Ogden Marathon

Kelli, Me, Lisa and Tana-Waiting at the Start

Kelli, Me, and Lisa-Just before the gun

I love to run marathons.  I hate to run marathons.  There is no way I can run 26.2 miles!  I actually can run 26.2 miles.  It's really easy.  It's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.  I'm looking forward to my next marathon.  There is no way I'll ever run another again!

I'm actually not sure how I feel about any of these statements.  For a few seconds, all of them are true.

I ran the Ogden Marathon (my third) with Lisa last Saturday.  Is it permissible to say, "I had a fantastic time.  It was really, really hard," in the same sentence?  The fact that we even made it to the starting line feels like such an accomplishment in its own right.  Lisa had never run more than 16 miles outside and flat out missed the 20 miler.  I am struggling with a horrible case of plantar fasciitis.  Dear JaNae didn't even make it to the start line with what is now determined to be a pelvic stress fracture.  I taped my arch and hoped for the best.

After a week of literal non-stop rain, the clouds parted at 7 a.m. on Saturday and revealed mountain capped peaks and green hills rolling down to a swollen river.  The course was beautiful.  We ran along side the Ogden River which had overflowed its banks in some parts.  It was such a pastoral setting.  The first thirteen miles flew by.  We'd heard the biggest mistake people make in this marathon is that they start off too fast on the early downhills.  We paced ourselves and saved something for the hills after mile thirteen.  We followed the 4:30 pace group out of the half marathon point.

For awhile we felt great.  We ran up the big hill at 15.5 and chatted with the pace leader all the while.  Then  ever so slowly the pace group left our station.  We ran a bit behind.  We could still see them.  Then the red and white balloons became farther and farther away, and drifted over the horizon.   There was a steady climb until mile 18.  We became slower and slower. I had a feeling of, "If I can just run a bit slower for a moment to catch my breath, then I'll catch up to them." Neither of us had much energy to push the pace.  We soldiered on.

I can honestly say I felt really good until about mile 20.  It was difficult, but doable.  It was downhill for a bit after we crossed the top of the dam.  However, even though there was only six miles to the finish, mentally it felt like another 20.  My stomach started to hurt.  I threw up in my mouth at 21.5.  (Gross, but true).  We walked through water stops until 24.  Lisa kept talking to me.  I don't know that I had really hit any kind of wall, but I just couldn't respond to her.  I was just too tired to talk.  I felt like couldn't put a coherent thought together.  My plan was to, in the last difficult miles, to think about all the people that would like to run but can't.  But I couldn't think of anything!  My mind was a blank slate.

At this point the race was mile by mile.  We just wanted to finish!  We ran through the 25 mile water stop.  A few minutes later someone yelled that this was the last corner we'd turn to the finish.  We could see the finish line WAY OFF in the distance.  Then someone yelled, "ONLY FIVE BLOCKS TO THE FINISH!"  I don't know who designed those city blocks, but it obviously wasn't a marathoner.  We ran stop light to stop light.  I kept feeling like I was sprinting, but looked at my watch and it was only a 10:45 or so mile....not fast!

I would have stopped to walk.  Even in the last five blocks.  Even with the finish line in sight.  But Lisa kept me going.  She kept shouting, "We're almost there!  Keep running!"  And we did.  Four hours, forty -four minutes and twenty three seconds, and 26.2 miles (actually 26.44 according to my watch!) we crossed the finish  line.  Elated!!  Exhausted!!

We wandered through the finishers area in a daze.  The comic moment for both of us was trying to cross the street in traffic to get back to the car, we walked like little old women.  And we couldn't stop laughing as we hoisted our legs into her Jeep.  We barely cleared the running board.

It was so fun.  I love running with friends, especially Lisa.  I can't believe that I can actually train my body to run that distance and live to tell about it.  I'm sure there will be another in my future...just not any time soon!

26.2 Miles and 4:43:23 later!

We are done!!!!