I did it! I really did it! I ran/walked 26.2 miles through Savannah, GA on November 5, 2011 .
Holy crap I DID IT!!!!
My official time was 5:06:22, and it being my first, that makes it a personal best for me. And I am ridiculously proud of myself.
I started out way to fast so I couldn't keep my pace for the entire race. I was keeping a really good pace of about a 9:30 mile, but at mile 14 I knew I had to start walking. I tried to start back up running every so often, but my legs were so tight and my feet were so tired that I could never manage more than a quarter of a mile running and never picked my pace back up.
But I kept going. I kept focusing on moving forward, walking long strides, and never stopping. Because I knew if I stopped, even for a second to stretch or go to the bathroom, I wouldn't have been able to keep going. And really, I just wanted to finish. I think I had just passed mile 26 when i saw my sister in the crowds, running towards me and then she fell in step with me. And it was almost too much for me, being so close and in so much pain. But she told me I could do it. That I would be done in 2 more minutes, and I could do anything for two more minutes. And even though I had been telling myself over and over through the race, I can do this, I can do this, hearing someone else tell you that makes it more believable.
In the post race glow (also known as sweat) with my finisher's medal around my neck and wrapped in my mylar blanket I was leaning on Mike to help me walk back to the hotel. I gleefully exclaimed that now that I have done a marathon, I never have to do one again and that I can actually say I prefer to run halves. Which is true. Training for a marathon is hard and I don't know if I can manage that every year. But then today a coworker asked me how was my trip and what was my time, and all that other race stuff. I told her my time and that it was a personal best for me. And then, the next thing out of my mouth was: "but I'll do better on my next one!"
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