26.2-FINALLY!

Can I just say how HORRIBLE I am about updating this blog? So where to begin?

Pre Marathon Week:

horrible. tear filled stressful week. My schedule was a mixture of days and evenings and parts of my left leg were really beginning to bother me. I was supposed to work Friday evening before the marathon, which meant I wouldn't have gotten to bed until 1am. Lucky for me, I asked the charge nurse to cancel me and got it. I went to bed around 10pm. Which was good because on Saturday....

Marathon Eve:

Drive to DC. Cold, rainy, windy day. We found the expo, found parking(!) and completed race pick up. It was my first marathon expo so of course I wanted to see everything there. I picked up a jacket, which according to my husband looks like a Michael Jackson jacket (red & black with elastic around the wrists. I heart 80s). We left the expo to eat lunch and the went back to the expo to see all the ridiculous goods for sale. The expo was packed and I didn't get anything except a magnet for my car (the original magnet got washed off in a drive thru car wash). I think I'm officially over the expos though...There really wasn't anything there that I just had to have (except the jacket).

that night was a yummy carb loaded pasta dinner at my friend's aunt & uncle's house and then an attempt to fall asleep. THAT never happened. the entire night was spent tossing and turning.

Marathon Day: I finally got out of bed at 4:45. the hotel had a ridiculously expensive breakfast cafe ($7 for cereal!) so i got a bagel, juice, and coffee & the starbucks kiosk. Ate upstairs. Got ready. packed a ton of Gus (most of which i did not use). My husband and friend had signs and balloons (a palm tree and margarita) and we left the hotel around 7:10 to walk to the start.

There were tons of people walking to the starting line. I was literally skipping I was so excited. Runners dressed as hot dogs. One was putting on a mask of the last VP (I told him if he was behind me I would definitely run the whole way).

Run:

I had to climb over the barricade to get into the runners section. I was somewhere near the 4:45 group. My ultimate goal was to finish. I wanted to break 5 hours, and my training plan said I would run it in 4:40. I thought it would be cool to finish in 4:30, but knew that wasn't reasonable. the start cannon shot at 0800. and my lane of runners was standing still. and still standing. The other lane was beginning to itch forward. We were still. eventually we started running and I crossed the start line around 8:15.

I saw my husband and friend (and balloons!) to the left. And if I could have, I would have cartwheeled. The first few miles went through parts of crystal city. At Mile Two I started thinking, "Damn. I am TIRED." not running tired, but sleep deprived i am coming down with something tired. I think mile 3 started on the parkway and it was a pretty wooded area. People were so funny! A will Ferrell wann-a-be was hilarious. I found my groove around mile 4 or 5, just before crossing the bridge into Georgetown. Georgetown was where I did my first gu between mile 6 and 7. I saw a friend (what are the chances!) and ran with her and her friend through Georgetown and into dc.

At Mile 10 we were getting back into DC near the monuments and I saw my husband and friend (those balloons were AWESOME). I was jumping like a female version of will Ferrell. I obviously got a high and sped up. I didn't know it, but we were entering an area called Haine's Point, which is very pretty, but with hardly any spectators. I was still feeling pretty good and I left my friend because I felt like I could push a little more. through the 1/2 way point. Leaving Haine's Point and entering mile 15/16 I began to feel tired. I saw my husband and friend again and said (with a big grin on my face), "I'm getting tired!" Husband's response? "Keep running!"

I vaguely remember mile 16. I remember the people and seeing part of the Lincoln memorial, but I don't remember how we got around it (the back? the front of the monument?) We ran past the White House (but I don't remember running past the Vietnam Memorial). Ran past the Washington Monument. Ran behind some Smithsonian museums.

Now was I getting tired and super annoyed at the spectators crossing the street. Ran in front of the capital building and began to pick up some speed. ran back up the mall past the other half of the Smithsonians. Was really beginning to feel good again. Then there was a left turn and I saw my husband and friend again (totally unexpected! those balloons- again awesome!). Ran past some drummers and picked up speed while entering The Bridge.

The Bridge. Otherwise known as long lonely stretch where runners started walking and spectators ceased to exist. The lone spectator?

I found the photo on the internet from another MCM runner

Yeah....funny, but I was losing humor at this point. I was just thinking, "This is STUPID. I am NEVER RUNNING AGAIN." I started hating life. But I refused to walk. Finally the bridge took us into Crystal City. At the water station a Marine giving me my drink started yelling my name loudly and over and over again with urgency. RACHEL! RACHEL! RUN RACHEL! GO!

I must have looked pretty crappy for him to do that for me. I tried to pick up speed but couldn't. still refused to walk though.

Crystal City was the hardest part of the run. I lost a full minute per mile for miles 22-25. It was an out and back so the faster runners were running in the opposite direction. With ever corner I saw, i thought, "Ah! The turn around is RIGHT THERE!" (it never was...only once...)

At mile 24 I started to feel better. Holy crap, I've done this! Mile 25 I was BEAMING ear to ear. I did it! I saw my husband and friend at mile 26! Those balloons again! I "sprinted" up the final hill with my arms up above my head and finally, after running for an agonizingly long 4 hours, 44 minutes, and 16 seconds, I crossed the finish line.

Post Marathon: Could not walk. Stopped twice in the crazy mass of people trying to get their medals and food etc to sit. Ate half a bagel and drank some water on the second sitting break. Finally made it out of the fence and attempted to walk to meet my husband and friend but my left groin/inner thigh area hurt so badly (it was bothering me the week leading up to the marathon) that I could only take baby steps. Husband saw me, came walking towards me. Hugged me and I cried (with no tears), "I....can't...waallaaalllllk!" I can't walk! I hurt! I never want to run again!"

Riiiight. 10 minutes later, after some stretching, I was wondering how to register for NYC 2010. I slipped on some flip flops and commenced the 2 mile walk to the hotel (HUH? they expected me to walk two miles after running 26.2? funny, the three of us said the same thing with different meanings....husband was like, "of course! you ran 26.2 you can walk 2!" it was probably good for me. Later, an ice bath a hot shower which DID NOT WARM ME UP. Hot Tea. Foam Roller. Ah, foam roller, what would I do with you?? Sam Adams, Burger, Kahlua Brownie and ice cream. A taxi ride back to the hotel (I walked to the restaurant but was too stiff to walk back). And the best way to end the night? Some good ole golden tequila.

Aftermath: So I still want to run another marathon, ideally NYC. Mainly because I want to run the next marathon better. Especially since I have a better idea of what to expect and how to better train. I averaged 20-30 miles per week and would like to up that. Seeing my husband and friend with the balloons to easily spot them was great. I saw them at the start, 10 mi, 16 mi, 20 mi, and at the 26 mi point. It's a great course for spectators because they were able to walk to all those points. With the exception of miles 22-24 (the crystal city area), the race is NOT a circle. there are no repeats of the course so runners don't feel like they are repeating any part of the course. And about those spectacular spectators. I put some giant iron-on letters on my shirt spelling out my name. SO many people yelled out my name. For the first half of the race, i felt like a rock star. (the last half I felt like they were truly helping me out). I can't imagine running that long WITHOUT hearing and seeing people cheer me on. I've since gone on two slow and easy 2 mile runs. I went to the gym yesterday and will probably go for a run today before work. if i ever finish this blog post (are you still reading? you deserve some kudos for that my friend...) next race? to be determined....