The marathon

Hmm...I don't know which is a bigger accomplishment...running a marathon or posting two times in one week. Ha.
If I could sum up the race in one word it would be 'fun.' Seriously, I had so much fun. I am pretty sure I had a smile on my face for most of the race.
The trip: So this is pretty much how it went. Left from Athens after work on Friday and drove to Albany. Stopped for a restroom break in Macon at Burger King (ick!) and ended up getting a salad (worse ick!). Who eats a grilled chicken salad the night before a race? Need carbs. Checked in and had a little impromptu reunion with fellow 1st Ward runners. Still need carbs. Drove to our hotel. Definitely needing carbs. Stopped at Publix and bought Uncle Ben's pre-cooked brown microwaveable rice in a cup. Who knew? But at that point I was craving unhealthy carbs and was still fighting a cold so chicken-flavored cup-o-noodles was calling my name with some NyQuil on the side. Turns out that I should have had some NyQuil with a side of noodles because there was a party going on across the hall. Not any party...a "ladies party". Steve knows because he had the misfortune of seeing the "male dancer" in the hall as he was looking for hotel management. Not kidding. Lovely, right? So I remember seeing the clock at 1 and at 2. The alarm went off at 5:15. But there's something about the thrill of the race that gets your tired and sick body energized for a race. Adrenaline=runner's friend.

I met up with my running buddy and we walked to the start of the race. The crowd of runners were chatting and laughing when we heard the gun. I couldn't believe we were starting. I ran with a pace group that was halfway between my original goal and my new revised goal based on having a cold and a recovering Achilles tendon...4:45. The time per mile sounded like snail pace, but it turned out to be the perfect pace for me.

The race was incredible.

The beginning: Cold at the start, it slowly warmed throughout the race. With week after week of nasty rain, snow, and freezing temps, it was such a blessing to have ideal race conditions. The course wound through Albany taking us through Albany State University, Darton College, a ton of neighborhoods, and even an old train depot. It was such a flat course that the hills were a welcome relief...a chance to work some different muscle groups. The people in my pacer group were so fantastic. We chatted throughout the race and everyone was cheering for the others. Steve and my running buddy's husband and kids cheered us on at several points along the race course which was incredible.

The middle: They say that marathon runners hit a wall. Fortunately I didn't. They say that the there are two halves of the race. Miles 1-20 and miles 21-26.2. For me, that is true. Don't know if it's because it was in my head or because I was tired but for the last 5 miles I focused on the next mile ahead. The previous 20 I just ran and paid attention to the volunteers and cops cheering us on (yes, can you believe the cops were thanking us for running and cheering us on?!), the conversation, and to how my body was feeling. Several times throughout the race I was struck by how magnificent our bodies are. We are capable of so much more than we realize. We can accomplish unimaginable feats when we train our bodies and our minds. And pray a lot! Considering I was sick during so much of the training and the race, it would not have been possible without prayer. I felt truly blessed. If you offered any prayers in my behalf...thank you!

More middle (26 miles is a long way): Regarding a marathon, Ann Trason said, "It hurts up to a point and then it doesn't get any worse." This was so true. My leg was sore for the first 8 or 10 miles and then it didn't get worse. It just went numb I think because I don't remember it after that. Other than my leg, the only pain I felt were the blisters forming on my feet during the last few miles. It turned out to be one tiny blister and one giant one. Note: If it feels like there is dirt in your sock, there probably is. You should probably stop, take off your sock and shoe, and remove the dirt. I recommend this even if it means having to accelerate your pace for while to make up for lost time. Removing dirt now=less blisters later.

The end: The finish was more exciting than I had anticipated. There was an announcer calling out your name and home town over the loud speaker. Nice. Having Steve, Mama, Emilee, and our friends cheering me on was so amazing. Afterwards, Steve said he thought I was gonna fall over. The reality is that my feet wouldn't stop moving and we were standing on a steep hill. lol. I mean really, my feet had been continuously moving for almost 5 hours. They were on auto pilot at that point. Watching my running buddy finish was such a thrill. She is my hero. She started her running career as a mom of three. Champ!

Post race: The giant blister is still intact but not hurting. A little soreness overall, but not bad. Some people prefer to fight the muscle soreness with ice, but I prefer to run it out...but I'll take a couple of days off first :)

The race is this weekend!

My race is this weekend!! I can't believe it! It still sounds a little insane even after all the training. Now if only I can be healthy. I think I have been sick more in the past 6 months than my entire life combined. Just a cold or something annoying like that, but enough to keep you down if it lingers long enough. Vitamin C = my new BFF. I'm saying a prayer and proverbially keeping my fingers crossed. Hopefully you will do the same. (And if you do, thank you thank you!) And I'm so excited that my real BFF and hubby Steve has decided to come with me and cheer me on :) And super excited that he has decided to run a race!!

On a slightly different topic...I want to say congrats to all my girls who are going to be mommies again. We are thrilled for you and if you happen to be runners and mommies-to-be, hope you can get in one or two more runs before the final stretch! For all mommies-to-be... we also wish you a happy and healthy pregnancy :)