Four things I did this weekend:
- Ate my weight in vegan pumpkin pie.
- Deleted all of the e-mails in my Inbox (328!) without taking a second glace to see if there was anything important in there. You should try it, it’s very liberating.
- Started my 16th jigsaw puzzle. It’s true. I have 16 jigsaw puzzles in my house. I never do them twice, but I can’t bring myself to give them away just yet.
- Hiked 6 glorious, strenuous, miles with my boyfriend I. heart. nature.
So there you have my weekend in a nutshell!
Anywho, I’m not here to tell you about my weekend “but you just did”, I’m here to finally to tell you about my marathon. Remember? My marathon? That race I ran almost a month ago way back when? If you’ve forgotten, then yes…I ran a marathon on November 5th! And I’m just now blogging about it, yay!
Let’s begin, shall we?
The day before my marathon I was. a. nervous. wreck. And I don’t mean nervous like biting my nails or having shaky hands. When I get nervous I tend to smile all day and say weird things, and sometimes I laugh out of nowhere at nothing. (This gets a bit awkward when I’m in Public Speaking giving a speech).
My mom, Jason and I got on the road at about 1:00 p.m. the day before. We drove my moms Prius all the way down to Savannah, GA, straight to the race expo. I was worried that if we went to the hotel, I would miss the expo and not get my packet and bib number. Better safe than sorry!
The expo was so crowded. This was my first expo and I was kind of disappointed by it. The booths didn’t offer anything I wanted (Muscle Milk? No thank you.) so I just got my bag, swag, and got outta there!
I must say that the expo had very beautiful scenery to go along with all of the madness 
By the time we got out of the parking lot, we all decided it would be wise to go ahead and get some dinner while we were near the downtown area. The GPS was able to point us towards a local Mellow Mushroom where I ordered this bad mamma jamma:
Oh. Yeah. That’s what I’m talkin’ bout. Veggie pizza with tofu, olives, soy cheese, banana peppers, green peppers, tomato, broccoli, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and onion. Now that’s a veggie pizza 
. I ate three slices and saved the rest for the next day.
We finally got to our “swanky” <—as my mom called it, hotel around 10 p.m. (!). My mom and Jason were really tired, but I knew my nerves weren’t going to let me sleep. My adrenaline was pumped and I didn’t even feel sleepy yet.
It’s a good thing I wasn’t expecting to sleep because MY MOM SNORES LIKE A WILDEBEEST. (Do wildebeest snore?? That’s not the point!) The point is, is that I wanted to shove a sock in her mouth both nights we were there. My mom has always snored, so it’s nothing new. She promptly fell asleep at 11-ish, Jason and I were still up, albeit with lights off so I could attempt to catch some shut-eye.
That never happened. When my mom started snoring, we both started laughing hysterically. At the situation and at the fact that I had to get up in 4 hours to get ready. I remember the bed shaking because we were laughing so hard, and I kept saying "This is not happening to me!”.
I was able to get about one hour of sleep before the alarm went off.
“RISE AND SHINE! We move out in 1 hour!”
[If you think I was going to wake them gently after the suffering they caused me the night before, no. way. I wanted it to be as miserable as possible, so I turn on all the lights and the TV 
Hehe]
I put on my race gear and sat down to a breakfast of bagel with peanut butter and banana.
(Mid-bite pictures are always so lovely.)
After breakfast, we got in the car and drove to the Savannah Mall, where the shuttle would pick us up and take us to the start of the race.
Well, turned out that a lot of people used this option. There were thousands of people waiting for the shuttle. Jason, my mom and I took our place in one of the many long lines.
It was COLD out there! The wind was blowing non-stop and we were all freezing our butts off.
We must’ve waited about an hour for the line to go down. Right when we were about to get on the shuttle, a volunteer told all of the “non-runners” to get in another line and that they were going to transport them after all of the runners had been taken to the start line.
I had to separate from Jason and my mom 
It happened really fast, so I didn’t get to say “Bye” or give hugs or anything. I just waved and got on the bus, hoping they would make it to the race.
Up until this point, I hadn’t felt nervous.
