Marathon Maniac #4075- The Run, the Risk and the Rewards

In any endurance challenge there is risk. Heck, there's risk every time you get in your car. I am now an official member of Marathon Maniacs. With two marathons a mere two weeks apart, I can say with confidence that I was determined and focused and knew that I was going to do this because I wanted it enough.

Because I struggle with the concept of delayed gratification, I just HAD TO take the opportunity to become a MM member as soon as it was within my grasp. I didn't want to wait 'til the Fall or Spring and do this in a more rational way with 3 marathons in 90 days or something that is easier to wrap one's mind around. Nope not me... I had to take a chance and do my first two marathons only two weeks apart in June. After crossing the finish line at 5:09 (clock time- chip time isn't up yet) here's how I celebrated:

...and it gets better. My blood pressure was 74/40. The EMT said that most people aren't coherent when this low. So they coerce me into getting into the ambulance for an IV after I tell them that I feel like the ground is shaking even though I know it's not.

Once I get in there, they start the IV and hook me up to a heart monitor and note that my heart rate is 129 and holding steady. The EMT warns me that he has to call the hospital and that the doctor will most certainly insist that I be taken to the ER. He says he's going to let the IV infuse for a bit and see if my heart rate goes down. 30 minutes later, we're still in the mid/high 120's. What the hell? All the while I am chatting with the EMT and trying to explain to him why I run at all and why I did these two marathons in such a short span of time. It's rather challenging to explain this to someone who doesn't run at all and doesn't really see a difference between running 10 miles and running 26.2. He is either incredibly curious or in deep need for continuous conversation because he keeps asking questions. I still do not know which was the case. Since my heart won't slow down, he calls the doctor and I have to talk to him and decline medical treatment. Interestingly enough, mere seconds after we hang up the phone, my heart rate goes down to 84.

The IV bag is empty and we start discussing my release from this air conditioned metal box. We decide that as long as I feel ok when I stand up, that I can go. And I do.

I now understand why Marathon Maniacs also call themselves "The Insane Asylum". It doesn't mean we're ax murderer kind of crazy, it means we'll do something really risky and abnormal kind of crazy. My first and second marathons only two weeks apart. I'm insane. But elated. Now I need to choose my first ultra.

Marathon Maniacs and Running in Underwear... hopefully in that order!

Yes I'm crazy yes I know this isn't the smartest thing to do yes I know there are risks involved and tragically YES I know that the weather may not cooperate and if they cut the race short due to high temps I won't meet my goal BUT most significantly, I know that I can do this because I want it enough. (...yeah yeah I know insert Debbie Downer disclaimer here.) Soooo if all goes in my favor, I'll qualify for a membership with Marathon Maniacs after completing my 2nd (EVER) marathon this Sunday. I need two marathons within 16 days in order to qualify for a bronze membership. The Lake Placid Marathon and this crazy shit in Penny Pack Park in Philly are a mere 14 days apart. I'd like to be worthy. No time goal whatsoever in this marathon. I'm not that far gone.

Other running news:


So far I have a team of six people who are willing to run in their underwear to raise money for the Colon Cancer Alliance. This 5k race will take place in Long Branch NJ at Pier Village on July 23rd. I look forward to creatively dressing my team. So far, we're thinking tighty whiteys and white wife beaters with an appropriately placed Heart On each pair of underwear! If you'd like to join or support us, please do.

Marathon? How?

Quite a few people have been asking me how I did it/how it felt/how did I avoid the wall/how I pushed through/how I kept my mind occupied/how I felt afterward.

Now that it's 5 whole days (woohoo!) since my first marathon and the adrenalin high has worn off, I believe I can give somewhat sound answers to these questions. I am writing this because I am an ordinary person who was able to run a marathon. I have no special athletic ability- in fact, I competed in ABSOLUTELY no sports ever as a child or teenager... ZERO. I hope that in typing this out, other ordinary people realize that they can do incredible things.

