Running 26 miles...the first 13.1

Running 26 miles is not easy. 3 months ago, I thought it was going to be relatively easy. I had done a few hard things before: long course duathlons, half marathons, half ironmans, long run. Running and training for a 26 miles race would not be has hard a juggling 3 different sports and definitely less time..right?

Wrong. Dead wrong.

I chose a marathon in my hometown if Erie, PA. An incredible city in and of itself. I was combining a race with a visit to my parents and brother on to my marathon. Yes, I chose the marathon first and then considered visiting my parents. I was familiar with the course, it was flat, it is small, and I could stay in my parents house for free and eat for free. Bonus on all accounts.

Jeff and I flew into the Akron/Canton Airport. This area is only famous for 2 things: The Football Hall of Fame and Lebron James. Due to Lebron's recent actions, it is better if you only go there if you like football. You might get an earful if you mention Lebron and how he left the great state of Ohio for Miami (doesn't seem like a difficult choice. It is similar to my decision to live Boulder rather then Cincinnati, Ohio. Needless to say, the city of Cincinnati got over me leaving.)

We jumped into our American rental car where Jeff promptly put it is manual sport gear and started to drive like he was in a rally car. Upon our safe arrival at my parents house, we settled into life on 30 acres, no cell phone reception, and the fact that you have to drive at least 20 minutes to get somewhere. Jeff was enamored by the wildlife which consisted of a some turkeys, a woodchuck that lived in a woodpile, and a wooden fox near the pond used to scare away the geese.

I was relaxed. It was only Thursday. I had 2 days before I had to think about the race. Saturday we went to pick up my number and timing chip. #248. I thought for a second..maybe this is good. Maybe I am going to run 2:48. The next second I thought that was crazy..this is my first marathon. My only goal is to finish. Well..maybe finish faster then 3:30.

Sunday morning at 4.15am. Then 4.30am. Then 4.35am. And finally 4.45am. We set 4 alarms just in case one of them (or 3 of them) failed. We had to be at the race site by 6am for a 7am race start. The instructions for the race said that parking closed at 6am. I still fall for solid time cut off at a race. How many transition area closed on time? None. Never believe that. People were still pulling in at 6.30.

Jeff and I head out for a short warmup. He told me not to warm-up too long because I had a long race ahead of me. Thanks for the wise words. The weather is great. Cool. Borderline raining. Cool breezy. The gentle sounds of beautiful Lake Erie lapping against the dirty beaches. I just wanna start.

I line up with 5 other women. Without trying to look at each other, we check each other out. I am odd man out. They all know each other. I know no one. I like it like that. 7.05 (see races don't start on time) we start running the first of 26 miles. One woman takes off. She had to be running 6.30 pace. I am not falling for that trick. I stick to my plan. Plan are important when running 26 miles.

Miles click off. Still adhering to the plan; No faster then 7.05 for the first 8 miles. I get to mile 6 and start looking for Jeff. He is going to jump in with me around miles 6-8 and run to 25 with me. I am excited to see him and have him with me on my marathon journey. Finally, I see him. But he doesn't see me. I am drafting off some guys and I am tucked in behind him. Suddenly, I pop out with the exuberance of a little kid yelling "I'm here. See me. See me." He falls right in stride with me and we keep rolling.

We keep holding our 7 minute miles. He is coaching me along the way. Encouraging, yet challenging me. The guys I am running with get ahead of me, but again, I stick to the plan. My nutrition is good. I am feeling good. Things are good. We roll through 13.1 miles in about 1.31. Things are looking good. We are on track. Little did I know that just 3 miles ahead, things would not be so good.....

Rock On

JK

26.2 (Really 26.4)

First marathon is in the books! Finally walking a bit more normal, but going down stairs is still challenging. Will drum up a race report by the weekend...first I have life to catch up on!

Rock On

JK

It was a rainy, damp (a bit windy) morning in Erie, PA. Great racing weather.

Rolling through the 13.1 mark.

The last 1.4 miles. At the end of 26.2, even 0.2 extra seems long.

Just An Ordinary Thursday

This last Thursday started out just as any Thursday, or any other day, for that matter. I pulled myself out of bed with the delicious smell of coffee (after hitting snooze 2 times), went through emails as I sipped the drink of life, slipped on my running clothes, and headed out the door to run. I drove up to North Boulder to meet Julie for nice little 80 minute run.

The morning proceeded to following its normal routine. I meet Julie, we exchange our hello's, and head out toward the trails. We both are tired. Julie is training for Kona and I have my marathon in 10 days. There is a light at the end of my tunnel which is brighter then Julie's at this point in time. We continue to chat about life, work, boyfriends and husbands, racing, and food. About 30 minutes into the run, we hit a crucial decision point-do we take the road back or do we take the trail? Julie says the trail. Trail it is.

I take the lead and head down the trail. Julie is right behind me. We crest the top of a hill. I hear Julie stumble. I keep running. I hear her fall and turn around just in time to see her go forward into the ground and roll into a pile of dried horse poop. I stand there and watch. And then I do something awful....I laugh. Julie had her hands over the face and I think she is laughing. She is actually borderline crying. I stop laughing. I bend down and start to help her to her feet. As she slowly gets up she says she is nauseated and feels light headed. She said she hit her knee. I ask her to let me look at it. As she rolls up her kicker, she said she does not want to look at it. As I look at it, I tell myself it is a good idea Julie did not want to look at it. It is deep. I tell her I think we need to get you to a doctor. "Really?" she remarks. "Yeah, I think you need stitches." I hatch a plan. Julie needs to walk about 300 meters to the trail head in the time I run back to get the car and come and get her. She says ok. Takes a few steps, starts to feel light-headed again, and sits down again. I wonder what I will do if she does not make it down there, but save that problem solving for later. I head off to get the car and rescue Julie.

About 15-17 minutes later, I return. Julie has made it back down. She gets in the car and I hand her a bag of edamame. I tell her to put it on her knee and we drive to the doctors office in Boulder. We arrive just as they open and tell the receptionist what happened. She tells us to go to the 2nd floor. And RN from the 2nd floor walked out and looks at Julie's shin. She says she does not have anyone in the office who can take care of this type of trauma. We both look at each other and then back at her with a WTF look and ask is she is serious. All she needs is stitches! She tells us we have to go the clinic in Lafayette.

Back in the car, we decide that we need coffee. On the way to the clinic we stop for coffee. The Thursday has resumed some sort of normalcy by getting coffee. Over to Lafayette we head. The car is starting to get rank because we are both sweaty and in our running clothes. We walk into the clinic amongst stares. Have people never seen 2 girls wearing all black running clothes? Or maybe it is the fact that Julie is walking around with "GO NATIVE" on her ass. Whatever it is, people turn their heads and stare. We head up to the 4th floor, crossing our figures that there are people here who can "take care of this type of trauma." We are in luck today, this doctors office has doctors in it who learned how to stitch up open wounds.

About 60 minutes later, Julie emerges from the clinic with a fresh set of stitches and orders for no swimming, biking, or running until next Friday. As we leave, she is already asking me when I think she can start training again. "What about a waterproof bandage?" "What about just running?" "What about running, just not on trails?" I tell her wait until Monday. Give your body a chance to heal. She says "You're right". Then 10 minute later Julie asks me to ask Jeff what he thinks about swimming with a waterproof bandage. Ironman Athletes!

I drop Julie off at home and resume my Thursday. At 11 am I get to work and start my Thursday- a couple hours and and adventure later. What will Friday bring?

Rock On

JK