Yes, I ran 26.2 miles and here's the photo to prove it! Of course it was a completely different experience than what I imagined, but I learned many lessons, and I would do it again. I finished in 4 hours 56 minutes. Here is my story.
Here is my breakfast the morning of my race. I ate Cream of Wheat with toast. I packed a little lunch, you can see next to me, to eat before the race. Once the race starts you've been waiting there for an hour and a half, so usually you're hungry, and need a little extra something to start you off. I could only eat the banana when the time came - I just didn't feel like eating. But I made myself eat the banana for potassium (leg cramps).
Ok, I think it's 5:45am and we have arrived at Dodger stadium. The race doesn't start until 7:30am! We are so early because we have to fight the crowds of 25,000 people all coming to the same place. Better early than late. Last year I heard of people leaving their car from the freeway and running to the start line because there was so much traffic. I did NOT want to do that. I love our faces - so happy and excited. Gil dropped us off and then drove himself down to Santa Monica (the finish line) to find a parking spot. He said by the time he got there, all the parking lots were full! Good thing he used to live there so he could find a place off the beaten path.
Gil said he saw many crazy people running the race. Here is a picture of some of them. I did not see any crazy people, I was too focussed. I did see some fun signs that made me laugh. One said, "You've run longer than Kim Kardashian was married." My favorite was, "Worst Parade Ever!" The best one was around mile 20 which said, "Pain is temporary, Pride is forever." That one was very timely as mile 20 was really a breaking point. By the way, mile 2o was the LA Temple. It was a great marker and something to look forward to.
Gil had his bike with him so he could ride up and down the path (on the grassy medium). Here is a picture of the runners coming by. The crowd never faded out, I was constantly running with people next to me. There were so many people! Gil said it was a little nerve racking trying to find me because he had to scan so many people in such a short time and didn't want to miss me. Our plan was to meet at mile 23 so he could give me that final push the last 3 miles. Oh how I needed him at that point!!!
Look at that poker face! Here I am at mile 24 (Gil found me) and it's all I can do to hold in my sobs of pain. My problem was at mile 14 my legs started cramping, and once they start cramping it doesn't go away - it only gets worse the longer I go. This is why you do training runs so you can work all this stuff out before the race. I did EVERYTHING I was supposed to do. I hydrated like crazy, I drank electrolytes, and ate calories during my race, I paced myself correctly, but even doing all that, I wasn't prepared for the impact 26 miles was going to have on my body. I've come to accept this and know that if I want to run another marathon, I have to be prepared for the pain.
By mile 22 I started looking for Gil because I really needed to see a friendly face. I was really struggling. By mile 23 I hadn't seen him and at 23.5 I thought I had missed him. Oh so sad! But luckily at mile 24 I heard him call my name. Here is the video he took of me. Kind of funny, because once he started talking to me he forgot all about the camera and started filming the ground.
The last two miles were, by far, the hardest thing I have ever done. WAY worse than child birth! My goal was to run the entire race, not walk, which I did. I'm not sure that was the smartest goal, but nevertheless, that's what I did. I kept running even though I wanted to stop so bad. So by the time I finished, I didn't feel relief, I just felt beaten up. I wanted to be happy at the end of my race, but that just wasn't possible. Now I can look back and be proud that I actually did it. I proved that I am no quitter. Yesterday, during conference, Pres. Monson said, "the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but to he who endures to the end." That was me. I endured to the end. And for that, I can be proud.
I next time, I think I will not be so hard on myself. I will walk if I need to. I will stop and stretch. I will run longer with my friends. We started out the first 6 miles together and then I went ahead of them. It's always good to have friends around to help you. I will say that the spectators were really fantastic. From mile 1 all the way to 26.2, the streets were lined on both sides with spectators cheering you on. They had bands playing and cheerleaders cheering. That part was fun. It wasn't all bad. The first 13 miles were really great! Maybe I am just meant to be a half marathon runner!
In the end, I know Heavenly Father was watching over me, because my trainer was able to find me in a sea of people, with a blanket over my head, crying on the ground after the race. I was a little confused, scared, I knew I was never going to be able to find Gil in the crowd at the end, and somehow, my trainer saw me. She gave me a hug first, then she gave me her long sleeve shirt (she was wearing!) since I was starting to shake. And finally, she called Gil and told him where I was. Without her I don't know what would have happened to me. That was certainly a blessing.
Gil found me, I finally got my hug from him, which made me feel so much better. And then we got to walk the distance to the car!!! I know there are many life lessons to be learned from running a marathon. Tatia has a whole bunch to share. I'm sure you can think of some too. I'm glad I did it. It was a goal of mine for a long time. I do feel like a stronger person because of it. Next time, I will try and be a little smarter, a little more experienced, and a little happier. That's my story.
