Finally!

The hardest run of my life was worth every minute of pain that I felt because the glory at the end was that sweet. 

26.2 miles is no joke. It’s amazing to me how many people can run it successfully, and fast! Way faster than I did! But for me, the marathon was not about speed.  It was about achieving my goal, no matter how long it took.  And it took a long time.  5 hours and 4 minutes to be exact.  There was a bathroom break in there but still it was about 5 hours of running!  There were times when it was easy, and times of pure agony.  There were times when I thought I could run forever and times where I could hardly take another step.  However, one feeling that was not present at all throughout the run was defeat or the idea of quitting.  I knew no matter what, running, walking, or even crawling, I was going to cross that finish line. I ended up doing it by running (my preferred method) and it was an amazing feeling.  I ran the entire race with my friend Marion, who I met from Team Philly.  During training, we ran together on many long runs and it only made sense to run together during the actual race.  On race day, she kept me thinking positive and vice versa. We were a good team and at the end, we held our hands high while crossing the finish, together. It was an unforgettable moment for us! Emotional too. I am both happy and proud to have shared my first marathon experience with her. 

At about 20 miles in Manyunk! I was feelin the pain

!

The Pain: There was pain. For me it was foot and ankle pain and lots of it.  -Especially the last six miles, my feet were very sore. But I didn’t stop. I think the experience of being in that kind of pain and pushing through will be key in the future when I encounter something challenging in my life.  I will also say that the pain I felt hours later when trying to walk up stairs was actually much worse than pain during the race! (One day after I felt much better though.)

 The Stomach: Well I have heard stories about people who unfortunately don’t make it to the bathroom before something really gross and embarrassing happens and I am happy to say this did not happen to me.  I had some stomach pains during my run but I think it was more from nerves than anything else.  I am glad to walk away from this marathon having not experienced anything like the above!

The People:

THANK GOODNESS FOR THE PEOPLE!  I never realized how important cheering could be!  Not only was it a distraction from the pain or thinking about how much further there was in the race but it was truly motivating also.  All the runners had their name on their bib # and this was great because people can then cheer for you by name. Every time I heard “GO Sharon” it made me smile and reminded me that I was going to finish. The times when there were no crowds were probably the toughest parts of the race because it was quiet, and there was only time to think about the distance that was still ahead. 

~So thank you to all that came out and cheered- your words got people across that finish line!  Special thanks to my husband, family, and my friends that came to the race!  It meant so much to me to see your faces during the run. (And after when we celebrated!) 

The texting/emails:

Thank you to all of my friends and family who texted or ‘Facebooked’ supporting words! I never realized how meaningful it could be to be remembered and encouraged. I thought about all of you during the race and could feel the good luck vibes with each completed mile.

The Family:

A special thanks to my Mom, Don, and sister Lisa for coming and cheering me on! Knowing I would see you at the end kept me going. I am very thankful to have you all in my life. Love you guys!

The Blog:

When I started the blog, part of me thought it was silly because like I said in the beginning, many people run marathons and do it much faster than I did.  So what makes me so special?  But I am so glad I decided to write.  It really did help keep me accountable for my daily and weekly runs, as well as have an outlet for nervous thoughts about the marathon.  By putting myself out there, I got so much in return and realized I had support in many different places.

Many friends from work seemed to read and were very encouraging.  A simple, “how’s your training going?” meant the world to me!  I am very lucky to work with such supportive people!

I also found out people that I didn’t even know were reading, took an interest in the blog. ~Thank you to my friend Dana who sent me a very uplifting card. I was unaware that she was keeping up with my blog so the card was a wonderful surprise! It was very thoughtful and meant a lot to me.

The Husband: Not only has this been a long road for me but it’s been a lot for my husband too.  He has been my #1 supporter from the start and I am not sure what I would have done without his help! Words cannot express how thankful I am and how lucky I feel to have him in my life.  He is a special person and he deserves a medal for putting up with me some days! He is a man of few words but I know he is super proud of me.  And If I run another one, he will be right there ready to support me again (Don’t worry hon, if I do another one, it won’t be for a while!) I also think he is happy the marathon is over. J

The Team:

Not sure if anyone from Team Philly will ever read this and that is ok. I just wanted to write in here that being part of a running group was key in training and completing my first marathon.  Joining the group was one of the smartest decisions I made during the training process.  If anyone is thinking about trying a marathon for the first time, you should definitely check them out! (They are on Facebook)

Thanks Team Philly!

About to cross the finish!

The Newest Marathon Runner!

