Been There, Done That!

Ha! Ha! Could you sense the nonchalence in the title? Yeah right! This weekend, I accomplished one of my biggest, longest, life goals. In May, I think, I was going to a conference for work, and on the way down my coworkers and I were asking each other questions from a book, and one of them was something about things that you have always wanted to do. I said, "Well, actually, I feel pretty good, because I've always wanted to go to New York, and I'm doing that next month, and I've always wanted to run a marathon, and I'll do that at the end of the summer." So check, and check!

To be completely honest, it was kind of like graduating from college, and now that I've done it, it's like-"Is that it?" But also like college, I know that no matter what, I've done it, and no one can take it away from me.

If you haven't figured it out, the Top of Utah Marathon was this Saturday, on the 20th, and I FINISHED IT! I've been training for 18 weeks, I've overcome 2 injuries, I've said that I was going to run a marathon numerous times, and not followed through, but not this time. I did it!

So I'll tell you some of the details, that, like all of my blogs, are mostly for my sake, but maybe some of you will be interested.

In September of last year, the week after the Top of Utah marathon, I was talking to my visiting teachers Brittany and Amy, and I said that I was going to run the marathon next year, and Brittany said, "You should!" She had run the marathon that Saturday, and she basically told me that if she could do, I could do it. So that conversation got the ball really rolling. At the beginning of 2008, I started talking more and more about running the marathon, and Josh said, "If you keep talking about it, I'm going to sign you up, and then you'll really have to do it." So sure enough, he signed me up, I found a training program on the internet, and I was committed. I always thought that I was stubborn, and committed, but when Josh wants to be, he can really be a pest (and I love him for it)-sometimes :)

I already said that before the half marathon I had tendonitis in my IT band in my left knee. The week after the half marathon, I ran 17 miles, and had something happen to the arch on the outside of my right foot. So I couldn't (and Josh wouldn't let me) run for a couple weeks. Then I recovered from being sick about 2 or 3 weeks ago. So ever since the half marathon, my training has been sketchy at best. But I was too determined. And much like the half marathon, a couple weeks before the marathon, I was miraculously healed. (I honestly have no idea how. It was like one day I had pain, the next day, I had no pain-both times.)

So throughout the whole week, the weather channels were fluctuating between 50% chance of rain, to 30% chance of rain, and sometimes a slight chance of hail. In all my training, I had not prepared for a hail storm. Josh and I went and bought cold-gear. (As if we hadn't already spent enough money on this one-time, lifelong, goal.) No matter what we did, and what anyone said, I was nervous all week, mostly about the weather. But I felt like I was ready; at least ready for it to be over, so I didn't have to think or talk about it anymore.

