WOW!!

Ok so I'm just going to cut to the chase... I FINISHED MY FIRST MARATHON! And it was a indescribable experience with so many ups and downs, but as soon as my arms raised in the air and my two feet crossed that finish line, every obstacle, cramp, pain, etc. never seemed to matter. I can't even begin to describe the satisfaction I felt once I realized I had finally finished what I had been working so hard for these past 8 months, but I'm going to try...

The night before the race is where I guess it all started. Not only did we have to prepare to board a bus BEFORE 4 am just to make it to the starting line on time, but also the 2:40 wake up call just so we could fuel our bodies with delicious pancakes, oatmeal, and bananas with peanut butter. It almost impossible for me to get any food down, thanks to the nerves, but also impossible for me to sleep past 1 am. Yup, that's right, I woke up at 12:52 and enjoyed some nice tossing and turning for what seemed to be an eternity. Yet, thanks to my adrenaline, I would be able to function until at least 10 pm the night of the race.

We boarded the bus around 3:45 am and were on our way to the starting line. For once my body was feeling great! No aches, no pains....not even the slightest bit of worry that I would have to stop thanks to my ever so broken body a couple weeks before. Just positive thoughts and plenty of vaseline. When we got there all I can say is people...EVERYWHERE. Since I ran a half marathon I was somewhat used to the crowd, but Mickey? Not so much. His mouth just dropped open and he stopped dead in his tracks, especially when he saw the line for the bathrooms, which we went to probably 3 times before the actual start of the race. Thank you nerves! We made our way through the thousands of people and began that mile or so trek towards the starting line, not even realizing that at that point, we had both been up for a good 4 hours already.

All we could keep saying to each other was "I can't believe we are actually here. I can't believe we made it." When we got to the starting line we were all divided up into our corrals, which was somewhat frustrating since I wanted to get as close as I could to the starting line so I didn't have to walk for eternity before I started running, but I guess you can't have everything you've hoped for. Instead I just took that extra time as my time to talk to myself, get all the negative thoughts kinked out and only to start hoping for the best and know that, no matter what, I would finish.

The marathon started off with a bang..literally. Mickey and Minnie, along with every other Disney character possible, and some fireworks were there to see us off. And all I could keep thinking was that everything we had worked for came down to this one moment. The first 5 miles were a sinch as I hoped they would be considering I had 21 more to go. We were doing great and thanks to the crowds and cheering fans that kept that adrenaline pumping, we would continue to stay that way. Things were going just as we as planned - we drank early and often, kept a steady pace, and made sure not to concentrate too much on the other people around us. Before we knew it we had made it to our 13 mile split, which we ended up finishing around 2:02 (note to self: the Brazilian that would finish the whole marathon just 18 minutes later was probably already on mile 23.)

Now, I was informed of this whole "hitting the wall" thing and luckily I don't ever think I really got to that point. However, I got the full experience from Mickey who hit it just where we were told we would...the 20 mile mark. His mind had gotten the best of him and he literally thought his legs were going to collapse. Being an athlete for most of my life and having to mentally prepare for everything possible, I tried my hardest not to let my frustration and competitive side surface because, after all, I was running what most people don't even drive in a day. I just had to stay calm. I had to get him through it, but my encouraging "it's only one foot in front of the other," talk wasn't able to overpower his pain...or so I thought. I had had enough...everyone was going through the same things he was. Everyone had hit that wall and was feeling what he was feeling. His pain wasn't different from anyone elses, so in my mind, he had no reason to stop. I had to give him some perspective and let him know that because I knew he could get through it. He had gotten through the majority of the race and had only 6 more miles to go, and although I cringed at the thought of 6 more miles, I couldn't let him see that I, myself, was beginning to struggle. Mickey's legs reached the point of exhaustion and he had to stop at an aid station before finding out that he had strained both hamstrings. Orders were to walk for a few miles before he regained his strength, so although I wish I could have kept running, I walked with him for 3 miles. I didn't ever want to leave Mickey's side, but I needed to run those last 2 miles...for myself. I don't want to say I didn't feel accomplished, but its just something I needed in order to feel complete satisfaction. To feel as though I tried my absolute best during those almost 5 hours. I needed to sprint across that finish line...and I did! All in 4:50:23...and finishing 241'st out of the 700+ girls in my age group. I'd say I did pretty dang well for a first time marathoner :)

I'm pretty sure somewhere in those millions of thoughts of mine I told myself that this would be my first and last marathon. And I still feel that way just a little bit...BUT I'm going to run another one...or two. I have already planned to make it back home in October to run the Columbus marathon (still need to sign up for it), and I have to get a rock n' roller coaster one in there somewhere, so I guess I must plan accordingly. All I know is that I want to finish these next two between 4 and 4 1/2 hours. My first goal was to just finish the dang thing... to feel the support of the crowd...and that accomplishing euphoric feeling that I had done what I went to do, but my next...to not only race against the clock, but race against myself.

Despite the build up of lactic acid in my legs and my stress fractured foot, and my sore hips and broken knees...(ok i'll just stop there hahaha)...I will never stop pushing myself. Congratulations to all those marathoners out there! I don't know how you do it over and over and over, but I hope to join you all soon! Thanks everyone for their support and encouraging words. This has been an unbelievable experience that I will never forget!!

2 days out

It only felt like a few weeks ago that I was counting down from 110 days until the marathon, so where did this being 2 days away from race day come from? Everything I have worked so hard for has come down to this very moment where I will put myself through probably the most grueling 4 1/2 hours of my life. But its all worth it. I've started thinking more about why I trained for this in the first place and I guess you could say its not only for me, but for all of those people who knew I hated running and who knew I could never keep going for more than maybe 15 minutes. It is for that moment at Big Easts last February when I couldn't compete because of that unexpected surgery. And it is for everything that has kept me from doing what I had always wanted.

