It all started in high school. I had been running track since junior high, but my sophomore year in high school(2002), I watched the Boston Marathon on TV. I thought, "What's so special about people running that it needs to be televised?!" I couldn't understand what all the hype was about until I heard the distance involved in the thing.
Twenty-six point two miles. I was watching people finish a marathon with some pretty amazing times! I thought, "I could do that!", so I made it a goal! One day, I would run the Boston Marathon!
Fast forward ten years later to the beginning of 2012. I was, at the time, unknowingly suffering from postpartum depression after the birth of my third child. I was overweight, unhealthy, and severely unhappy. If you would've told me that in the next year I would run a marathon, I would've laughed in your face.
The week I started my weight loss journey, I had a friend who told me she was training for the Dam to Dam in Des Monies. I thought, "Training?! That's a little extreme!" Oh, how uneducated I was about running! I mean, I understood the need to run before an event, but I never looked at it as "training". I decided to look into it and was sucked back into the world of running! Within a few weeks, I had decided to start the couch-to-5K running plan. That was the beginning of my own 26.2 mile journey!
Since that time, I ran the Dam-to-Dam, a half-marathon, and numerous 5K's. I decided earlier this year that I wanted to run the Wabash Trace Nature Trail marathon because it is one of the only marathons that is held on a Saturday in my state. (Why don't I run on Sunday's? Find out why
here!) Before I even started training for the Dam-to-Dam, I bought a calendar and wrote down the
half marathon training schedule AND the
full marathon training schedule from Hal Higdon. It gave me 27 weeks worth of training. I was excited and ready to get started!
I had two friends who were going to run it with me, but through the year, both ladies decided to not run it. It was hard for me, mentally, to even want to run it knowing that I was going to be training and running it alone. But I had already made up my mind. I decided to continue through and run the marathon.
The week leading up to the marathon, a lot of plans fell through! At one point, I thought that I was going to have to sleep in my car the night before the marathon, but through prayer, my husband and I found a way to make everything work! Our entire family would be staying in a hotel room together! We knew it was going to be a challenge, but I was excited to have my family with me!
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| My race fuel, post race fuel, and the book I read and re-read! |
I also decided to dedicate my run to my cousin, Cody, who is fighting Ewing's Sarcoma! It is a rare form of bone/soft tissue cancer. I decided to wear my yellow racing top! But it wasn't quite complete without a little bit of support for the Iowa Hawkeyes! They would be having their rivalry game after the marathon, so I used some puffy paint and gold glitter to make a Hawkeye head on my top!
The night before the marathon, we got to our hotel and had supper. I had made spaghetti the night before and decided to take the leftovers with me so I could carb-load the night before! It was just as delicious as the day before when I had it for supper!
The girls spent most of the night jumping on the bed and playing in the covers!
While the girls played, Charles watched some TV while I got everything ready for the race! I pinned my bib on my racing shirt, made sure I had everything I needed for the race, and double checked my bags!
It was a little overwhelming trying to get everyone to sleep in the same bed! The girls kept playing and giggling. We were in bed at 8:00 p.m. and everyone, except for me, was asleep by 9:45 p.m.! Vivian had basically pushed me off of the bed. If I were to have fallen asleep or relaxed, I would've fallen off the bed. So I decided that it would be best for me to sleep on the floor. I grabbed a pillow and set down a few towels, covered up with some other towels, and used Vivian's blanket for my upper torso! I actually slept really well! Until 2:30 a.m.!
I woke up then and couldn't go back to sleep. I could not settle my nerves! I said a few prayers, but nothing was really working. I decided to just lay on the floor to rest, but around 3:30, I couldn't do that anymore! I had to get up. I decided to go ahead and get ready. I had to be up by 4:30 to get ready, so I figured that the extra hour would do me some good!
I got dressed, wrote Charles a letter, and read my scriptures. I still had some time to burn, so I took a few photos of myself! No marathon is perfect without some hotel-bathroom mirror-selfies!
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| I look SO tired! |
After that, it was time to go! I realized then that I hadn't packed any clothes to keep me warm! DUH! No jackets, no long sleeved anything... I panicked for a second before I remembered that the shirt that I got the day before in my race packet was HUGE on me. I ordered a medium sized shirt. I had no idea that it was a men's medium! (The race people should say that on their registration form next year!) It was just long enough to protect my arms and torso! I got my bag ready and stepped out the door. I went over my mental list of things that I needed, then shut the door and started walking.
