My First Marathon
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Linli_Anne
Posts: 1,360 Member
I did it!
Stats for those not interested in the story. Rainy day, I was soaked through and through. Kept a decent pace up until mile 25 when mentally I started to freak out. Finished with a time of 4:42. I never hit the wall - and I still love and look forward to running.
The rain started on Friday night - and it was off and on all day Saturday. When I woke up at 4AM on Sunday morning, it was a lit mist. I was hopeful that we'd luck out and just have an overcast race and the skies could open up again the second I had my medal around my neck. It didn't quite play out that way. It poured as we drove to the park-and-ride location, but it did hold off while I got through the bag check, and until the race was underway.
I had a few weepy moments in the starting corral - I had been relatively calm and focused and overall ready the day before and all that morning. But I felt overwhelmed listening to the race director quote the lines from the song by Fun "Carry On". I pulled it together, the gun fired, and the rocky theme blared on the speakers. More weepiness.
I settled quickly and easily into my pace. I felt great. The first 4 miles of the run seemed to be over in the blink of an eye. I took my first 4 energy chews at mile 4 as planned, and had about 4 sips of water at the aid station. At mile 6 the rain stated. It never felt like a driving rain, and thankfully there was not much wind. At mile 7 I downed 4 more energy chews and a few more sips of water. By this time I was damp, but it was refreshing and helping to keep me nicely cool.
Mile 13 was in sight - half way. I was feeling great, had a half a cup of Gatorade at the aid station and my pace was still nice and steady. I grabbed a sponge from one of the volunteers, and squeezed it over my head and on the back of my neck. It felt great - it was colder than the rain and helped cool me off. Someone shouted from the sidelines "103 - you are looking awesome. Go get it!" I felt awesome. I checked my surroundings and I was already at mile 16. I popped a few more gels and had some more water.
Everything felt great - I passed the mile 22 marker and smiled - even gave the photographer there the old "Gun to head" shot, but I didn't feel that way. No wall for this runner - I was fuelling well, feeling strong and enjoying the experience. I didn't even notice just how drenched I was.
We got to mile 24, over a bridge, and back up to the route that took us out of the starting grounds. This was a tough mile mentally - my mind was starting to break - how could I have made it through mile 22 with no problems? Were there really only 2 miles to go? I heard my shoes squishing from the wetness. I could barely unfold my elbows and my fingers were purple and white. I was drenched. I counted steps - 1, 2, 1, 2. Mile 25 marker in site. I walked. I pushed myself on - time to run again, 1,2,1,2. My brain made the last 1.2 miles seem like they were another 10. It was like all of those thoughts about the possibility of not finishing came out of the shadows and began to torture me. I walked some more. I pushed myself to run. 2 more turns and I was at the finish line. Someone called out "103 - you are there. You did it. You are awesome." Tears flowed. One more turn and I was on the finishing track. A volunteer gave me a high five - I only had 200 yards to go. I shouted - This is my first marathon. She urged me on. My feet picked up speed, I passed a couple of runners. I was looking for my family. There they were yelling at me. Tears.
I crossed the finish line...my legs kept going. I high fived volunteers as I tried to slow down. I was hit with so much at once I didn't know whether to laugh, cry, moan, scream. They stopped me as I almost walked away without my medal. LOL.
More tears. A volunteer asked if I was OK. I nodded. Where do I go now. Then I saw my kids and hubby and ran to them. I did it.
It was an amazing day - rain and all. I am so proud of myself, and of my time. And, despite mentally crumbling a bit during the home stretch, I think that for my first marathon it couldn't have gone any better.
So - would it be tacky if I wore my finisher medal for the next couple of days?? LOL
A big thanks to all of you for your tips, your help, your inspiration and support. I think I finally feel like a runner!
Stats for those not interested in the story. Rainy day, I was soaked through and through. Kept a decent pace up until mile 25 when mentally I started to freak out. Finished with a time of 4:42. I never hit the wall - and I still love and look forward to running.
The rain started on Friday night - and it was off and on all day Saturday. When I woke up at 4AM on Sunday morning, it was a lit mist. I was hopeful that we'd luck out and just have an overcast race and the skies could open up again the second I had my medal around my neck. It didn't quite play out that way. It poured as we drove to the park-and-ride location, but it did hold off while I got through the bag check, and until the race was underway.
I had a few weepy moments in the starting corral - I had been relatively calm and focused and overall ready the day before and all that morning. But I felt overwhelmed listening to the race director quote the lines from the song by Fun "Carry On". I pulled it together, the gun fired, and the rocky theme blared on the speakers. More weepiness.
I settled quickly and easily into my pace. I felt great. The first 4 miles of the run seemed to be over in the blink of an eye. I took my first 4 energy chews at mile 4 as planned, and had about 4 sips of water at the aid station. At mile 6 the rain stated. It never felt like a driving rain, and thankfully there was not much wind. At mile 7 I downed 4 more energy chews and a few more sips of water. By this time I was damp, but it was refreshing and helping to keep me nicely cool.
