St. George Marathon

The St.George Marathon.

After 4 months of training, the moment finally came.

My journey.

After all of those early morning runs, hours cross training in the gym, attempts to make old, supportive shoes look good with skirts, and endeavors to eat healthy (failing cause), the moment finally arrived. My entire summer built up to this moment….THE ST. GEORGE MARATHON BABY!!!

I spontaneously signed up in hopes that this would motivate me to get back into shape. I often questioned this spontaneity many times, especially over the course when the practice runs went for several hours. Nevertheless a marathon was not going to be any easier in the future- seize the day right!?!

I must first express the anxiety of the week prior to the marathon that made this event more miraculous than it already turned out to be. After Rach and I endeavored on our longest run prior to the marathon, 20 miles, my IT band and my shins began to act up. What seemed like an easy 3 miles, turned into torture. I iced and messaged my legs several hours a day for the entire week building up for the big day. I remember vividly two days before the marathon I went on a ten minute jog, barefoot on the grass in a nearby park. I just sobbed as I ran thinking how this irritation and pain I was feeling running no more than ONE mile would escalate throughout the course of 26.2 miles. I researched and heard horror stories of how a little pain before a marathon could result in an entire season of no activity or worse, permanent damage. Of course, these fears I had built up over the span of the week wouldn’t stop me, I planned to run the marathon October 1^st and that is what I was going to do. After a week spent in constant prayer and a blessing from a few stellar friends, I was as equipped as I would ever be.

From this point on I knew this marathon would be running more on faith than physical stamina.

After several sessions of carbo-loads (which never seem to get too old) and an unexpected hour drive in the desert looking for the cabin we planned to stay in near the starting line, 5:30 AM never came faster. Gearing up with GU, ibuprofen, compression socks, a tape job by Tris, and a quick message with a little soothe I was ready to go. We all piled up in Tris’s car and headed over to the starting line. There were two large lights penetrating the night sky indicating where the starting line was.

I WAS SO EXCITED!!!!

I am convinced there are few better things in this world than race environments. There is so much energy and passion that it is impossible not to be happy and pumped for the endeavors ahead. People of all ages, sizes, and athletic abilities gathered behind the starting line.

The gun went off.

Ten minutes later we left. Pacing is an obvious skill to learn when running a marathon. With all the adrenalin built up from the start and the hours that went into this moment, I had to continually remind myself to set a comfortable pace. After all it is 26 miles.

The first 13 miles, I could not even contain my enthusiasm. It was wonderful. Rach and I were running at a good pace, I was feeling fresh. MY LEGS DIDN’T HURT. It was a miracle!! I couldn’t have visualized anything more perfect. I am so GRATEFUL for how my body felt. Medicine, compression socks, and tape are nothing in comparison with FAITH.

The miles leading up to 18 went fast. I knew once I saw the mile 18 marker everything would be ok.

Along the way, Rach and I met a new friend. He was an older man that has run 74 marathons!!! He taught me a valuable lesson.

He ran up to Rach and I and said, “Hey, take your earphones out you beautiful girls!”

Obviously a little started by his demand, but more so by his abnormal amount of energy at this point in the race, I turned to him to listen.

He said, “This is one of the best experiences of your life, live it.” He went into detail how with every marathon his favorite part wasn’t necessarily finishing, although that is definitely an accomplishment, but it was the amazing people he meets along the way. I could tell by his chipper attitude, he was definitely right. He was having a lot more fun than I was at that moment.

So I took one earphone out and listened to his stories for the next few miles (music speaks to my soul).

Mile 21. My body felt worked.  Rachel went on because she felt better. She did so good throughout the race. So encouraging, optimistic, and such a strong runner! Love her!

So there I was running solo. Although my legs felt ok, I felt weak. I attempted to stop to hydrate and catch my breath; however, I was given the advice to keep going otherwise I would lose my pace.

THIS IS ANOTHER LESSON I LEARNED:  LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!!!! Don’t let ANYONE else tell you how to help your body. EVER! Although I drank at almost every water station, when in doubt HYDRATE. When in doubt, LISTEN! DRINK, DRINK, DRINK AND LOAD UP ON CARBS.

I continued onward. I trekked it out until mile 24 where my body began to shut down. I refused to walk. My stubborn personality and desire to finish dominated all other aspects of my physical health. I have never felt so physically spent and exhausted. My eyes glazed over and I was fighting to keep my eyelids open. I was praying at this point that I could just put one foot in front of the other. I could see on the people’s faces along the sidelines that I was not looking in the best of shape. I passed up a few stations (mistake!) in order to keep going. My body was trying to walk but I refused.

Finally the straightaway. This is the sight I have been preparing to see since mile one. Only a few hundred yards and I would be there. Left. Right. Left. Right. I tried to focus on my steps because I couldn’t think about anything else.