It wasn’t until I was on the shuttle by myself, without a familiar face around me, that I became nervous and worried. It’s like-the reality of what I was about to do set in. I remember thinking to myself: “You’re about to run a marathon.”
And I also remember that little negative voice chiming in too: “Who do you think you are? There’s no way you’ll finish this race. You haven’t trained properly. You’re injured. Maybe next year you can try again.”
I don’t know about you guys, but whenever I’m about to complete something awesome (fitness or non-fitness related), there is always that voice that tries to tell me I can’t do something.
Well, guess what I did. I told that voice to shut the f up and that if I wanted it’s opinion, I’d ask for it.
Then I got back to thinking about the race.
The bus ride to the start line took FOREVER. The destination from the mall was only 5 minutes away, but since they had all of the downtown roads blocked off, it took about 40 minutes to get to the start line.
Once there, I learned that the race had already started (!!) and that I needed to get my patooty to Coral #6!
Except-coral #6 had already been let go. So I ended up starting with coral #16 instead. I honestly didn’t care about this part because I just wanted to start running already, no matter what coral I was in!
Before I knew it, our coral was up to the start line waiting to be hear the horn that would signify the beginning of the race. At this point I had my headphones in, the music turned low (sort of like background music in case I needed it) and my shoes tied perfectly. I was ready!
Then the fog horn sounded and we were on our way!
Miles 1-3
Were spent with my constantly bumping into the back of someone. It was super crowded. You could hardly get around anyone!
I also remember coming around a corner into a neighborhood where the residents were standing outside cheering us on. There was this one black guy with no teeth, and when he saw me, he smiled a toothless smile and said “Gimme a high-five!” 
But, instead of sticking out his hand, he only put out one pointer finger So I high-fived that and kept going, haha.
Miles 3-6
Were glorious. It had thinned out a little and I had a chance to increase my speed. Around mile 4, I took of my jacket and threw it to the side. I saw two homeless-looking men scrambling around to pick up all of the tossed jackets on the side of the road. They put them in their grocery cart and I smiled and waved at them.
The wind was really intense. Still going strong, especially on the highways and bridges. But I was feeling great. Refreshed. Ready to take on the world.
I passed the first water station-which reminded me of a war zone. People throwing cups every which way, and one lady, whom was obviously part of a team, yelled “FRAN! DID YOU GET YOUR WATER? GET YOUR WATER AND LET’S HIT THE PAVEMENT!”. She was tall and muscular. I made a mental note not to accidentally bump into her while running.
Miles 6-9
S-U-C-K-E-D. After running over the bridge, my leg began hurting really bad. The same way it hurt after this race. I remember my right knee just wanted to give out on me. I also remember thinking that there was a spectator view coming up where I would get to see Jason and my mom.
I texted Jason and told him I was nearing the view. Once I got there, there were so many people, and I didn’t want to stop running because my leg hurt so much at this point, that I knew if I stopped, I’d start walking. After going almost to the end of the view, I saw Jason and my mom said a quick “Hi!!!” and kept on running.
After the seeing them, the pain was UNBEARABLE.
I had to stop. I had to walk.
I was on mile 9, thinking of all of the miles that lay ahead of me. I was in other runners way, so I hobbled to the side and limped for a while.
I remember choking back tears, holding my head up towards the sky and swallowing really hard so as not to cry. I remember feeling like I should quit. I remember thinking of how easy it would be to take the half-marathon exit that was coming up in about 2 miles.
I remember thinking: “I can’t cry. Not in front of these other athletes. Don’t you dare cry, Stacey!”.
Then a man ran up to me while I hobbled along and said “Don’t quit. Whatever you do, don’t quit. Walk it off. You’ll be fine…just walk it off.” And then he disappeared into the crowd of runners.
Miles 9-13
I began running. Limping at first, and then moving to a slow jog. The pain sort of numbed, but was there throughout the entire race.
This is when I knew that I wouldn’t be able to run my usual pace. I texted Jason and told him how I was feeling. That I was struggling, and that my injury was back. I slowed way down and began running on the side of the pack and not in the middle. Miles 9-13 were pretty good, other than that.
We went through a pretty part of Savannah, if I’d known what the rest of the scenery would be like, I probably would’ve soaked this in a little more!
