Half Marathon

I know, I've been a bad blogger. The half marathon was 3 days ago and I'm just getting around to blogging about it. Things have been quite busy around here at Casa del Marshmarathon! We took a vacation to Disneyworld (of which I'll also have to blog about later), holidays, training, continued planning of the wedding...and...and...I'm spent! Even as we speak, DD is coming in here to tell me that I'm supposed to go with her to the florist in about an hour to see about...well...flowers.

Back to the half marathon... I stayed in a hotel room in Houston so I wouldn't have to drive around street detours, get frustrated with parking and could just walk out of my hotel to the starting line. The hotel was very nice, but the open plan of the lobby and upper rooms was very noisy acoustically, and I didn't sleep very well.

The day of the race, there were so. many. people. It was crazy! We filled the George R. Brown convention center! We filled the streets. The energy was contagious. So many bodies ready to push the limits! We hear the starting cannon and cheer! It took me 20 minutes just to reach the starting line there were so many of us!

Miles 0-5 I felt great! The air was chilly but invigorating. I got to see the sunrise from an overpass over Houston. My legs felt strong and I only walked up a couple of inclines. I didn't make the mistake of starting out too fast. My pace was steady. I smiled at the camera, I took in my surroundings, I waved to folks on the side of the road waving and cheering us on. I took it all in and absorbed the experience of it. I felt very zen.

Mile 6-9 - okay, a bit of a challenge here. Focusing on breathing, walking through all water stops, and inclines. Legs starting to burn and not wanting to cooperate as much. Downed a gu pack (should be called "ew" pack) some water and some sport beans which does help. More people on the side of the road cheering now.

Mile 10-11 - Wait, what mile marker did I just pass? What's my name? Thankfully there are even more people and entertainment to distract the runners. Elvis impersonators, funny signs, cheerleaders, rock bands, balloons, noisemakers...much needed distractions from my own body's protests. Feet feeling the pounding. Walking a bit more now. See the 12 mile sign. Start to cry...wait...crying takes more air...STOP CRYING! Okay, crying over. THERE'S NO CRYING IN RUNNING!

Mile 12-13 - running through downtown again, lots of people. Can't think in complete sentences anymore. Focused. Can't even hear my headphones - take them off. Can't feel my feet. Hoping my foot shaped stumps can carry me across the finish line. See the finish line banner. Almost start crying again. Remember it takes more air and stop. Pumping arms to make my body go. Finish! Right after finishing I hear my name called from the sidelines. I see my daughter's face and we hug through a separation in the fence. I am crying now, so glad she came for me!

I am so glad I did this race. Do I want to do another? You betcha! Pain is addicting!!!

Running Hurts Every Time...That's Why it Works

God must have a brain chemical devoted to pain amnesia. You know the one. The one that makes women partially forget what labor felt like? Well, he has an even more powerful one for runners.

The next day, we forget that running is uncomfortable. THE NEXT DAY! Something always hurts, taking breaths is a struggle, making the limbs obey is a struggle. We pant and gasp and walk like zombies back to our cars where we guzzle water. We get home and ice our knees or calves and moan. We sleep. Then, like the Etch-A-Sketch-for-brains we are we think "wow, the weather is great for running today". What sane person does this? (I say with an air of incredulity as if I AM sane)

The constant tearing down is what builds us up. Such an imitation of life, no? I need to write this so I can read it later for when my logical brain tries to tell me that running is too hard and I should stop.

The half marathon is in January. (insert panic attack here). I just need to finish... before the cripple cart comes and scrapes the rest of us off the pavement.

Post Race Signup High

I was up until 1:30am this morning so I could sign up for the Aramco Houston Half Marathon. I WOULD have been able to sign up at 12:01 am like the website said, but do you think that a million and one people were also trying to access the site at 12:01am having a seizure on the refresh button just as I was? Do you think the website crashed quite a bit even in mid registration? Do you think that the powers that be could have anticipated the frenzy? Really? Like, maybe they could have used something besides a Commodore 64? At 2pm today, 13,200 people are signed up for one of the races. This is going to sell out fast.

After springing out of bed at the crack of 9:45 and doing some fiddle-fart things around the house, I decided I wanted to go for a run outside. It was 12 noon. I haz teh dumbz. Knowing it would be a craptastic run, I went anyway in true stubborn fashion fueled by the high of signing up for a major race that I'm a little bit skeerd of. I don't know what I pulled outta my butt, but I ran 2 full miles at 12 noon in Texas in almost full sun. Three days ago I felt like I could barely make 2 miles on an indoor dreadmill! The body is a mysterious thing, but I think mine should be named Sybil.

I thought more about why I'm running and have come to this conclusion: I have to find my identity apart from being someone's mom or someone's nurse. My child rearing days are coming to a close and I'm feeling the vacuum start to pull at me. What is my life about now? Working and making money to pad my death bed in old age? Yay. fun. I guess this is why people have mid life crises, although I don't think I've quite hit my midpoint. I'm just getting a head start.