Marathon- Take 2!

So, my most questionable idea of 2010 has been to run a marathon with only 3.5 months of training time.
Two years ago, I was privileged (not) to run the COLDEST St. George Marathon in it's history. This year I said so many prayers that I wouldn't have to run in the wretched cold again. Well...my prayers were answered. It was the HOTTEST marathon they have had in history. YUCK!

Below are highlights of the race. I attempted to make it positive, but I decided to go with honesty. I am still SO glad I did it! And I'm almost ready to sign up for another!

Race Highlights:

*Got up after only 4 hours of sleep

**Hung out at the starting line alone for a few hours (next time, I'm dragging someone down with me)

*Finished the first 13 miles with a time faster than most of my half marathons!

**Then the 3:50 pacer passed by me

*Eventually the 4:00, 4:10, and 4:20 pacers all ran by

**Ran shoulder to shoulder up Veyo Hill with a guy who was walking at a leisurely pace

*Decided at mile 15 to try some Icy Hot on my calves that were throbbing

** Stopped every 2 miles from then on for Icy Hot from my hamstrings to my ankles

*At mile 23 I could taste the Icy Hot in my mouth- oops! (later read not to apply more than 3
times a day, so 5 times in a few hours may have been a bad idea)

**Favorite sign along the race: "running takes balls, other sports just play with them"

*Favorite t-shirt: "if found on the course, please drag across finish line"

**I high-fived every kid standing along the race with their hand out. Sometimes this meant running from one side of the road to the other very quickly

*Used my inhaler 4 times during the race. I was really worried because I didn't know if there was a limit on acceptable number of uses in a period of time.

**Told myself at mile 18 that I could run at a comfortable pace as long as I picked it up for the last 4 miles

**Told myself at mile 22 that I would just pick up the pace at mile 23 instead

*Convinced myself @ 23 that it was really ok to take another slow mile and REALLY push it for 2

**With only a half a mile to go, my brain and my muscles just didn't want to push it at all. No "pushing" ever happened

*Steph and Becca stood at the finish line holding signs and cheering for me. First signs I've EVER had made in my behalf!

**Found my amazing friends and we agreed to meet in 10 minutes so I could cool down. I sat down to stretch and my tibialis muscle on both legs started to spasm. Then the arch of my foot and then my calf. I was screaming and yelling and pounding the ground with my fist. A nice guy came and helped me for 20 minutes while my legs continued to convince me never to do this again. torture. absolute torture. In the meantime, friends can't find me because I am stuck laying on the ground.

*Walked with said amazing friends back to the lovely motel we were staying at an approximate pace of a quarter mile/hr. Poor friends!

**My time was 4:44, which is 6 minutes slower than last time. Which also means I WILL be running another marathon because I WILL beat my time. Next time- 5+ months to train and praying for NORMAL St. George weather!

the hill of death....Veyo Hill. just when you think it's over...you've got 3 more miles of it!