Marathon #3- Irving Frost Full Marathon

I can't believe I finished a third marathon. 

So here's how it went. 

Runners are very realistic and we like for you to give it to us straight. So let's start with all the stuff that went wrong. LOL

First thing that went wrong is that I was having to work a retail job which put me on my feet 8 hours at a time at least two or three times a week. This reduced the number of miles I could run without tripping from heavy legs.  I also had to miss a 17 mile long run and I almost quit my marathon training and downgraded to the 10K on the worst day of the training cycle. This is where I will give kudos to my boss at the time, Kirsten, she had sent me a text around this time that told me I was unstoppable and I totally believed her and didn't give up. 

The second thing that went wrong was definitely the temperature. I registered for the Irving Frost Marathon in Dallas in December, specifically for the likelihood of lower temps. To no avail. It wound up being a warmer day than expected and at the finish line I believe it was around 77° which is terrible for a full marathon.


Okay now here's the things that went well: ......

Absolutely nothing. Just kidding.

Although it was warmer than expected at the finish line when I was running in the shade which was at least half the race, it was nice. I definitely took this time to try to push my pace and make the most of it. I ran ahead of people even though I was thinking....this could just burn me out and they will pass me here in a few minutes. I've always held back for fear of that and at this race, I finally decided I couldn't care less if I burned out and got passed back up. I had a full tank and I wanted it empty at the end. 

This time I had not only a fueling strategy but I worked in a pacing strategy as well. I decided to try warming up for 10K racing, a half marathon and then cooling down for 10K. This played out much better than I expected. I really thought the last 10K would be a total dumpster fire... But it wasn't. I did have to do a little bit of walk/ run intervals in the last couple of miles but for the most part after about mile 19 I was able to put myself in what I call "freight train" mode. This is where I mentally focus on my music. I'm thinking about the finish line. I'm passing people and ignoring pain. This is where my thoughtful fueling strategy tends to pay off and I have the energy to basically just keep going and it feels amazing. It's not a fast train but I try to walk as little as possible. 

The third thing that went well is that I not only finished but I managed to get a PR of 4:47. My big goal was to come in under 4:30 but I had to give that up as soon as I saw the weather forecast. But I just decided that it was definitely a day that I would push the pace as much as I could while trying to stay safe and not have a heat stroke. So although I didn't hit the 4:30, I think I'm happy with staying out of the hospital.

The last thing that went well is that on the last mile or two I was able to identify a young lady who was struggling just about as much as me and I started talking to her. I asked her simple questions like how long did you train and are you excited to finish? And are you ready for this? And she seemed to be okay with talking a little bit so I kept it going. I stayed with her. We agreed on when to run and when to walk and it was amazing because she told me that it was her first marathon. 

Georgia, you are unstoppable.

In the last mile or so, with extra vibes from Georgia, we picked up the pace and ran it in like we meant it. About a quarter mile from the finish there was my husband, ready to help me push to the line (he always does this and he knows it's exactly what I need to survive this last distance, when the marathon is ACTUALLY not 26.2 miles but more like 27). Me and Georgia gave it one last push and finally crossed over to the other side. Finally, rest, water, a medal and hugs. Such great memories. 

But once I was over the finish line and I slowed down my body could barely walk. Brandon was holding me up. I was definitely struggling. We had to walk around a little bit to find where my daughter was sitting and by the time I sat down and let my muscles relax I was hurting enough to shed tears. This was a first for me. I've heard that it can happen at the end of a marathon because not just the amount of physical pain but the emotions that you go through to get yourself to this finish. It's overwhelming . I was also just really hot and ready to get situated and get comfortable again. But what I realize later as I was mentally unpacking being able to get a PR and doing so well in the face of the heat adversity, was that this was by far my best marathon yet. I had set a goal also. To" empty the tank" and by the end I gave every single last drop of energy in every corner of my body. So later as I thought back to how broken down I felt at the finish Line I realized that's exactly what I had done. I had zero regrets. I would do nothing differently. I'm so proud of myself putting the energy on the pavement when it needed to be done. 

Marathons are freaking hard. But by showing up for yourself with training runs, nutrition and recovery, you become a better, stronger person as you approach that finish line. You don't arrive injured. You arrive whole. Your spirit is full. Your confidence is full. Your tank of self-love is full. Your love for others is overflowing as they support and cheer you across the line.  The life of a marathoner is a very full, very rewarding life and I wouldn't change it for anything.

Guess what?? My next marathon is on a treadmill on May 23rd. This is crazy, but would you like to support the effort? You can! 

Click here to see how!