I grew up being pretty competitive with myself and with others.  As an adult, I still saw this quality in me and it scared me a bit.  And then I found running.  I used to despise running but maybe that is because I never really understood it.  I always thought running was just something you did to get in shape for the real sport you were going to play.  Then one day about 3 years or so ago, I started to not feel so good about myself physically and figured I better start doing something to keep in shape… So I started to run. I started with .5 miles around my block and I was huffing and puffing after that run.  Of course, it was December so it was cold too! I was frustrated and a little annoyed that I couldn’t go further but I kept at it. Each day I tried to do a little more and before I knew it, I had run a mile. And then 2, and so on.  I noticed something else too, I always felt good after a run. I felt relaxed and almost euphoric.  Who wouldn’t like that?

As my confidence and distance increased, I decided I could run a race, so I signed up for the Out and Back run, a 4 mile run, in Philly.  It was my first race and I did great. I have to admit when people passed me, I got a little annoyed and I felt that competitive side come out, but that was ok because it kept me going. But I wasn’t trying to win the race; I was just trying to be the best runner I could be. I realized that winning in running is much different than any other sport I have experienced. After the 4 miler, I entered more races, set goals for myself – sometimes achieving them and sometimes not, but always in the end I could say, I went out and tried my best, therefore, I win.

During my training there definitely were days when the last thing I wanted to do was run, but afterwards, I always felt better. Whatever worries I felt pre-run, had vanished. Every time I checked off a day of running or mileage completion, a sense of pride flowed through me.  The weekend of the marathon I sure was nervous but not once did I think I wouldn’t finish or that I couldn’t complete this challenge.  I trained and was prepared. I was ready!!

Now that the race has been completed, I feel the pride flowing through me again. I am sore and I am tired but I am smiling all over. It took a long time to get here but I am very happy to say that I did it and it was worth all the time and effort. 

I ran 26.2 miles!

~Thanks for sticking with me, from start to finish~

It's only a matter of time

Today is exactly one week until the marathon.

     I have been training for over 16 weeks. When I started this journey, the weather was unkind, I was running alone with only my ipod to keep me company and really didn't have a clue what I would be in for.   All I thought was, I can do this, this will be a new challenge and what better time than now!


So I ran,
a lot.    

I joined a group and met others tackling the Philly Marathon and entered a new mile zone almost every weekend.  I faced fears of runs in the high teens and also the dreaded 20 miler! I ran during the week, in the rain, and in cold.  I bought a hydration belt, body glide, and ate clif shots and gels for that energy boost I needed! I met up with friends to run (thank you - you know who you are!). 

Having people to run with made some of the monotony during the weeks dissipate and it also gave me a chance to catch up with old friends and perhaps make new friendships as well.  The ipod was used less and instead I started noticing all of gorgeous sights around me - from corn fields, farms with sheep talking to us, and grassy green hills to the streets and sounds of Philadelphia, I took it all in.  I watched as the seasons changed and the fall colors emerge into amazing golden browns and ruby reds.  I remembered to breathe and enjoyed the moments.  I reminded myself often of how lucky I am to be able to run and be outside amongst the beauty and to witness nature changing as I was changing as well. 

On the outside my muscles got stronger and my body became lean.  My clothes appeared a bit looser and I enjoyed it.  On the inside I began to feel more confident, realized my strong will and my dedication to my commitment.  Even though there were definite times of struggle, frustration, and extreme tiredness,  I always remembered my goal and reminded myself that pain and suffering are going to make success feel that much sweeter.

At this point, I don't know that there is much more to say.  I have had many entries that talked about the amazing runs and the difficult ones.  I also shared about my fears, the challenges, the hills, the heat, the soreness, and the gratitude.  I thank all of you who have read, encouraged, ran with me, talked with me, and asked how training was going.  It all helped me stick with it! 

On race day, I am going to be nervous, the jitters are going to be insane, but I know I am ready for the 26.2.   Once I get to the start, the worries ( I hope) will fly away with the first step I take.  I can't wait to experience it,  from start to finish!


 ***

When I was in Rehoboth on vacation back in August, I went for a walk on the beach and took my music with me.  I remember it was after my 10 mile training run which ended up being very difficult for me.   It was hot, I struggled with each step and my mind tended to stay in the negative zone...

As I walked along the Delaware beach, I looked out into the ocean and at the crashing waves as Jason Mraz's - Song for a Friend came on.   As he sang, it was that moment that I knew this challenge was only as tough as I would make it out to be.  Only I had to power to over come my negative mind, keep up with the training, stay strong and push.  

And that's exactly what I did!!

Climb up over the top.
Survey the state of the soul.
You've got to find out for yourself whether or not you're truly trying.
Why not give it a shot?
Shake it. Take control and inevitably wind up
Find out for yourself all the strengths you have inside of you. 

(oddly enough -this song was introduced to me by a friend- Thanks Col! )