The day before the race, we went to pick up my race packet, and I finally started getting excited-then sick, then apprehensive, and then super nervous. We went to get pasta at Firehouse (which was awesome!) Then we went home, and I tried to sleep. I woke up the next morning at 4:00, Josh and I went to get breakfast at McDonald's like we do for every important event in our lives, then Amy (remember my visiting teacher in the previous story, who also decided to run the marathon-Brittany is persuasive), Cherilee (Josh's sister), and I left at 5:00 am. (I am so not a morning person!) The race didn't start till 7:00, and I thought that we would be waiting forever, but that 2 hours just flew by. By the time the race was ready to start, I decided that the weather would be fine, and I didn't need any of the clothes that Josh and I had just spent a fortune on. All of sudden, a couple minutes after 7:00, a motor revved (which was apparently the signal to start (which I thought was random.)) The first couple miles, the three of us ran together, then we lost Amy, and I stuck with Cherilee for about 7 miles. But we had decided to stick to a ten minute pace, and for the first 7, we probably averaged 8:45. So I looked down to get some Shot Blocks that I had snuggly put away down my bra, and when I looked up Cherilee was half a mile away. We ran through Blacksmith Fork Canyon for about 14 miles, and as I was coming out of the canyon, there was a rainbow over the mountains, which is probably one of the things that I will remember forever from the race. I told you that the week before, Josh and I were both so nervous about the weather, but honestly, I couldn't have asked for better. It was just right almost the whole time; cool but never cold, and when I started to get hot, I thought to myself, "Rain would be really nice about now," and then got pelted in the eye with a rain drop. Then it cleared up, and around mile 23 when I was really sick of running, and started getting hot, it rained just enough to cool me off, but not soak me.
This is just out of the canyon, at about mile 14. Josh's sister Liz was the very dedicated photographer that ran with me for about 1/4 of a mile to make sure that she got a perfect shot.
I think this was probably about mile 17. I have lots of pictures, but I figured you didn't need to see 15 pictures of me, on the open road, looking amazing-I might add. All the way through the first 15 miles, I was feeling really good-better than I've ever felt during the Honeyville 5k. After that, I started thinking, "okay I could be done running now, and I would be fine."
This is Cherilee, and Josh's sister-in-law Grayce. I had to add this picture, because I thought it was a really good picture, and it shows that running a marathon is really a team event. Grayce ran with Cherilee at about mile 24, and Josh ran with me that last 4 miles or so. And that was much needed. Josh would have liked me to run the whole time I was with him, but I was just plain sick of running. I wasn't in pain, I wasn't tired, I was just bored, and sick of running. My goal, originally was to finish the marathon in 4-4 1/2 hours. But honestly, around mile 21, I did not care about time. So my official time was 4:44:42-which is just fine with me. I could've done better, but I finally understand what Josh has been drilling into my head for the last month-It's not about time, it's about finishing!
This is me crossing the finish line. Woo Hoo! Everyone told me that I would feel this huge high when I crossed the finish line-eh, it was okay, I was happy not to have to run anymore, but I think really it hasn't even hit me yet. Maybe when I'm like 70, I'll be super proud of myself.
This is me with my medal that I will proudly display in a place that I have not yet determined.

As I said, running a marathon is very much a team event-and I had a great team of supporters. This is a picture of my mom, my sister Emily, and my niece Chloe, and me. The other people that came to support me were: My dad, brother Nick, Josh's mom and dad, two of Josh's brothers Jake, and Teep, Teep's wife Grayce (and we can never forget, their dog, Bella), Josh's sister Liz, Cherilee's husband Greg, and daughter Chalisse, my aunt Lori, uncle Guy, cousins Mandi, Melani (and I think-I was running at this point, so it's a little blurry) Ethan and Stockton, Brittany (my visiting teacher from before), and a couple other people that I ran into along the way. (I'm sorry for anyone that I missed in that list. Everything was a little fuzzy, but the point is, I'm grateful to everyone for their support!)

I can't ever say enough about my biggest supporter/cheer leader/ personal trainer/ physician/ alarm clock... and on... and on ... and on. Josh has literally been with me through everything. He has either purchased or been with me to buy every article of clothing that I wore for training or the marathon. He was with me to sign up for the marathon, through all the icing, physical training, 3 am muscle cramps (that make me feel like I would rather be dead. Josh said that they are a lot like labor contractions-who knows why Josh knows; he had one epideral and now thinks that he is the resident OBGYN.) He's been with me through all of the whining, and crying, and self-doubt. And he never doubted me for a second. When Josh graduated with his MBA, he said that I deserved an honorary degree because I helped him so much. That is ten-million times truer now. Whether he wanted it or not, this was every bit as much his marathon as mine. So thank you! Thank you! Thank you all! A million times thank everyone for everything!

(Ah! I got very frustrated while I was posting, because I know I flipped this picture before, but it was too late to turn back when I realized it's still sideways-so forgive me, but I don't care.) This is my niece Chloe and I stretching after the race. Chloe took my cool down lap with me, and did all my stretches with me. For some reason, nothing seems as difficult when Chloe's around. Emily and Dave, if I could rent her for just a couple hours 3-4 times a week, my training would go very smoothly.

More stretching... Isn't she so cute?
Josh's parents gave me the Willow Tree figure that means "Courage," which I will also display very proudly, and my parents gave me a candy bouquet that I have already begun eating rapidly. If all I needed to do to get presents was run a marathon, I'd do it everyday! Ha Ha! (That's almost not even funny to joke about.)