I had to walk half a mile to the depot to get on the bus. It was the perfect distance to warm me up! The sky was clear and I could see all the stars! It was a cool, crisp morning! 57 degrees! Once I got to the depot, I stood behind the building to block the wind. I met some runners, but there weren't very many people there yet.
Once on the bus, everyone showed up! I got a seat close to the front. My nerves were starting to calm down. I introduced myself to the lady that was sitting to my left, Jenny! It was her first marathon, too! She came with her friend, Jennifer! Two Jenny's! That was easy to remember! It was Jennifer's second marathon. We were all very nervous! We talked the entire ride there, and stuck together once inside the school near the starting point.
I went to the bathroom a few times and put on my body glide. I walked around outside to warm up before the start. There were a lot of runners. A lot of first time marathoners, too! I didn't feel so alone! I met another runner that use to work at the high school I went to! It was cool to have someone I could talk to before the start gun went off.
I said one final prayer before the start, then it was go time!
Mile 1 - 9:57 I had to tell myself to stay at a pace that I knew I could keep up for a while. I decided to try for 10:00 minute miles. But I also told myself that no matter what, even if I had a mile go over that time, I wouldn't get mad! I knew I was going to get fatigued during the run. But I kept an open mind! The sun wasn't quite up yet as we ran through the town on Malvern. There were a few people out waving us on with signs! It was nice to see! There were a few hills, but my legs were itching to run after my taper and rest week! I talked to my friend from my home town for a few minutes during this mile!
Mile 2 - 10:10 We finished up running through Malvern and got onto the trial just before the two mile mark! The first part of the trail was paved, but then it went to an actual trail! I knew it was a trail run, but for some reason, it really didn't occur to me that I'd be running on dirt and rocks! But it was very nicely flat and pleasant to run on! I met up with a 19 year old girl who was running her first marathon! We talked for a bit, but then she dropped back and I was on my own.
Mile 3 - 9:48
Mile 4 - 9:58
Mile 5 - 9:57 I spent these few miles alone. I really took some time to enjoy my surroundings! The trail is just beautiful! It is, literally, through the trees! It's like the trees were making a tunnel for me to run through! The sun was coming up at this point and shining through the leaves! It was gorgeous! I was humbled by God's beauty in nature! I said a prayer in gratitude! I wasn't passed by any runners. Everyone around me was keeping a consistent pace. They were talking to each other, but no one talked directly to me. I wanted to chime in a few times, but it was a little awkward since I didn't know them! I do regret that, but it's all good! It was nice to hear about other people's first marathons!
Mile 6 - 10:10 Peppermint GU
Mile 7 - 10:11
Mile 8 - 10:10 I ate my first GU right at mile six. There was no aid station, so I tucked my wrapper into my watch. It was handy that way because every time my arm swung up, I got to smell the residual peppermint in the wrapper! Played cat-and-mouse with a group from Omaha during these three miles! They were quite hilarious! I talked to the guy in the group for a bit. This marathon was his fourth marathon. He seemed pretty pumped up! He even commented on my running skirt! It was a little creepy... but I think it was all in good fun! The women he was running with told me not to mind him! We all got a good laugh out of it! We also realized that our watches were all reading our paces and distances differently. I just went with what my watch said! Only one other person in the group had the same data as me! So I went with it!
Mile 9 - 9:47
Mile 10 - 9:50 Once I hit the 10 mile mark, I realized how tight my arms were! I was so tense and nervous that my arms weren't moving like they should. I decided to relax one arm at a time. It really hurt, but it helped! I told myself to take it easy and relax. But it was easier said than done! By this point in the race, there was a huge cloud that was hiding the sun. It kept the temperature in the low 60's! It. Was. Wonderful! The water/aid stations were awesome! I ran through them and grabbed water as I went. I thought I needed to go pee, but I decided to not stop. I felt that if I were to have stopped, I would have a hard time getting going again! I lost the group from before because of the aid station. There was a man with a cowbell! I shouted, "MORE COWBELL!"