In some ways it feels as though all of this hasn't happened and its hard to picture what its going to be like on Sunday. All I know is that the race starts at 6 am and I have to be on a bus by 4 am to make sure I'm there early enough to get as close as I can to the starting line. But hey, I'll be in Florida so none of that matters, right?

The past week has been great as far as preparing goes. I have been eating non-stop (which is always a plus) and have been drinking more fluids than my body thought was possible. The self-talk, believe it or not, has helped tons. I always used to talk to myself when I was doing gymnastics and diving, but never did I think you needed it as much as you do when it comes to running. I'm just ready for Marathon day...I'm ready to talk myself through every little ache...pain...cramp...and the not so little "hitting the wall." I'm just ready to experience what will hopefully one of the most fulfilling things of my life. So here I am...off to Disney World...the happiest place on earth + a 26.2 mile run hahaha

I'll keep everyone posted when I get down to Florida.

pretty much back in the game...i hope

Yesterday when I said a "little" 10-15 mile run, I should have prepared myself for 14 miles of hell. Don't get me wrong, I feel absolutely great now that its over, but trying to get through it was one of the hardest things. I had to stop a couple times (but only for maybe 2 minute intervals) since it felt as though an elephant was stepping on my chest, but I guess that's what you get when you don't run more than 4 miles for over a month and a half. The knees started to hurt about 3 miles in, but it was only a dull ache so I knew I could keep pushing through it. My legs just weren't so used to that distance anymore and so once I began the mental pep talks and the 'its only one foot right in front of the other laura's...mmm it didn't help much hahaha. Just gotta keep on working on getting that head of mine back in the game.

Marathon day is exactly 2 weeks away and after running with an old highs chool friend who's family is ultra runners, I got some of the low down on what to do these next two weeks, what to wear, what to eat, sleep, etc. I'm pretty excited about going all out these next couple weeks and getting my body in the shape it needs to be in before the big day. It's going to fly by so there's no looking back for this girl. Full speed ahead!

no better weather

Good news is that it jumped from a frigid 30 degrees to a whopping 60 in less than 24 hours so this 10-15 mile run I've got going for myself this morning should be perfect. The only iffiness about it is will my knees be able to withstand that long of a distance? I've got another thing coming if I think they will be 100% by the time the marathon rolls around and I can't just sit and wait around until marathon day to run some long distances so I gotta grit my teeth and run through the pain. I just need to get ONE more long run in (mostly for mental purposes) before the BIG DAY and then concetrate more on tapering and getting my body ready for Disney. By the way...does anybody out there have any advice on what to do to prepare for a marathon that is two weeks out? What to eat, drink, how much sleep to get, etc? OH, and possibly what to do the day/night before the race? I mean, it is Florida and I am attracted to sunshine, especially sunshine that makes me tan, so I don't want to wear myself out with a day by the pool the day before I have to run across the country and back. I just really need to crack down and make sure I'm doing everything the right way.

At this point its just been a little discomfort here and there, but then again I've only managed to run 3 and 4 milers since that last lonnnnng run over a month and a half ago. I've been doing everything I can to fix this problem asap...icing, highly anti-inflammatory medication, knee brace, etc. so at this point, I can't really control the pain that comes from when my knee cap so gladly slides up and to the right of whatever bones and tendons are there before popping itself back into place :) Hey...at least I'm still able to run this thing!

15 days!!! WOW

slowly but surely

Last Saturday was the first time I had made it out to run on real pavement since that fateful day one month ago when I ran 17 miles and ended up not being able to walk for the next month. I didn't run for longer than about two miles, but the good news was that I had no pain in my knees...no soreness...no nothing :) I managed to make it out again today and although it was a little harder, I made it all the way up to 4. Hahaha its funny to think that at this point thats kind of a long time considering I have to run 26.2 in less than 3 weeks. But i'll make it...I HAVE to. I may be off to a slow start, but its better than pushing to go long distances now and end up hurting myself yet again.

My plan was to make it back up to 20 miles, which I would have done this Saturday, but I think I'll just stick to a 10-15 miler. I don't want to be ms. crippled the day of the marathon. At this point, I'm thinking its all mental. If I can make it to 18 miles I can make it to 26...right? hahaha

all is good and figured out!

Welp, I finally made it into the bone and joint specialist for my knees and the verdict is...

I CAN RUN THE MARATHON!!

My worst fear was going in there and having him tell me my knees were too out of whack to run, but low and behold God really does love me, and with a little therapy, they should be good as new soon. I know I'm not going to be pain free during that 26.2 miles, but the good news is....its only a tracking problem so as far as the doctor is concerned the tendons and ligaments seem to be in great shape. As for what set the pain off exactly, he doesn't know. I'm just going to have to strengthen the inside of my quad so my knee cap starts to move straight up and down instead of off to the side. For now, I have new inserts for my tennis-shoes and a knee brace to wear for the time being, so hopefully they'll be ready to go in 23 days. Until then, its time to get my head in the game and pick back up from where I left off and prepare myself for my 20 mile run next saturday!! But for now, its time to get back out on the pavement.

laura's got a brand new plan

Ok, so I've come to terms that I am never going to be pain free for the duration of this training. So, with that said, I've made a new plan until the day of the marathon...

- Cross train the rest of this week and do 15 miles on the elliptical saturday morning

- Begin running on the track/outside with some days of cross training in between starting next week and getting my last long run (20 miles) in Saturday (Dec. 13)

That last long run will leave me with 25 days to taper. Hopefully this plan works!

And for an update: I'm making myself go to the doctor (hopefully tomorrow) to see what is wrong with my knees. As I was driving home from the gym tonight I started to think what it would be like if I couldn't end up running this marathon... :/