Aside from a commitment to 18 weeks of training, there were some completely random factors that attributed to my success and actual ENJOYMENT of this first marathon. These little bits of wisdom remind me of how important it is to always be open to learning- you never know when someone else's actions or words can change your perspective and improve you.

As I stated many times in this blog, I cannot just run for myself. The more the run is about me and my goals and desires, the weaker my performance is. I had to make sure that I didn't have much "wow this sucks" brain time during a run that I knew would take me more than four hours. My most important success tool in this race was on my right arm. You can see it in this photo:

It's a list of 30 people to pray for. (but stretching is essential too) First, I made a list of 26 and planned to devote a mile to each person. Then I realized that there were other people that were on my heart, so I added their initials as well. I knew that it wasn't realistic to believe that I would be solely focused on prayer with every step, but if each mile marker brought a new person to mind I could keep moving. My prayers were never about what I thought that person needed to fix or improve in their life (ugh- pet peeve about praying w/ others because God already knows and we seem to throw our opinions in the mix for some dumb reason- oh wait this is a running blog sorry)they were an outpouring of gratitude for my relationship them. When my brain failed to produce words and rational thoughts, I simply ran for them and with them. The strength of God's love for them and for me and for the blessings of knowing the person I was praying for fueled the strength in my body. I will run every marathon with a list like this.

A granule of wisdom came from this guy:

That's my youngest son after the 5k we ran together one day before the marathon. He wanted to beat his time from last year which was just over 35 minutes. I ran along side him and we chatted the ENTIRE time. Neither of us were ever out of breath. We took three walk breaks that lasted no more than twenty seconds each at his request. When something excited him, he sped up a little. When he was tired, he slowed down a little. There is proof that children have a better survival rate and are much more likely to be found quickly when stranded in the wilderness compared to adults. Why? Because they do not have egos to contend with. They rest when they're tired. They drink when they're thirsty. They do not have the capacity to have a battle of wills against themselves. They simply accept their circumstances and take care of their most basic needs. I believe the situation is similar for a child when he's running. We finished in 32:26. I was so comfortable at this pace and I decided that if I could feel like that for most of those 26.2 miles the next day, I just might do ok.

I overheard a PRICELESS statement while I was standing at the start right about here:

I don't typically go out of my way to listen to other people's conversations, so I will assume this was divine intervention. Lake Placid is rather hilly. It in the Adriondacks. I did pretty much NO hill training. I decided that worry and anxiety were pointless when this reality hit, so I didn't give much room for a last minute work around either. However, I happened to hear someone loud and clear in the middle of that crowd. "When you feel the hills coming, don't look straight ahead. Just look at the ground right in front of you. Get through it one step at a time. If you look at the hill ahead of you, you might start freaking out a little." GENIUS! I'm sure many runners already know this, and I know I've heard this before but I never applied it. That string of sentences saved my ass. I only looked at one hill- the one before the one before the final climb. (and wouldn't you know it, I walked about half that hill because it freaked me out)

I did not wear my Garmin. I meant to bring it just in case I decided I wanted to wear it, but I'm now convinced it would've doomed me if I did. I could not easily access my phone because the media pocket I made and sewed into the inside of my shorts fit the phone so well that it would not easily slide out. Therefore, I was unable to look at the time. There were mile markers, but no clocks. I was surprised to see no clocks on the course but perhaps this was another divine intervention.

I took water or gatorade at every aid station but one. I went through 4 or 5 power gels. I had 2 orange slices (somewhere after mile 15- that is the first time I ever ate anything during a run) and I had a small cup of cola at mile 25 just because it was there and it seemed like a deliciously sweet idea. (I never drink regular soda.) I used three porta-johns and I stopped to stretch tight muscles at least 4 times. In all of our over thinking, over researching, and over formulating, could be this simple?

Don't make it all about you.
Tired? Rest.
Focus only on what is right in front of you.
Don't worry about time. You will get to the end.
Thirsty? Drink.
Hungry? Eat.
Bathroom? Go.
Pain? Stretch.
Repeat.
Shuffle order if needed.

