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I Ran a Marathon
Marathon Morning
When I woke up on marathon morning, I felt good, rested and ready. I’d had a great pre-race dinner of ravioli and pizza -- delicious -- and slept about eight hours. That morning I’d fueled up on water, Gatorade, and Clif bars.
It was a pretty chilly 35 degrees as we lined up at the start. I wasn’t nervous, anxious or worried – strangely calm and excited to get started. Unlike at a lot of marathons, there was a tent in front of the art museum where you could hang out and stay warm before the race. And while that was a great feature, there were a few pre-race headaches that had everyone on edge.
Pre-Race Headaches
First of all, the race started at 8 am, but the bag check for some 12,000 plus runners didn’t open until 7:30. And then, no one -- not even the race volunteers --seemed to know where exactly it was and it wasn’t marked. Everyone was racing around to find it. Then when we did, you can imagine the line. As we approached start time and people were freaking out, the organizers decided to have everyone leave their bags in heaps organized by bib number. As I put my bag down with my cell phone, cash, and hotel key in a big unattended pile, I didn’t feel good about it, but I had no choice, so I left it and walked away. People were fuming!
Another annoyance? Not enough port-o-johns. At just minutes before 8 there were still hundreds of people waiting in line to go. I gave up and decided to go during the race. I knew it would hurt my time -- and it did -- but I decided I’d rather finish later than planned than start off way in the back of the pack.
Off and Running
When we finally got going, I felt reallygood. The runners were excited, the crowds were cheering, there was a lot ofmusic. It was fun. And because I’d lived in Philly and gone to college there, it was great to run around places I use to shop, eat, and drink. When I rounded South Street at mile 4, a place where I’d spent a lot of time in college -- I was so excited to see my friend (who drove from D.C.) and her husband and baby waiting with a big “Go Jen” sign cheering me on. That was fun. A big hug and kiss from baby later, I was on my way up Chestnut Street through Center City. The shopper that I am, I was noting stores I’d never seen before and making a mental note to go back to them.
Going Strong Early On
At mile 6, I had my first gu, started drinking Gatorade and was still going strong and enjoying the sites. Around miles 8 and 9, were through Drexel University’s fraternity row. Throngs of college kids were perched outside in their fraternity and sorority t-shirts screaming as we streamed by. The energy there was pretty amazing.
I was also amazed by the people I was running with -- a man who had to be in his seventies who was kicking my ass, a guy who had just run the New York Marathon (shouldn’t he be resting?), a woman whose t-shirt said she was a cancer survivor, a couple of best friends with matching outfits and their names and “best friends” written on their shirts. It was an incredibly diverse group.
I was still feeling great and having fun, sometimes listening to my iPod, sometimes turning it off and listening to a band or just the crowds cheering as we approached Memorial Hall at mile 10 -- a place I didn’t even know existed in all the years I lived in Philly. The runners had thinned out by now as did the cheering crowds. But the scenery was amazing -- trees with red and yellow leaves, amazing statues. It was a picturesque fall day. I tried to take it all in and remind myself to look around and enjoy the day. Mile 12 was gu number 2 and still, I was strong and confident.
Midway Mark
We turned down West River Drive, near Boathouse Row and headed back toward the start. When I saw the 13.1 mile marker, I smiled, noted how great I felt and felt strongly that I could finish in 4:40 if not before. By now, the sun had come out and it warmed up tremendously, I tossed my gloves on the side of the road and kept on. Of course when the sun went back behind the clouds, I regretted tossing the gloves, but, oh well.
At mile 15, I saw my running buddy Steph who’d taken the train down that morning. I was so excited to see her and she was holding the “Go Buddy” sign that I’d made for her run in the NY Marathon a couple of weeks before. She ran alongside me for a bit telling me I looked great, that I was gonna finish strong. I gave her a big hug and felt really charged as I headed up toward Manayunk.
