...I participated in a full marathon!
This was something I had been training and fundraising for since the end of January. I did it with Team in Training (TNT), and with it raised about $2,900 to fight blood cancers. My reward was to go to San Diego and do the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon there.
Training was bumpy at best. Basically since the end of September you could write in the calendar that every 3-4 weeks I would have a cold and you were probably right. During my training, the cold would sent in really hard core during my big mileage build ups... So I missed a fair amount of training... At the recommitment time with Team in Training, I was feeling good about what I had been able to run and thought that if I just don't get sick much more (I mean eventually I am going to stop having colds right?) I should be golden on my marathon goal. Then came my April cold (which I went to the doctor for to get antibiotics to fight it) and then my May cold...
Well, I was still feeling ok about the running I had done. When I went out, the runs went pretty well! So I pushed forward to the 20 mile run day... That day was the day my knees started giving me trouble. During the colds I had in April and May I stopped doing all the weight training I had been doing before and my knees did not like that. I didn't intentionally stop, I just was sick and didn't have time between all the subbing, tutoring, choir concerts, meetings and everything else that I was involved in...
After that day (3 weeks before the main event) I gave my knees a rest and basically did not run. I tried to go out one day, but quickly realized that it was a bad idea, as my knees started bothering me right after I started running...
On the plane to San Diego I was nervous, thinking I shouldn't even try to run, just walk the whole thing, walking doesn't hurt my knees after all! Well, that was when I met Linda. She also was participating in the event and her daughter, Natalie, was going to meet us in San Diego for it as well. She was also a TNT participant. She suggested I try a few things at the expo and just give the running a try on the day of. So I did.
I got my knees taped, I rolled out my muscles with the Stick and prayed for the best. I got to do some walking around and site seeing in San Diego while we were out there too. Sunday morning quickly arrived and I put my gear on. Nervously I made my way out to where Natalie and Linda were lining up. Soon the race started and about 40 minutes later our corral left the gate.
Amazingly we were averaging about a 10 minute mile! This went on for about 5-6 miles! I was ecstatic, my knees did not hurt real bad and I was making amazing progress.
Then the knee pain set in. For a few miles (ending at mile 11) we were on this highway that had a grade, so one foot was generally higher than the other. My knees were shot, they did not like this marathon idea anymore and let me know it. I stopped at a med tent and got some tylenol. It helped some. I was left with walking out the rest.
I kept a pretty good pace. In fact I was running with Natalie, but when I started walking she kept running on. I walked so fast that I caught back up to her by mile 18 again. After which we both walked together for a while. Actually looking online, at mile 20 I had only been out 4 hours and 40 minutes (a 14 minute mile, despite knee pain). But the last 6.2 miles took me almost another 2 hours to finish (making my average pace end at just under 15 minutes a mile) with an ending time of 6 hours and 26 minutes.
The rest of the day I spent icing my knees and feet and hoping for the best. To my surprise I woke up the next day with virtually no knee pain, just the rest of my muscles were sore from the 26.2 miles.
It was a lot of fun, I don't know if I would do a whole marathon again, but I would definitely do a half again. Currently I am signed up to run the 8K at the Fifth Season Race here in town on the 4th of July. Ben will be running with me. They also have a 5K which is a run or a walk, so feel free to come join us for some 4th of July fun!
My other goal is to run the Park to Park half marathon in September. I am always good for company on any or all the races that I do! The important thing is it be active, so whether you are a runner or a walker, it is all GREAT exercise! If you have never done a race I strongly encourage you to do it!
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