I'm ready to do it again.

Lake Placid 6/12/11

Done! In 4:40:52. With no hill training! This course was full of rolling hills and ended with a very severe uphill climb that I managed to run (yes, all of it!) at the very end. Race support was amazing. My husband was everything through this experience- he was ever encouraging and loving and supportive. Lake Placid is absolutely beautiful. I'm grateful and elated that my body is blessed to have accomplished this. Aside from the absolute downpour during miles 20-24 (that's like errr... 40-something minutes...) the weather was perfect for my first 26.2. It started in the mid 50's and ended in the mid 60's. I was super cautious and careful through this run- from hydrating to walk breaks to walking nearly EVERY down hill to re-fueling- so I know that I know that I know that a 4:30 is within reasonable reach.

What was the most beautiful part of this run? I haven't quite decided. The scenery was breathtaking. The energy of the "fans" and other runners was so joyful and positive. The disabled runners were awe-inspiring. The infamous "Team In Training" and each dedication I read on different shirt backs was sweet. Seeing a blind runner being lead by a volunteer through the entire race was incredible. A young man with downs syndrome walked the half marathon with his parents and as he sang to the music on his ipod, my heart overflowed. Seeing my husband at the finish and running the loop at the speed skating oval while the announcer encouraged cheering and praise from the crowd just for me as I headed to the finish was a first marathon dream come true. (He even complimented my socks and told the crowd that this was my first marathon.) I will undoubtedly be back in Lake Placid, even with all those crazy hills.

I felt great afterward and honestly could've went to work the next day. I am eager to do another one.

First Marathon Eve

The nervous apprehension I have for the fact that I'm running my first 26.2 is being barricaded by the joy I feel about running another 5k with my youngest son. We ran the Pre-Father's Day 5k last year and I wrote about it here in a training blog I was keeping with my cousin. (...who is bad-ass for having finished 2 marathons and a triathlon.)

All three of my sons run. All three have run in races with me. All three compete against themselves, aiming for new PR's all the time. They talk about how much a race "sucked" and then they say "yes" when I ask if they'd like me to sign them up for another one. I wish I had a sliver of this kind of perseverance when I was a kid. This is an infinite circle of blessings that keep coming back to me- I love to run, I had only hoped my kids would run with me- all three of them do- all three of them have inherited this healthy habit from me- I love running with them- I love to run.... and it goes on over and over and over.

They won't be coming to Lake Placid with me. The 6 hour drive made them all shudder and I understand and respect that so they're spending the weekend with their father. So the 5k we'll be running in a couple of hours from now means that much more to me. It will be an integral part of the memories I have of my first marathon. So if you'll excuse me, I've got something awesome to do. And I need to get my do-something-awesome tube socks on.

Who has balls? This girl right here...

You're probably getting to know me just in reading my banter. I love looking into people while reading their personal thoughts. Look a little closer. This is not my average blog post.

Aren't you afraid???

"I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise. I choose to risk my significance; to live so that which comes to me as seed goes to the next as blossom and that which comes to me as blossom, goes on as fruit."- Dawna Markova

Fear is so safe... Is hiding under the smothering shelter of "what if I fail" more comfortable than trying and failing? Is wondering what you might be more rewarding than fighting for what you wish to become? Is cowering alone more rewarding than standing up and asking others to help strengthen you? Is the cage of safety better than the freedom of risk?

I've been asked every form of "aren't you afraid" since I began training for this marathon. The simple answer, is "yes". There is fear in struggle and challenge. In hard work. In perseverance. When fatigue creeps in, when strength wanes and weakness takes it's place, there certainly is fear.

...But what am I here for? In every aspect of life (not just endurance training) isn't fear the ultimate opponent? What would I be living for if I continually let it win? Really... What purpose would my life serve for me? (or anyone that I love and value?) I would be robbed. Daily. And every word of encouragement I tried to feed my loved ones would be completely hollow. Good intentions are nothing. Action through living is everything.

I'm afraid. I'm living. And I'm ready to run.