I DID IT!!! FIRST MARATHON!!! It has been quite a nervous time going up to this day. Last year I had signed up for the Ogden Marathon but couldn't do it due to injury. Ever since then everything i have been doing has been with the end (Marathon) in mind. It feels good to have finished this race. I got up at 2 am and took a shower so I could be nice and clean to get hot and sweaty. I drank some water and ate a banana as well. I then applied my brand new nipple protectors and was pretty excited about it. I put on my new socks that my amazing fiance gave me (I had retardedly put them on the wrong feet). I then put on my New Balance 890's. They felt good but I was nervous about how they would do. They only had a total of 4 miles. BB and I left her house at about 3:00 am to go catch the bus. We went to the Smith's nearby to use the restroom. The bus ride was nice and long and we began to think that this course wasn't as super downhill as we thought. We also choked down our Clif Bars. They were gross for some reason. Took me about 10 mins to eat it. Once at the top we joined the crowds of runners invading the quaint streets of Heber. We made our way to the bathroom and then to the fire pit. An hour before the race I took 4 Sport Legs capsules. We then went to the bathroom again and got ready to race. I took a salt stick and downed a Power Gel, then gave my bag to the yellow truck. I was ready! The gun went off and we were going. It seemed unreal to be starting my first marathon. I ended up running with a couple of people for a few miles. One guy was running in Vibram 5 fingers. I thought he was crazy but he was running at a good pace. I was feeling some pain in the ball of my left foot and that worried me but luckily the pain went away. I took salt stick capsules every 30 minutes and made sure of it. I also took a pack of GU at each aid station they had one. I wish I had grabbed one more at the last one. I could have used it. For the first 12 miles I didn't feel anything in my Achilles. I did start to feel some tightness after that. At about 15 miles I took 400 mgs of Ibuprofin. That may have negatively affected my fitness but I was willing to take that if it meant less pain. My legs started to get pretty fatigued at about mile 18-20. I kind of wanted to cry knowing how much I had left to run. I did have to take a bathroom break as well at mile 12. Getting out of the canyon brought more desire to cry. My legs were kinda shot. I just did not want to finish this race walking or at a super slow pace. I was walking at each aid station. I was also downing a lot of water and powerade. I probably could have drank a lot more and probably should have. At about mile 24-25 you could already see the finish line and I figured out that it was mobile. It just kept moving further and further away as a I ran. Everything was dead. My body was gone. I was giving it everything I had to get to that finish line. My hands started to tingle and I really don't remember any of the finish chute at all. I remember stumbling through the finish line and seeing my fiance Becca there. She kept me from collapsing and passing out. She brought me to the medical tent. On the way I grabbed some smoothie king and downed it in a microsecond. Lying on a cot I drank a cup of powerade and a cup of water. My body began to sweat a ton all over. Guess maybe I was a bit dehydrated. I went to the grass and sat there for a while while Becca got the bags. She came back and sat down next to me. I leaned into her and actually cried a bit. I didn't really even know why. Perhaps it was the accomplishment of a goal that I have been working toward for over a year. Perhaps it was the support and love I was getting from Becca in my weakened state... Perhaps I was just out of it. I rarely get emotional but I did this day and I am not ashamed to admit it. Becca just explained how there is something about the marathon that brings out those emotions. It's really quite amazing. Anyways, I was done. I could barely walk. "The Pain You Enjoy" It felt amazing to finally finish a marathon. I hope to be able to do my next one soon! It gave me a much greater appreciation for marathon runners and what they can push through. Becca has done 16! Holy poop! That is a lot of pain to me. Amazing experience! :) I also found out later that the new Boston times didn't apply yet so I got a cool Boston Qualifier shirt! Thanks to my lovely fiance for taking care of me after crossing the finish line. It was good to see her pretty little face at the end of much pain. My Garmin read 3:06:04 with an AP of 7:03. It also read 26.37 miles Splits: 7:18, 6:41, 6:44, 6:48, 6:57, 6:53, 6:57, 7:18, 7:12, 6:50, 6:43, 7:06, 7:30, 6:43, 6:36, 7:02, 7:01, 6:52, 6:45, 7:06, 6:50, 7:13, 7:15, 8:08 (ouch), 7:31, 7:09
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