Okay, so as if you haven't heard me babble about the marathon long enough, I'm not finished yet. First of all, I've talked a lot about how costly this endeavor was, but here's just bit of information if you're ever thinking that running is a good, cheap hobby to try. The one outfit, for my marathon was one of the most expensive outfits I have ever owned, second only to, maybe, my wedding day.

2 pairs of shoes:$180

2 pairs of good socks: $18, 6 pair of okay socks: (I will estimate) $12

Shorts: $35

Sports bra: $20

Shirt: (I will estimate) $15

I-pod, and case: (which is an absolute necessity) $107

Watch: $35

Tights: $30

Cold-gear shirt: $45

Registration for marathon and half marathon: $100

For a total of $597.00, which doesn't include the unlimited supply of gatorade (that is also a necessity), Gu, Shot Blocks, etc., the increased amount of food that I ate, and lots of vaseline... Yeah, you get the picture; expensive habit. But in following tradition, I have to say...

The feeling after crossing the finish line: priceless

Also, for me, this wasn't just about running a marathon, because this has been an enormous learning experience for me. So here is my list of life lessons that I will never forget...

#1-Dream Big! About a week ago, I downloaded that Ryan Shupe song on the blog, and there's a reason. The chorus says, "When you dream, dream big-as big as the ocean blue. 'Cause when you dream it might come true. When you dream, dream big." I love that! Originally, when I heard the song, I applied it to Josh, because he is a so much bigger (not literally) and better husband than I ever could have even imagined. But for right now, it makes me think of this marathon, because this was HUGE for me.

#2-If I can do it, ANYONE can do it!- Most people that I talked to said, "That's great that you're doing that, I've never wanted to, but way to go." But, if there is anyone out there that has ever thought that they wanted to run a marathon-you can. Trust me, endurance has never been my strong point. I have started at least 8 books this year, that I haven't finished. 9 times out of 10, I fall asleep within the first 15 minutes of every movie. I have a wedding scrapbook that took me months to do, but is still not missing the last like 6 pages. Get the idea? That is just the beginning, I have been very good at quitting everything. So, again, if I can do it-you can do it!

#3-I have learned a lot about setting goals. When you set a goal, make sure that you say it out loud (and in my case, my husband took care of this, and he told A LOT of people). But I've never wanted to tell people my goals because then they would know when I failed. But since I had signed up, and I told people, I couldn't give up. I also wrote the mileage that I needed to run everyday in my planner so that it was harder to escape.

#4-Gatorade is the juice of the gods. The day of the marathon, I didn't want anything but water, but throughout the rest of my training, gatorade was the only thing that could get me through. Here's my little equation: Gatorade=no muscle cramps. No Gatorade=muscle cramps at 3:00 in the morning, every time, and without fail. I had no idea how important it was.

#5-Never give up! I think I've talked about this enough already, but it is true. I would have loved to stop after about 10 weeks of training, after 21 miles of the marathon, and after 2 injuries, but I am so glad that I didn't! It was totally worth it. The day before the race, my dad texted me and said, "Enjoy the moment!" I think that was perfect, because I would have loved to get a better time, and I would love to not be sore now or have blisters, and a possible loss of two of my toe nails, but during the race, I really tried to soak it in. And I know that I will be proud of myself for this for a long time.

Okay, now I'm done with the marathon. If you got bored, and fell asleep, I don't blame you. After the marathon, and after icing in the FREEZING cold river with a big white fish. (Josh's favorite part of my training was the icing, because he would take me to the river, drop me off, hold me in the water, listen to my screams, and laugh that he didn't have to do it anymore.) Anyway, after the marathon, we went to the Aggie football game. As if running a marathon wasn't good enough, the Aggies actually won their football game. And they won in Style! 42-17! Josh said that he doesn't think that they scored 42 points in all 4 seasons that he played! So that was really good, and just cross your fingers that they can win a couple more this season. They looked awesome the second half, but those of you that know the Aggies know that we're not holding our breath.
My Mom, Emily, Dad, and Chloe came to the game.
And so did Nick and Sara. Yea! Go Aggies! After the game, Josh and I went home and literally slept from 5:00 pm on Saturday, to 8:00 am on Sunday. I would say that it was a well-deserved rest after a long, very good day!