Powered by Gummy Bears

I got this crazy idea a couple of years ago to run a marathon.  In the summer of 2010, I signed up for the Seattle Rock and Roll marathon.  Dixon ended up getting a job in Arizona and we moved a few months later.  I was disappointed, but then realized we would be in Washington during the marathon for our summer vacation.  The plan was simple, start my training in early spring and I would be more than ready for the marathon.  Enter Arizona summer.  Have you ever tried to run long distances when it doesn't get below 90 degrees?  And that's before it starts getting light out.  It just wasn't happening for me.  So I let that dream go.  

Last summer the idea started creeping in again.  I knew I could do it, I just needed to find a race that fit my criteria:  It had to be in the late winter or early spring so I wouldn't have to train in the heat, it had to be on a Saturday.  I found the perfect race!  The Phoenix marathon would be on March 2nd.  It was the perfect time of year, on a Saturday and a great course.  Only problem...that is the day that Turner will be baptized!  So I searched and found a much smaller race, closer to my home, a month earlier and signed up.  

My running partner Rachel and I were ready!  We had a good training schedule and we were moving along great.  We did a 10 mile race on Thanksgiving day and had a blast.  We then went on our next long run a week or two later and did 18 miles together.  That was the last run that Rachel was able to do, as she found out that she was expecting (and not feeling so well, if you know what I mean)! 

I begged and groveled and managed to find running partners for parts of most of the rest of my long runs.  Doing long runs by yourself is no fun at all.  But I pushed through, doing long runs of 20, 22 and 24 in December and January.  I knew I was strong enough, I knew I could do it, I just had to push through one more long run by my little lonesome.  

Before race day I was doing some research on fueling during the run.  I read in several different articles that gummy bears are a great mid run fuel!  I was on it!!!  Anyone who knows me well knows of my love for candy, especially gummies!  (I guess it was all those years living in Germany!)  I was so excited for the run, just to eat gummies!

Race morning came, cold and dark.  I opted for the early start, starting at 6 because it was supposed to be fairly warm that day and I tend to dehydrate easily in the heat.  So me and about 14 others lined up to start at 6 am.  Did I mention I couldn't figure out where the starting line was and had to sprint about a quarter of a mile to get there on time?  Anyway, we started off, running in the dark, pretty much all alone since I left them all in my dust (I'm not even fast, I guess mostly really slow people sign up for early start).  It was really dark and lonely for a long time.  The aid stations didn't open until after 7, so they were all closed until I got to mile marker 10.  I was so happy to see a real live person!  And when she saw me coming she jumped up and down and cheered and it made me feel so good!  It got cheerier from then on out.  There were aid stations every two miles.  When I was at about mile 11 or 12 I saw a Suburban pass that looked vaguely familiar.  There are not too many Suburbans out there that look like my Beauty, so I knew her when she passed me.  I also noticed it parked up at the turn-around.  And two people hiding in the bushes holding signs.  When I got close, Hayden and Bailey popped out and started cheering.  They were holding signs, one said, "Run mom run!"  The other said, "You can DO IT!"  We chatted and they ran along with me for a couple hundred feet to the turn around.  It totally cheered me up and kept me strong.  Of course I was still feeling really strong at this point anyway, so it was just great!  They continued to pull over every mile or so, got out with their signs and cheered for me.  It totally made my race so fun!  The aid station volunteers thought my paparazzi was so cute.  I loved it, every single time.  They had to leave at about mile 18 to go home and pick up Dix and the kids to bring them to the finish line.  So I was alone for my last 8 miles.  I'm not gonna lie, it was really hard and again, lonely.  But at least now there were aid station people, and people coming the other way and fast people passing me, so we're all giving each other thumbs up and words of encouragement.  Whenever I started feeling sad or tired I would pop a gummy bear in my mouth and it instantly made me happy.  Not even kidding!  Clearly my emotions are too strongly tied with food.  But it worked for me on the marathon!  

At mile 21 I started looking forward to the aid station at 22 and kept telling myself, when you get your water, you can walk for about 30 feet while you drink it before you start running again.  How surprised was I when I discovered that walking hurt more than running?  And then starting to run again was brutal!  But I did the same thing at the mile 24 aid station.  But this time I knew that I only had two miles to go and I would see my family at the end!  At mile 25 I sped up, and started feeling giddy!  At that point I had the thought, I'll bet I could do several more miles.  Yes, I think I was getting delirious. 

When I came up to the top of the final hill I could see the finish arch and I saw my family!  There were several strangers all along the sides, cheering me on, and it's amazing how much that helped me!  When I got close enough to see my kids' faces, I started crying, but it kind of turned into hyperventilating, so I had to try to control myself so I didn't pass out 30 feet before the finish line.  And I made it!  I did it!  26.2 miles.  Like a boss.  

I'm gonna be honest here.  The best part about running that far is that you can pretty much eat nonstop the rest of the weekend.  I indulged, but I was pretty much so wasted that I had a hard time even eating.  (Who AM I?)  Dix was happy to see me, and we hugged and talked for a few minutes, but he had to rush off to work.

 Sweet Rachel was there to cheer me over the finish line.  I was so happy to see her!  The first thing I said to her was, "I will NEVER do this again!"  She told me that yes I would, in two years when she's ready.  I told her no way.

An hour after finishing I felt much, much better.  Got cleaned up, went to Turner's basketball game and finally got to sit down for a while.  I was sore, two bloody toes, three blisters, and an amazing capri pant tan line, but other than that, I felt fine!  

And a few hours later I decided that maybe I WOULD do a marathon again someday.  And today I started trying to recruit my friends to train with me for next year.  Anyone in?