Run a marathon they said. Certainly they were talking about a marathon that only lasted about a mile, right? I never was a track runner or even a casual jogger in my youth. I didn't like to run "the mile" in high school. I hated every thing about running to be honest. When I got serious about my health and changing the way I eat I needed to incorporate some form of cardio into my program if I was going to lose any weight. I ran a few fun 5k(3.2 miles) but they consisted of a walk/run method) and was always done with others never alone. In the last year I set out to do a half marathon after I did my first 10k(6.1 miles). What I loved about running was the freedom it gave me to step back from everyday life. It was "me time". No set pace, no set destination. I followed a pretty good program of running 3-4 tea a week. In September of 2013 I ran my first half marathon with my husband in Saint Cloud MN. What a huge sense of accomplishment that was! I knew after that I was hooked. I had become one of "those" people. I definitely don't do it for time. I am as slow as a turtle. I love seeing the scenery around me when I run and I do it to feel in touch with my mind/soul. I then signed up for another half marathon just a month later! By this time, I knew I wanted more. I wanted to do what most people aren't able to. To run a full 26.2 marathon! Choosing one was difficult because there were so many I would love to do. With being from MN I decided to run the grandmas marathon in Duluth in June of 2014. I was in for a life changing awakening!!!
My body has never had to do these types of demands that the runs called for. dedication is key here. Every single weekend you run a long distance and shorter ones a couple times a week. All free time pretty much was spent running. Loved it at first. You train hard for 4 months and so by the end of it I was getting pretty burnt out. Just wanted to spend more time with my family!! I dreaded the runs by the time the weekend came. I had the opposite mindset of most people. I couldn't wait until Monday morning- no running! I know something needed to change. I needed positive vibes and no longer want to dread running. I needed to find my love for it again.
I am trying so hard to balance my love for food into my training schedule I didn't use to eat as much as I do now but with burning so many calories I literally eat everything in sight! I eat probably every hour of the day from bananas to cereal to protein snacks. I use the bathroom about every half hour due to the amount of water I drink everyday. When I get into how my 20 mile run went it was super scary at the amount I drank and didn't use the bathroom the entire run!! My family was not over weight but we definitely didn't educate ourselves on what goes into our bodies.running made me feel free. It gives me a sense of control and keeps me satisfied. I put my running schedule into my phone calendar and looked at it and just wanted to cry. It was going to be a LONG 4 months of dedication. Some of the runs were great, but a lot of them turned out to be a lot of complaining on my part. I was stuck inside on a tredmill for more than half the training so that really took a toll on me mentally! Confined In a little room in my basement for over an hour most days. On the days I got to actually run outside, it went wonderful. I don't know why, but my first 3-4 miles always are a little rough for me but once I pass that my body finally gets in the groove. I remember when we first started I had to run a couple of longer runs (8 or more miles) alone. I would have to run on either of the two highways outside our town. The route was beginning to bore me. I was thinking so many negative thoughts about running so I knew I needed a change of some sort. Once I started focusing exactly what I loved about running and how it made me feel afterwards things started to turn around. I looked forward to it and really took in my surroundings. With the marathon fast approaching, I had to decide which shoes I would be wearing. I decided to go with my new balance over the asics I originally thought I would wear. I tried out different sports gels, beans,etc. The jelly beans were great but so hard to chew. I tried the Gatorade gu for my 20 miler and with it being 80+ degrees and running over 3 hours I thought I would be ok taking one every 4-5 miles. It didn't work for me. It was almost as if I was dehydrated or something because I hadn't had to use the bathroom the entire 4 hour run. Not good!! By the end of my 20 mile run I was so mentally and physically exhausted I was beginning to get scared for the upcoming marathon! How could I possibly run 6.2 more miles? The 20 mile run was more than my body could handle. I was getting so worried that my training would fail me. The training program I used has you running no more than 20 miles as your longest run two weeks before the date. After that, the