours, 52 minutes in 88 degree heat. My original goal was to finish in under 6 hours, and I did it despite not getting any training runs in the two weeks prior to the race and despite the heat and humidity. I never imagined that the long ago argument that would push me into running would also lead me to completing a marathon. It was something I always felt beyond my capabilities. It is for this reason that I have added it to the blog. I want Norah and Justin to know that anything is possible as long as you believe and trust in yourself.
Many people had what they considered to be a poor race that day for many reasons (weather being the biggest). I was blessed to get to share my run with some wonderful people who encouraged me to keep going, and because of them I never really "hit the wall". I am blessed to have Jeff in my life as well. His encouragement and support have never wavered.
What I also want our children to understand is that it's okay to do things for yourself. I run for me. I run to relieve stress, to push myself beyond my limits. As the gentleman running with me for a time pointed out, "you can pound the pavement as hard as you want or need to when running". I run because I take a great deal of enjoyment out of it. I run because I was told I couldn't and shouldn't. My time is not a great finishing time, but it's mine, and there is nothing anyone can do to take that away from me.
Since then I have run 3 half marathons, each event ending with a personal best time. But this year I decided to step up my game and try a full marathon. I have watched Jeff complete two of them, and I have my own enthusiasm for running, so I was inspired to try. I could not have known that the summer of 2011 could not have been a worse time to train for a marathon. A heat wave hit us early in the summer and never let up. Scorching hot days turned into muggy, humid nights. I got up around 4:30 am to get in a long run before the sun came up, only to have the temperature already at a miserable 80 degrees. The few people I did meet up with during those training runs (not all so early in the morning) were quick to point out to the insanity of my actions!
I am thankful for those many painful runs. They taught me to know what to expect when I was becoming overheated, when to slow it down or speed it up, and how much to drink or not drink. Several runs in the hot sun made me feeling as though I would never be able to do it, but somehow I trudged on, and finally race weekend arrived.
The night before the race, Jeff's parents took us to a great Italian restaurant where we ate a TON of pasta. I horrified the waiter with how much pasta and bread I ate. In a nearly polite tone he said, "Wow, you ate all of that!?", but he couldn't disguise his shock and probable disgust. I didn't care. I had a race to prepare for and it's not every day I have the excuse to eat like that!
Jeff and I left the house VERY early and drove out to Ft. Worth (Jeff somehow convinced his parents to make the long drive to babysit and spend some quality time with the kids). We arrived on time despite a navigational error and proceeded to prepare for the race; donning bibs, queuing music, and eating our pre-race meal.
The race officials started everything off with a prayer which both Jeff and I appreciated, but it was painfully obvious that this is still a new venue (only 5 years old) that they're working out the kinks. We could barely hear anything being said and could only hope that we were starting at the right time. The weather was unseasonably warm. The morning temperature was already 68 degrees, and was forecast to climb into the mid to high-80's. It was not ideal marathon running weather but we hit the pavement and crossed the starting line.
The first few miles were awesome, while the temperature was still decent. There was shade, and everyone was in a good mood. We ran along the Trinity River, taking in the early morning sights and settling in for a long morning run. The first 4 miles are never fun for me in any run and I usually find my rhythm around mile 5. Today was an exception. I felt great from the start, and thanks to my GPS watch (a birthday gift from my in-laws) I was able to pace myself. By mile 10 I could feel the temperature climbing and felt myself starting to get tired. I routinely run 10-13 miles, so was surprised and slightly worried. Jeff passed me as he made his return trip from the half way point, which boosted my energy for a short time. By the time I got to mile 13 I was starting to struggle, as were the people around me. The temperature was still climbing and everyone around me was grumbling about it.
"I've never run a marathon in more than 5 hours. I should never have even bothered with this. This is a waste of time" were just some of the comments being made by runners surrounding me. I quickly made a point of trying to get as far ahead of them as possible. Long distance running is not just about physical endurance, but mental toughness as well. Negative thoughts can be incredibly damaging, so I knew I needed to keep my distance from them. At mile 16 I was really beginning to wear down. During my training runs I had hit 20 miles, so I knew I could do it, but the heat was beginning to take it's toll, and the 10.2 miles left seemed very far off.
As I reached the mile marker 16 , a guy running along side me asked me how I was doing. I explained that I was doing all right, but that the heat was getting to me. We started talking about previous races, families, and goals. He was neat to listen to and before I knew it we were at mile 18. He was anxious to keep pushing, so I encouraged him on, thankful for his support, and fell behind. Not long after he left, a woman caught up with me. "I've been trying to catch up with you for a while now!" She said as she came along side me. It turns out she had been using my bright pink shirt as a goal. We talked about all manner of things and I discovered that she is a triathlon participant, as well as the Wichita Falls Marathon weekend organizer. It was fascinating getting to talk to her as we ran along, and the miles ticked by. Before long she was also ready to head off on her own. I thanked her for her company and again fell behind.
Miles 22-24 were painfully slow for me. In the hot sun, with no shade and water stations only every 3 miles, it was agony. I am embarrassed by the slowness of those miles, but kept going, knowing that I was going to finish! When I reached mile 25 I decided it was time to quit acting like a baby and move. I ran down the hill and around the corner as fast as I could (which at that point wasn't very fast) and almost broke into tears when I crossed the finish line.
I completed my first full marathon - 26.2 miles, in 5 hours, 52 minutes in 88 degree heat. My original goal was to finish in under 6 hours, and I did it despite not getting any training runs in the two weeks prior to the race and despite the heat and humidity. I never imagined that the long ago argument that would push me into running would also lead me to completing a marathon. It was something I always felt beyond my capabilities. It is for this reason that I have added it to the blog. I want Norah and Justin to know that anything is possible as long as you believe and trust in yourself.
Many people had what they considered to be a poor race that day for many reasons (weather being the biggest). I was blessed to get to share my run with some wonderful people who encouraged me to keep going, and because of them I never really "hit the wall". I am blessed to have Jeff in my life as well. His encouragement and support have never wavered.
What I also want our children to understand is that it's okay to do things for yourself. I run for me. I run to relieve stress, to push myself beyond my limits. As the gentleman running with me for a time pointed out, "you can pound the pavement as hard as you want or need to when running". I run because I take a great deal of enjoyment out of it. I run because I was told I couldn't and shouldn't. My time is not a great finishing time, but it's mine, and there is nothing anyone can do to take that away from me.
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