Mile 11 - 10:08
Mile 12 - 10:15 Strawberry Banana GU
Mile 13 - 10:02 I played cat-and-mouse with these two ladies for the entire race. (Let's call them Blue and Orange!) We finally evened out our pace and talked for a few miles! They are training to run a 50K! I told them that this was my first marathon! They both said that they were jealous because the weather was SOOOOO perfect! They also told me that I was doing really well for my first marathon! It made me feel really good! I really needed the boost! I was getting tired by the time we hit the half-way point. But I could feel that I still had plenty left to finish the run with!
Mile 14 - 9:49 I fell behind Blue and Orange, but soon met another lady who was an Iowa Hawkeye fan! She had on some awesome Hawkeye shorts! We complimented each other and got talking! It was her first marathon! She said that she and her brother started running together, but she lost him a few miles back. So it was nice to have someone to talk to! She was hoping to get done in time to watch the game when she got home! We didn't talk too much because it was getting harder to keep our pace AND talk.
Mile 15 - 10:09 We passed through the town of Imogene at the 15 mile mark. They had an aid station. I seriously considered stopping to go pee, but I kept moving. Drank my water while running and remaining positive that I had less than a half-marathon left! I was alone for the rest of this mile.
Mile 16 - 10:27 walk When I came up on the aid station at mile 16, I decided to walk through it. I got some Gatorade for the first time. It was the greatest feeling in the world! I cannot describe just how good that Gatorade was! Seriously! I drank a quick cup of water after to get the slimy feeling out of my mouth. Then I started running again. It only took about 10 seconds to drink and walk.
Mile 17 - 9:53 I felt a burst of energy here! I know it was from walking at the aid station. It gave my body a second to take a breather! I felt good! I caught up to Blue and Orange! I tried my best to keep pace with them, but I was really feeling tired at this point! I do really well with pacing, but I could tell that I was starting to struggle! My legs were becoming tight and my arms were still stiff. Orange made a comment about stretching my arms while running and showed me a few ways to do so! It was handy info! I felt so much better!
Mile 18 - 10:31 walk, Peppermint GU I was with Blue and Orange until we hit the aid station. I walked through it and got a cup of Gatorade and water again. I walked for about 15 seconds this time. Blue and Orange took off before I got started again and I just couldn't catch them! I tried! But I was really feeling tired at this point. I took my third GU, which was another peppermint one. It was nice because my stomach was getting a little upset by this point. The peppermint was gentle on my tummy! I ran alone for the rest of the race.
Mile 19 - 11:08
Mile 20 - 11:39 walk I struggled with feeling especially fatigued here. The walk breaks during the aid stations helped, but my body was really feeling sluggish. I kept feeling the need to pee, but I kept on pressing forward. I saw Jennifer from the bus walking at this point. As I passed her, I asked her if she was alright. She said her hip and leg were hurting, but that she was okay. I wished her luck. I was really alone after that. I made it to the aid station, got Gatorade and water, and walked for about 20 seconds. I realized that I only had about an hour left to run! It was a welcome thought!
Mile 21 - 10:25 The sun decided to come out! It was still nice and cool, though! Although I was alone, I kept thinking, "I'm almost done! I'm almost to my family! Just a little bit longer!" Every mile after the 20 mile mark was a new distance PR for me! It was exciting to me! I could really feel my body tightening up, but I stretched my arms and tried to stay loose.
Mile 22 - 10:27 I kept looking behind me to see if anyone was coming during this mile. I could see no one ahead of me and no one behind me. It was kinda scary. I really, really wanted someone to run with. I saw some people in the race who had friends on bikes with them. I would've given anything to have a friend running or biking next to me! I crossed the highway right before the aid station and realized just how close I was to the finish! I could see town!
Mile 23 - 10:40 walk The aid station was literally at the start of this mile! I walked through the aid station for about 20 seconds, got Gatorade and water, and then started running again. I felt really good! I was becoming more positive as the trail became paved again! I knew I was coming in on town! I saw the big "WELCOME" sign and started saying, "I'm running to you, baby!", talking to my husband in my head!