Mile 13 was in sight - half way. I was feeling great, had a half a cup of Gatorade at the aid station and my pace was still nice and steady. I grabbed a sponge from one of the volunteers, and squeezed it over my head and on the back of my neck. It felt great - it was colder than the rain and helped cool me off. Someone shouted from the sidelines "103 - you are looking awesome. Go get it!" I felt awesome. I checked my surroundings and I was already at mile 16. I popped a few more gels and had some more water.
Everything felt great - I passed the mile 22 marker and smiled - even gave the photographer there the old "Gun to head" shot, but I didn't feel that way. No wall for this runner - I was fuelling well, feeling strong and enjoying the experience. I didn't even notice just how drenched I was.
We got to mile 24, over a bridge, and back up to the route that took us out of the starting grounds. This was a tough mile mentally - my mind was starting to break - how could I have made it through mile 22 with no problems? Were there really only 2 miles to go? I heard my shoes squishing from the wetness. I could barely unfold my elbows and my fingers were purple and white. I was drenched. I counted steps - 1, 2, 1, 2. Mile 25 marker in site. I walked. I pushed myself on - time to run again, 1,2,1,2. My brain made the last 1.2 miles seem like they were another 10. It was like all of those thoughts about the possibility of not finishing came out of the shadows and began to torture me. I walked some more. I pushed myself to run. 2 more turns and I was at the finish line. Someone called out "103 - you are there. You did it. You are awesome." Tears flowed. One more turn and I was on the finishing track. A volunteer gave me a high five - I only had 200 yards to go. I shouted - This is my first marathon. She urged me on. My feet picked up speed, I passed a couple of runners. I was looking for my family. There they were yelling at me. Tears.
I crossed the finish line...my legs kept going. I high fived volunteers as I tried to slow down. I was hit with so much at once I didn't know whether to laugh, cry, moan, scream. They stopped me as I almost walked away without my medal. LOL.
More tears. A volunteer asked if I was OK. I nodded. Where do I go now. Then I saw my kids and hubby and ran to them. I did it.
It was an amazing day - rain and all. I am so proud of myself, and of my time. And, despite mentally crumbling a bit during the home stretch, I think that for my first marathon it couldn't have gone any better.
So - would it be tacky if I wore my finisher medal for the next couple of days?? LOL
A big thanks to all of you for your tips, your help, your inspiration and support. I think I finally feel like a runner!
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Replies
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I am so so SOOOO Happy for you!! Congrats on finishing your marathon!! It's such a wonderful story, I'm so proud of you! Thanks for sharing
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It is stories like this that make me want to go for a full marathon one day. What an experience - thank you for sharing. Congrats to you!0
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congrats to you! i got a little misty eyed reading your story - thanks for sharing 0
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Wow, many congratulations, you're a marathoner now and always will be! I loved your story, very inspiring, makes me look forward to mine again!0
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Congratualtions on your marathon!!! 0
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Fantastic! you did so well! congratulations am delighted for you.
You are inspiring plenty of us to take the plunge and go for a first marathon, if you get a chance will you give us a run down of your training plan/ preps for the big day?
thanks for the really great report so glad you had a ball,
regards,
Valentine0 -
Congrats!0
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Wow! Congrats on your first marathon! I hope my first (November) goes as well as yours!0
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OMG! You just made me cry at work, like a crazy lady. I did my first 3 weeks ago and your report is bringing back so many feelings.
Congrats 1 million times! You did it!0 -
Thanks all.
Reading your replies has me flooded with emotions all over. I guess because the first always stays with us!.
For those of you that asked about what I did for training, I ran 4 times a week, M, Tu, W and a long run on Sundays.
I reworked the Hal Higdon Novice 2 plan, added in a couple of extra 20 mile long run weeks. I did a 1/2 6 weeks before my full, and shaved 10 minutes off my time there.
I really think that my biggest key to success yesterday were the extra 20 mile runs, and about 4 18 mile runs. Had I only had 1 20 mile training run, and the 2 18 mile runs I think yesterday would have been a different story.0 -
Congrats! I would totally wear that medal like skin for the rest of the week!
Such an inspiring story to start the week. I'm just training for my first half but hope to someday share my first marathon story here.0 -
The last 1.2 feel like 10... Haha I LOVE that. This is great. Thanks for sharing 0
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ETA - this is what a first marathon should be.0 -
Great job and Congrats!0
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Sounds like a great first marathon to me! Good job!0
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Yay! Congrats! You did it! What a great story!!! You totally need to wear your medal for the next week at least!!0
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Very inspirational. I gotta get it together and just do it. I keep meaning to. Your detailed account of conquering the mile markers made it seem so....do-able, so real. Big heartfelt congratulations go out to you, girl.0
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Congrats on becoming a marathoner and for sharing your wonderful runspirational story! (I
marathon stories!) What a feeling! Proud of you! :bigsmile: You rock! :glasses: 0 -
Wow, big congratulations! I loved your story. :happy:0
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Congratulations! Nothing like your first marathon! You did great!0