runs were so short for the next two weeks! It was heaven not going so far, but it did feel really weird to have so much more time on my hands. I ran my last run a couple days before I left for Duluth which consisted of 4 miles. I left two days before the race for the hotel and to get there early. My husband and I wanted to see the course so we drove the whole thing to see what exactly we signed up for! There were only a couple of rolling hills which was ok because the gradual increase isn't too bad. There was a spot everyone talked about around mile 22 which was a bit of an incline. The morning of the marathon we woke up around 5am and the shuttle to the starting line left at 6. Once we arrived we were amazed at the group of runners. There was over 10,000! We dropped our gear bag off and headed to the bathrooms. There was about 200 porta potties on site which every single one of them had a line. I threw up in my mouth from the god awful smell. We didn't even really have time to stretch just a few mins in line so I was a little worried at how the run would go. I said a quick prayer and started up my playlist on the iPod. This was it! We were really doing it! The temperature that morning was about 43 degrees with a little mist and wind. We purchased some disposable gloves and a long sleeve shirt to toss on the side of the road if need be due to the cold. At about one mile in, I tossed my gloves and shirt as I was starting to warm up. I pushed all negative thoughts out of my mind.time to find my inner peace and strength. They had huge yellow balloons to represent each mile marker. The miles started to fly by. Around 5 miles it started to get so incredibly cold. I wished I didn't throw out my shirt and gloves. The signs on side of the road read "risk of hypothermia". Great. I was out on the open road in a tank top and shorts with no hat or gloves to keep me warm. I was so desperate to find any warmth that I picked up some random red shirt I found on the side of the road from a previous runner.i will never forget that moment. That red shirt saved me. I wrapped it around my wrist to keep the blood flowing to prevent my hands from freezing! I would play a mind game, I would switch the shirt from one hand to the other at every mile marker. I wanted to stop at a couple mile markers to grab a picture to show how my body was feeling. The course was really organized with bathroom stops and bars for energy and water. Once we got to the half way point, I was still feeling amazing and thought to myself wow only half a marathon left! I stopped to take a picture at the 19 mile mark and was feeling great! There was a reason behind not pushing more than 20 miles during training runs because at that point your body begins to break down. I had no clue as to what that would feel like. Only two miles later at mile 21 I thought I was having an out of body experience. I wanted to stop so bad and just walk the rest of the way. I remember telling my husband I wanted to take a 2 by 4 to my head. That pain would be better than what I was feeling at the moment. It's amazing what the difference is between 20 miles and 21 miles. I had to stop a few times and walk the pain away. I wasn't even thinking of the end. I was taking this mile by mile. When I got to 22 miles I literally had to concentrate on every half mile to try to get there. It should be easier than giving birth but I would easily give birth again than to feel this pain. I just wanted to be done in the worst possible way. I dedicated a mile to someone in my family to help me push through it. I told myself the last mile would be soley for myself. I earned this. I remember asking for encouraging words from my husband and he kept saying the same thing (I asked him to say something else because he kept repeating the same thing!) "you got this were almost there". Lie! We had two miles left. I was spent. I had to really dig deep within me to find whatever energy I could possibly have left. When we got to 25 miles it was like a weight had been lifted. Last mile! Time to show everyone including myself the training and hard work I went through. I didn't walk at all that last mile. I actually didn't feel I needed to I was feeling great even though my pace was easily a fast walkers speed. When we came up to the chute at the finish line it was such an incredible rush of emotions! I did this all on my own! I smiled to the camera and received my medal and shirt that I earned.my dad was waiting at the finish line for us with his camera to capture the moment. I was so lucky to have him there to watch. I immediately started thinking how I couldn't wait to do another one! It is like giving birth, the pain is easily forgotten once the experience is over. A couple of years ago I had to desire to even run a mile. If I can do a marathon I truely believe if someone puts their mind to it they can do it. I Am living proof of that!