Mile 24 - 10:50 walk, Chocolate Raspberry GU I was so relieved to be so close to the finish! I knew that I still had to go through town, but being around people was a nice thing! There were people on the sides of the trail cheering the runners on! I passed a marathon-relay person right before the aid-station. I debated walking through it, but at the last moment, I decided to! And I'm glad that I did! I ate my GU, drank a Gatorade, and chased it all with some water. Then I got off of the trail and started running on the town's streets!
Mile 25 - 11:40 Whoever it was that planned the course and had us run this mile with a HUGE HILL was my worst enemy. I seriously felt SOOOOOO SLOOOOWWWW. I felt like my feet were actually going backwards! I passed another marathon-relay runner and had a man on a bicycle pace with me. He was very nice! We talked a little bit, but I felt like I had nothing left in my body to use. I felt so tired and slow. He made a comment about how light my feet sounded! Which was surprising because they felt so heavy to me! With a mile and a half to go, he handed me off to a different cyclist and wished me good luck. I'm not sure of her name, but she was wonderful! She asked me if it would be okay to talk and I basically shouted, "Are you kidding me?! I'd LOVE someone to talk to! I've been alone for the past 8 miles or so!" We talked about my weight loss and decision to run a marathon. She said that it was inspiring and that she just might run this event next year! I told her to do it!
Mile 26 - 9:27 Once I realized that I had only one mile left, something within me changed. I felt stronger and started running faster. I felt kind of dizzy and extremely giggly. I'm sure it was the caffeine from my GU and my body running on fumes! I waved at each person along the last mile! All the supporters and people cheering! I kept shouting, "I'M ALMOST DONE! WOO HOO!" As I came down the final stretch, my name was announced and I knew that when I turned the corner just ahead of me, I would run the final 0.2 of my race and get to see my babies!
The last .2 - Not sure because I forgot to stop my Garmin! :) But I know it was fast! As I turned the corner, I saw the huge FINISH sign! I started sprinting and searching the side lines for my family. As soon as I saw them, I shouted for joy
and almost peed my pants! It was also then that I realized that my friends Mike and Karmen came to watch me finish! I shouted again and started waving my arms in the air like a crazy person! I gave it my all and ran through the finish line!
Full Marathon #1
Official Time 4:27:59
average pace 10:13
Overall #38 of 66
Females #14 of 28
The first thing I shouted was, "
OH THANK GOD! IT'S OVER!" As soon as I was handed my medal, I was told to turn around! As soon as I did, I realized that Caitlin was running towards me! I caught her and gave her a huge hug! (Copyrighted photo of my hugging her
here!) I realized that she chased me for the last little bit! She said to me, "I finished the race with you, Mommy!" If I would've known, I would've held her hand! Charles managed to get a photo of it, he was running with the camera, so it didn't turn out perfect, but I love this photo SO much!
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| Caitlin, on the left in the purple jacket, running after me crossing the finish line! |
I was quickly joined by the rest of my family, Mike, and Karmen! Many sweaty hugs were given! I kept apologizing for my smell! I realized during the last mile just how bad I smelled! But no one seemed to care! Everyone was overjoyed and I was SO excited to be with my family!
But I needed to keep moving. I could feel my body getting stiff already. I walked over to the food area and got a chocolate milk, yogurt, a few bananas, a granola bar, and a Gatorade. I walked over to the tent where the results were about to be announced. My family sat down and I gave the girls my yogurt and granola bar. I walked back over and got some more. It felt good to walk, but I really wanted to sit. After about 10 minutes of walking, I finally sat down and put my feet up. After a few minutes, I decided to go get my gear bag because I had my post-race fuel in it. I really wanted my Snickers marathon bar! When I came back, my girls knew that I had some Swedish Fish in my bag, so of course, I shared! The overall winners were announced and a TON of prizes were being handed out to all the runners who stuck around! I kept hoping my name would be called!
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| I LOVE my medal! My favorite color! |
To keep the girls entertained, Mike and Karmen let the girls wear their motorcycle helmets! It was so funny to watch my girls walk around with them on!
