TWENTY SIX POINT FREAKING TWO

It's hard for me to completely comprehend the fact that it's true, but it is. I completed my first marathon. Here's how it went down:

The night before I laid out all my gear in sheer disbelief that the day had finally arrived.

I was really excited the morning of, but I still couldn't believe that I was actually about do to my first marathon. For some reason, even though I had been signed up for 10 months, and had been counting down the days since, I just couldn't believe that it was actually happening.

Pre-Race meet up with the ultimate marathon man- Seth

Mile 1: Everyone says that your first marathon is emotionally overwhelming, and I was waiting to be overwhelmed and start crying or something, but it still hadn't clicked that I was actually doing it.

The fact that it hadn't hit me that I was actually about to run 26.2 miles, my longest run by 4.2 miles, didn't initially bode well for me. I was feeling rather cocky, and was suddenly concerned about my time, which, I had decided before, would be a non-factor. In my cockiness, I decided that I wanted to finish in under 5 hours, preferably around 4:30 (which shows I suck at math, because my average half is 2:20+). So I started with the 4:30 pace group.

Where's Waldo? I don't know, but Simone is the
one with the sexy knee braces.

6 miles in I was tired, and it finally dawned on me that I'm doing a marathon not a 5k, and that the 4:30 pace group was not for me. I decided to stop struggling to keep up, and go at my comfortable pace because, ultimately, finishing was my goal.

Half way through it once again hit me that I'm doing a full marathon, and I instantly regretted my poor life choices. What the hell was I thinking?!? I could be finishing right now! But, the course for the Space Coast Marathon was my saving grace. The course is essentially a figure 8, so the half way point is a place for friends and family to give you a mid race boost.  

Thumbs up!

Mile 15: My first full blown wave of fatigue hit me, and I walked for the first time. I knew I would have to walk at some point, even though I really didn't want to. I was disappointed, but I was happy that I didn't have to walk until after the half-way point. I didn't walk much though because walking doesn't get you to the finish any quicker.

Mile 16: I poured water over my head in a futile attempt to cool off, and my right headphone, which clearly didn't agree with my cool down technique, stopped working. At least I had good 'ol lefty because without music, I cannot run! Having one headphone allowed me to hear the tell tale squishing in my shoes meaning that I was blister bound.

Mile 17: I started to get a little dizzy, and my stomach was a little sour. I attempted to remedy my fatigue with shot blocks and powerade, and I think that did my stomach in. But, I had to suck it up because I still had 9.2 miles to go.

Mile 18: In the blink of an eye, I went from being so hot that I was stopping at every water stop and pouring water over my head to uncomfortably cold. I had made my final turn and was heading to the finish. In honor of the runner's version of Murphy's Law, the turn lead to a head wind, which had picked up it's speed.

Mile 20: "Shit! I'm signed up to do this awfulness again in January!"

Mile 23: "Holy crap! Only 3 miles left! You've totally got this! There's only a 5k left, no more walking, finish strong, you can do it..."

Mile 23.1: "I can see the light. This is what death feels like. The Grim Reaper is next to me ready to take me with him. Screw this, I'm walking"

Mile 24: "This is great! Only 2 miles to go! No more walking! You can do this!"

Mile 24.1: "Ok, maybe I'll just walk once per mile for a little bit. That's not too bad. Plus the 4:45 pace group hasn't passed me yet. ...crap. There they go."

Mile 24.8: "Once per mile, twice per mile, I'm not doing this for time right?!?"

Mile 26: "I can see them, but they can't see me yet, so I'm walking until they can."

Mile 26.05: I started running again. I saw Derek. I was so close. I was so excited. And my Garmin died. Lame.

Mile 26.1: The last 0.1 of the Space Cost Marathon is on pavers and goes around the park where the race festivities take place. This is where it hit me. HOLY SHIT, I'm actually going to finish this. I'm really going to be able to say that I did a marathon. I mean, it's not like I didn't think I was going to finish before, because lord knows I would have crawled to the finish if I had to. But for whatever reason, it didn't hit me that I was actually going to finish until I hit those pavers. It was extremely overwhelming and I felt myself welling up.

The finish, 26.2 miles, 5 hours, 3 minutes, 17 seconds: Right before the finish I saw that Rose had come all the way to surprise me with a fancy, sparkly, wine decorated poster, and that, on top of the fact that I was actually finishing, did it for me. I cried tears of joy. I did it. I completed my first marathon.

Am I the only one who hates when the clock is in
my pic because it isn't my net time and makes me
look slower than I already am?

 

I was officially delirious. I had eaten 330 calories, plus 5 shot blocks, and a bunch of watered down powerade, but I had burned nearly 3,000 calories. On top of that I was freezing. I literally walked right into the lady giving out the medals, didn't even notice that she gave me my medal, and asked her about 4 times if she was the person who gave out towels because I was cold. I'm pretty sure she responded each time, but I was so delirious that I didn't hear or understand her, so she found the guy giving out the towels and wrapped one around me.

The ORC's post race after party is always my favorite part of the Space Coast Half, but I was so tired and hungry and delirious, I couldn't have cared less about the mimosas (yes, you read that right). I woofed down my french toast, had one mimosa, yes ONE mimosa, and then fought to keep my eyes open for some post race conversation.

Completing the Space Coast Marathon has been my greatest accomplishment. In the last 5 years I've gone from not even owning a pair of sneakers and never having seen the inside of a gym, to being 30 lbs lighter and having completed what I once thought was the impossible.

I signed up for this race as a "birthday present," to myself (Cruel really). Since my birthday, I'm on my 3rd pair of shoes, I've had several injuries and set backs, I've doubted myself millions of times, and I have run exactly 510 miles.