Miles 13-18
I don’t remember much about these miles. We separated from the half-marathoners at mile 11 and then we were on our own. There was more room to run without being all up in someone’s biznazz.
I think I began zoning out on these miles.
Miles 18-22
And this is when I zone back in
On mile 18, my leg flared up again. I walked, but this time I didn’t choke back tears. I knew there was no turning back now. I had 8 more miles to go, and I was going to complete it injury or no injury. It was about this time that we started running on the highway.
And we didn’t get off the stupid highway until mile 25!!! We ran 7 miles on boring ol’ highway with nothing but road and trees around us.
Other than my leg hurting, miles 18-22 went by okay. I remember thinking how heavy my body was beginning to feel. Like every step I took and every muscle I moved weighed a thousand pounds or something.
Miles 22-25
Hmmm…what to say about these three miles?
After I passed the mile 22 sign, I had two thoughts:
- “This is the farthest I’ve ever ran.”
- “I wonder when I’ll see the mile 23 sign?”
It. felt. like. forever. between these sign posts! In hindsight, it didn’t take me that long to reach them. But, at the time, with every passing mile, I remember thinking two things:
- I can’t stop running. Because if I do, I won’t start up again. MUST. KEEP. GOING. I could hear my phone going off in my Camelbak, it was Jason calling to check on me. I had ignored his texts because I needed full concentration in order to make myself run. I needed to stay in the zone with no distractions-otherwise, I would start focusing on how painful my injury was becoming and how much I wanted to be done already.
- I just want to be done already. My mind began registering how bad/heavy my legs and body were feeling. I began telling myself to make it to that tree, or make it to that column up there…
At mile 23, it felt like the sign posts were moving farther and farther apart and like I’d never see the end of that stupid interstate!
And finally, at mile 25 we were directed off of the interstate to run the last final mile
Mile 25-26.2
I remember seeing the mile 25 sign and thinking “Oh my God. I’m almost finished!!!!!!!!”
I picked my hobbling pace to a sprint-hobbling pace and began looking for a familiar face in the cheering crowd on the sidelines.
We ran down a street lines with beautiful oak trees, turned a corner and I saw my mom and Jason.
I allowed myself to cry at the sight of them.
After running for 4+ hours all by myself, alone with my thoughts, I was so. HAPPY. to see them.
I waved and ran towards the finish line, forgetting about the pain in my leg, the misery of being on that interstate, and I let my heart fill with the joy of accomplishment.
I crossed that finish line in a daze. In complete amazement at myself for what I had just done. Six months of training leading up to that very moment, and it was over. I had done what I set out to do I ended up finishing in 4:55. Five minutes shy of the maximum time I wanted to be out there. At first I felt kind of disappointed in myself for taking so long, but then I snapped out of it! I had just run a freakin’ marathon! Who cares how long it took?!!!
I grabbed a Powerade and looked for my mom and Jason in the crowd.
It wasn’t until after I stopped running that I realized how cold it was! That wind made the weather so chilly!
I enjoyed this trash bag-like thing they gave us. I even wore it to the mall around my hip like a skirt. Te he
I think that’s it for now. I think there shall be a Marathon Recap: Part 2 in the near future I still want to tell you guys all about the rest of Savannah visit, the aftermath of the race (specifically on my body/legs), and well…maybe about some new fitness goals I have coming up
Thanks for hanging in there for this long post! It feels good to write it. It feels good to relive it again.
I’m so freaking proud of myself
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Like I had finally made it…Like all of the money and time I’ve spent on community college had finally paid off, and I was where I was supposed to be 
(And yes, that’s meant to be plural -“closets”. There were more than one, people! Don’t judge, it was a rough week.)
That’s over and it’s a new day/week. And things will be better 
<—see? better.
Meow.
Makes me want to snuggle back into my bed and read all day 
But grown-up life awaits!
Haha. Last Thanksgiving, she swore to me that her stuffing would be “vegetarian” because she was making it with cream of chicken soup. “It’s cream of chicken, Stacey. That’s not real chicken.” And this year it’s: “Well, I know you don’t eat ham, so what if I buy a turkey?”. Tsk, tsk.