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| Caitlin and Vivian (eating my Swedish Fish!) |
I decided to take off my shoes because I could feel some blisters coming up. I wore socks that were suppose to prevent that from happening, but it happened anyway. I had five blisters! It wasn't too painful yet, but I could tell that I needed some Ibuprofen to help keep it that way until I got home and took care of my toes. And for the first time, ever, I got a blister along the bottom of my foot! I had some rocks in my shoes from running on the trail and a very small one nestled along the bottom of my foot. I got a blister as a result!
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| My poor toes and feet... |
I could feel that my two big toes had blisters under the nails. I was terribly sad about that. (But since the marathon, the only nail to fall off was the big toenail on my left foot. It was horribly painful when it fell off. I could put no pressure on it. None. I slept with that foot out of the covers. Socks were too much. Shoes were too much. It sucked. My other big toenail had a blister, too. I popped it, but the nail is still attached. Thank goodness! It is SO much better with the nail still on.)
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| The girls keeping themselves entertained with my medal and the ropes on the tent! |
Charles and I waited around for about an hour before we decided it would be best to head home. I told him that I wanted to stay until they announced the age division winners for my age group. He said that they posted the results on the other side of the food table. I wobbled over to it right when I heard my name announced. I honestly thought I won a prize!
Nope! I placed first in my age division! I was seriously dumbfounded! I was honestly shocked! I said, "This has to be a mistake!" Nope! (A copyrighted photo of my reaction
here!) I looked at Charles in shock! He looked SO proud! I was overwhelmed! The man who handed me my $25 gift certificate asked me to say a little about myself and what I thought of the trail! What I said went something along these lines:
"My name is Carie and I'm from Iowa! I've been training for 27 weeks and I've lost 71 pounds! I've always dreamed of running a marathon and when I found this one, I knew it'd be perfect! The trail was just beautiful and I'm excited to come back next year and run it again! I'm here with my family! My husband and our three daughters! I want to give a quick shout-out to my wonderful husband who put up with my training and traveling! I love you baby! Thank you!"
As I was leaving the stage, all three girls ran up on stage and started waving to the crowd! It was SO funny! I walked over to Charles and he gave me a huge hug! The woman who won the marathon came and talked to me a little bit! It was nice to have met her! She did a great job! We are in the same age division, too! I was confused by that, but since she placed overall, I got the title of winner for our age division. I think that was awesome of the race officials for doing that! That way more people get prizes! Of the three overall winners for the female marathon, two of them were in my age division. So technically, I placed third in my age division. But either way, I was SOOO happy!
Since the gift certificate was chamber bucks, I had to use it while I was in town! We walked to our car and loaded up. I asked Charles to get a quick photo of the gift certificate since I'd be spending it. It was so bright in the parking lot. He snapped two photos, but they were SO dark. Of the two he took, the first one turned out the best. And the funny thing about it was, I was asking him if the certificate was upside-down. It was!
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| I enhanced the photo to the best of my abilities! |
We headed over to an athletic apparel store and I found a nice, long-sleeved running shirt! Then we headed home! I kept my feet up on the dash the entire time. Probably illegal, but it helped the soreness!
When we got home, I had Charles take one more photo of me with my prizes! I was beyond ready for my shower!
As soon as I got inside, I showered, updated my Facebook, then took a long nap! I think it was well deserved! When I woke up, I ate a HUGE dinner and went straight back to sleep!
When I think about my accomplishment in running a marathon, I get overwhelmed. I didn't even cry about having finished the marathon until I sat down to type this blog post about it! All of the emotions that I had while running and after I finished, came to the surface. Which is why it's taken me so long to post this! That, and the week after my marathon, I was like a walking zombie! I was so sore and tired for the first three days! Then I felt back to normal! All the memories and thought I have from my first marathon are good thoughts! I had SUCH a good time! I felt strong and trusted my training! I still can't believe I actually finished a marathon... but I did!
I am a marathoner!
I will be running another marathon this coming spring! Details to come soon!
I want to thank all of the people who supported me, cheered for me, believed in me, and loved me during my journey to this point! And all of my life! I would not have gotten this far without you all! I am so thankful for all of my running partners, workout friends, and blogging buddies! It is so wonderful to have so many people supporting me! I am blessed! (I would take time to name you all, but I'm afraid I'm leave someone out!)
I added my new car magnet! I'm not ashamed to brag a little!
And the only thing that would've made this race better would've been...
MORE COWBELL!