Losing Steam
Okay, here’s where things took a turn. Heading up to Manayunk along Kelly Drive was a boring part of the course for sure. You run up for about 6 miles, literally turn around and run back down the other side of the road. It was a highway so basically there were no spectators -- nothing but runners. The energy did drop dramatically. The only cheering was the runners like me on the left side who cheered on the people coming down the other side who were in the last 6 miles and vice versa. By mile 18, when I downed gu number 3, I was starting to get pains in my left leg and hip -- a pain I’d never had before. I also started to lose steam and slow my pace a bit.
To this point, I’d been thinking, “You know you can do 20, because you’ve done it before, so just get there.” Those few blocks on Main Street in Manayunk were nice and lively with lots of music and crowds, but it was brief and then it was back to boring highway. When I got to 20 and turned to head back down that same quiet stretch of highway, I was excited to know I was in the final 6.2 miles but at the same time that distance seemed impossible given how I was feeling. And for me, that distance is another hour at least. I couldn’t imagine running for one more hour.
The Last Leg
At mile 21, I felt like I could do it, but that it was going to take forever. I kept having to stop and stretch to try to work out the pain in my leg and hip. At this point finishing in 4:40 wasn’t going to happen. I thought I had a chance at 4:45 or 4:50.
By mile 22, we were on a hill and the pain was really become too much. I stopped 3 or more times to stretch and if you’ve ever run a long distance you know that first step again after having stopped is like sending a shockwave of pain up your whole body. At this point I saw myself walking across the finish line hours later. I was quickly losing steam, realized there was no way I was going to reach my time goal and was getting incredibly discouraged. The energy around me was low and by this point, I’d seen three people carried away in ambulances.
At mile 23, I was tearing up. I was in tremendous pain. My hip was burning and I just wanted it to be over. I kept telling myself that the finish was so close, that I could do it, but it was almost like there was nothing I could say to myself to boost my spirit anymore. It was just a matter of fighting to keep my legs moving, which was becoming harder and harder.
I went into the race feeling so confident and prepared and determined, but I have to admit, that this part caught me a little off guard. It came down to something more than just wanting it and more than believing I could, more than being a runner, it was truly finding some way to force my body to move and refuse to let it stop, even though it was crying out for me to. I was listening to “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child over and over and just focusing on putting my foot down on the beat. It just felt like a mechanical operation at this point.
Amazingly, as if on cue, Steph showed up and I teared up again when I saw her. I told her I was in pain and she pointed at the mile marker and said it was mile 25. She said, “Eleven minutes and you’re done. Eleven minutes is nothing. Dig deep.” She ran with me for a bit andthen ran ahead of me to take the photo above, which is one of my favorite pictures from the day. I love the kind of smiling/crying/groaning face that I have. Even though I’m waving to the camera, that was a really low, painful, but grateful moment. It was also the moment I realized that I still had a chance to make it in under 5 hours. So I gave it everything I had left-- and it wasn’t much.
By now the crowds had picked up and the cheering was so helpful and I just started running as fast as I could all the while saying, “Eleven minutes and I’m done.” Out of nowhere, my friend Laura who came down from New York and had run the 8K in Philly earlier jumped in and ran with me for a bit and cheered me on.
From then on I was just looking for the finish line. I ran past this cute couple who looked at me and said, “You’re half a mile away. This is everything you’ve worked so hard for, now go get it.” It was amazing. At this point I’m thinking, it’s just five more minutes, forget the time goal, just finish this up. Then a guy ran in front of me and the back of his t-shirt had a sign that said “4:59 or Bust!” I thought, right on, and stayed on his heels. I followed him through the end of the last and hardest mile I’ve ever run.
I crossed the finish line at 4:59:12. I’ve never, truly never, been more proud of myself.
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Nice Job!!!! I ran a half in Baltimore a few years ago. I can't imagine going another 13.1. It is a long term goal!!!!
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I have thought of running a marathon but never did. You have given me the inspiration to at least try. Thanks.
1/5/07 6:28 AM