Marathon Girl

I ran in my second marathon yesterday in Raleigh.  The race started at 7:00 and it was very chilly in the morning.  I was very thankful I purchased hand warmers prior to that, and they were helpful.  My running/training partner Zina was running late and very nervous and on the verge of tears. It was exciting to be there with her, since it was her first marathon ever.  I told her early on that she could ditch me whenever she wanted to, cause it was her race.  After I stopped to use a porta potty, it was not long after that she decided to ditch this slow girl. I will admit, I have improved on my speed over the last few months, but I was still averaging about 10.5 to 11 minutes miles, and she was trying to go faster, which was completely fine.  I brought music along, just in case she decided to do that, and just in case I couldn't find another runner to talk to.  I like to chat during these things. 

Running is, for obvious reasons, a kind of lonely sport.  I run alone most of the time, and I only get to run with a partner about once a week.  I love to chat while I'm running, especially during my long runs, since it helps me forget about the distance. After Zina went on ahead, and after my small talk attempts with a few people around me failed (some runners do not like to talk at all and I am kind of a dork, too), I put on my tunes. 

After a little bit, I started chatting with a lady and we got to talking about running. She said she liked to chat to forget about the distance as well, so I told her that I would talk with her while she finished her half marathon.  She was 63 years old and had been running for the last 30 years or so.  I love to meet older runners because I hope to run well into my older years.  I know that if I take it easy and not over do it, I should be able to. 

When running a marathon distance, 26.2 miles, the first 5 miles are pretty tough for me.  I fight my brain for most of the first 5 miles because it wants me to stop.  After that, the next 5 to 10 miles are relatively easy.  My mind is set that I will be doing this for a while, so it might get used to it.  Then, from 10 miles to 20 miles, it's typically another mental battle for me.  I have to make sure I'm well hydrated and that I'm eating especially during this time.  However, I constantly tell myself that if I can just get to 20 miles, I will be able to do all 26 (.2!).  I pray a lot from around 19 miles to 26 miles that God will help me push through these last few miles and I also visualize my finish.  During this race, my family was waiting at a spectator location, holding creative signs that Harmony made, at about mile 19, and it was perfect timing.  It was just what I needed to push me through those last few, hilly miles. 

As I sit here today, I feel sore and I wonder how soon my body will recover in order for me to start back training again for my next race.  I accomplished my goal of running this one under 5 hours, so I'm feeling great about that.  However, it's never about my speed; it's always more about pushing through those thoughts of wanting to quit.  Every mile I complete is proof of the mental battle I won.  Completing a marathon is like winning a mental war.  It feels good to be a warrior.