All of a sudden my body gave out and I blacked out. I remember feeling arms around me carrying me and trying to pull me off the course.

I just yelled, “No, No please don’t. I have to finish. I HAVE TO FINISH!” They, who I was not at the time grateful for but now am, persisted to pull me off the street.

I woke up to paramedics asking me questions. They put me on a stretcher and into an ambulance. At this point I lost all sanity and just went crazy…another lesson I learned, I DO NOT DO WELL WITH A LACK OF OXYGEN IN MY BRAIN.

My conversations went a little something like this (spoken in anything but an inside voice):

“I AM NORMAL. WHY AM I HERE? HELP ME, GET ME OUT OF HERE. I HAVE THINGS TO DO! ON A PAIN SCALE, MY LEG FEELS LIKE A 7 OUT OF 10- SOMEONE RUB THEM!  I PROMISE I AM NORMAL; I DO NOT USUALLY ACT LIKE THIS. I DON’T EVEN HAVE DIABETES. I AM A RUNNER. THIS SHOULDN’T BE HAPPENEING TO ME. IF MY TWIN SISTER FINISHED, HOW COME I COULDN’T-WE HAVE THE SAME DNA DON’T WE? NOW MY LEGS ARE AN 8 IS SOMEONE GOING TO RUB THEM? AH I DON’T FEEL BEAUTIFUL!! THIS IS THE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE! I HAVE HW TO DO. IF SOMEONE PUT THIS ON YOUTUBE, IT WOULD BE VIRAL I KNOW IT!!!  I WAS SO CLOSE, SO CLOSE!! DON’T MAKE ME GO INTO THE SICK TENT. I AM BETTER THAN THAT!

The paramedic said I was about 800 yards away from the finish line and said I was close enough.. I TOLD HIM CLOSE ENOUGH IS NOT FINISHING. I NEED TO FINISH.

I was having a mental breakdown at this point. They pulled me out of the ambulance in which I was then elaborating on my confidence levels. As we moved further toward the “sick tent” my confidence was decreasing because I could see people’s concerned expressions. I demanded them to cover me with a sheet but they insisted I would cause drama by looking like a corpse, I didn’t care. People were looking at me and laughing-it was then that I saw Rachel. I identified to the paramedics that was my twin sister. Then I also saw Spencer Anderson in the crowd to which I pointed at and established we had dated! Providence. I couldn’t have asked to see two better people at a time like this.

The conversations only went downhill from there (I will spare the details).

I need to remind myself I was extremely dehydrated with a temperature of 103. I obviously was lacking oxygen in my brain and therefore not coherent because I was nothing short of blunt and demanding, even rude (It was refreshing to be able to speak your mind with no restrictions I must admit). This was one of the hottest marathons St. George has held.  That would also explain why the “sick tent,” was overflowing with people in need.

They laid me on a bed next to a man also in excruciating pain. He definitely looked how I felt. There is nothing like being in that tent. Although running environments are one of the best, sick tents are perhaps one of the worst. It was hot and moist and body fluids were all over. And flies, there were flies everywhere smothering all the bodies on the beds and floors. People looked horrible.

After cooling me down, Tim rubbed my then growing charlie horse that I wanted and asked so many people to rub. I have never been in so much pain in my life… After a few threats to Tim’s life (which I can’t believe I would say) and declaring I would rather be in labor, it felt better.

My support system was more than I could ask for. My mom was rubbing my head as I was just sobbing not only from the pain but from the disappointment. I am so glad she came to watch Rach and I, I don't know what I would have done without her. Spencer, who I must say could not have been more kind and loving to me, just held my hand as they persisted to rub the knots and cramps out of my legs. And Rach, my comforting and supportive sister, was with me every second of the way constantly reminding me to drink water and to stop being so hard on myself.

They took the IV out of my arm and then my dream team support system helped me out of the bed, and began to walk me around the tent. After a marathon…I DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO WALK!?! This is when the reality of it hit me.

 I felt embarrassed. I felt like a failure. The thought came over and over in my mind, what if I just ate one more orange or drank one more glass of water? As my temperature decreased, so did the reality that I didn’t finish. Although it was only a few hundred yards, it made me sad.

I am hard on myself which doesn’t make this situation any easier. With all the training and preparations I did, I never anticipated ending the marathon like this.

However, I have never felt so loved. In the midst of one my most painful and disappointing moments, I had more support and encouragement than I could have asked for. I not only learned more about myself, digging to the very depths of my soul, but about those I love.

I am proud of myself for pushing my body to such limits.

 Running is a passion of mine. It is something I really care about (enough to pass out for). Running is not only physically exhilarating but it is a very spiritual to me. Running is part of my soul.

However, sometimes it might not always be about the race. Sometimes it is about what you put in and get out.

I must say I definitely got more out of this experience than I put in.

Our greatest glory, consist not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
Oliver Goldsmith

Let the training begin.