1st marathon next weekend-Eek!
- Thread starter spyrosmom
- Start date
spyrosmom
Cathlete
I survived!!! Instead of retyping, I'm copying from my FB post. The tattoo guy couldn't get me in today, so I go Sat afternoon. My official time was 5:38:09, I was hoping for 5 even, but it was warm out and I got discouraged. But, here's the post.......
My 1st marathon.
Wait, did I say 1st? I meant only. Really, I did!!!!
Hmmmm....... Love/hate/love/hate/love/
The trip up to Chicago was fast, surprisingly so. Very little traffic. Took about an hour to get there. The parking at the Expo was approximately 1000 miles away from the part of McCormick Place the Expo was in. Up and down and up down the escalators we went, but followed the herd and found it. Picked up my stuff, which was quick and easy, then wandered around the expo. Ate some frozen Kefir which was quite yummy (why doesn't my store carry plain anymore???), bought a skull head headband, and found my name on the Nike wall. YAY!!! Schlepped 1000 miles back to the car, validated my parking, and left.
Then headed off to the hotel. Yeah, it took 45 mins to drive 3 miles. That was the kind of traffic I'd expected on the way in. Gave the valet the keys to my car, and hoped I'd see her again someday. Checked in and was denied a late check-out, but everyone was. I wanted Lou's or Geno's for dinner, but they were a little far a way, so we ended up at a place the concierge recommend - Bella Bucino, I think. Pizza and salad - yummy! Then wandered back to the hotel to chill, but popped in a Corner Bakery to get snacks for later. They messed up the order, but still gave us good stuff.
Watched TV, read, tried on the hotel robes, hung out in the wonderful shower for a while, and then.....couldn't sleep. Arrrrrrrrrgggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! A quiet, also not sleeping husband next to me, but a tossing and turning and then sniffling kid in the next bed over. He was driving me crazy. Picked up my pillow, the extra blanket, and went into the bathroom and closed the door. Yes, I slept on the freakin' bathroom floor!! Woke up and it seemed quiet, so then I crawled back into bed, but I really don't know what time it was. Then just kinda dozed in and out all night.
EDIT - fireworks, I forgot there were fireworks! Just after 9pm we heard *boom* *boom* and looked out the window and there was a fireworks show over the lake! We had free fireworks from our window - score! And it was a nice show, too.
5:00 wake up call - ugh! But I wasn't sleeping anyway, so I don't suppose it really mattered. Ate some oatmeal at the hotel, packed our stuff, checked it with the bell desk, and checked out. Wander out into the still dark night 5:30 am is still night! And headed off to the race. The hotel was probably less then a mile from the start, so it wasn't so bad. Just followed everyone else.
Mark and Benjamin couldn't go in, so they gave me some good lucks, and I wandered in on my own. Hit the potty line, then into the start corral to wait. Where, about 10 mins before race start, I decided I had to pee again. Shoot! Was just going to have to deal with it. Once the race started, it took about 17 mins to cross the start line, I had put myself at the front of the 11/m mile start. I had hoped for a 5 hour finish.
Had to stop and pee at about the 3 mile mark, it was the first potties I saw. I didn't want to stop, but I didn't want to hold it for another 23 miles, either. I wasted about 5 mins there. Why do women take so long? Really? What the hell are you doing?!?!??!?!?
The 1st five miles was nice, just scooting along listening to the crowd and the bands and whatnot. Drinking at the all water stops. Alternating water and Gatorade. Gatorade is kind of nauseating. Had my Fig Newtons with me, and ate 2 at about mile 10, where I decided it was kind of warm, and this was really sucking. Ran/walked up to the 13.1 marker, where my time was way off.
That was when I decided to REALLY start feeling sorry for myself, and let that misery stick with me. About 15, I truly considered quitting, but how was I going to tell everyone I quit, especially with no real good reason? Plus, I'd be way upset with myself if I did quit. So I kept going. I think there were some more Newtons in there somewhere, and an Excedrin Migraine. Tylenol and caffiene - yay!! I had to, but somehow one got squished and ground into useless powder. At 18 (I'm gonna die) they had Clif shots, and I grabbed one. Glad I did, because I started to feel much better about mile 20, and decided come Hell or high water, I was going to make it. I ate part of a banana somewhere, too. I freakin' hate plain bananas!
I ran/walked from 20 to the end, but there was much more running between 20 and the end than there was between 13 and 20. About 2 miles out, Nike had their thing, and was doing the "only 2 more miles until you've run a marathon" spiel which almost made me cry. And I'm not a crier. WIMP! I got all excited to see the 800M mark and was ready to run to the end, but then someone put a hill in my way - nope, not gonna happen! So I walked the hill, and then ran to the end. And FINISHED!!! And almost got all weepy eyed again.
Collected my medal, water, Wheaties, Clif bar, preztels, and Gatorade and set off in search of my family. Passed on the beer.
Before the race, I had saved 5,10,15,20,25 mile texts into my phone to send to Mark, which I did. He send back Go, Nan, I love you and See you soon, which helped alot.
I saw a one legged runner, a blind runner(!) an a lady who seriously looked to be in her late 60s, early 70s. They helped keep me going. Chinese dragons and Elvis, too. Also a couple cavemen, Superman and Supergirl, and a lady Thor. The spectators were great - especially the homeowners with their hoses and sprinklers and ice and such. Everyone cheered for everyone!
Post race- I thought I was ok, but on the way to the hotel, we had to stop and cross the street. Stopping moving wasn't good. I thought I was going to pass out or throw up (I was the post-race bottle of Gatorade recovery) so I had to sit in the dirt for a few mins. Got back up, and the world went all sparkly and spotty, but I stayed on my feet, and made it back to the hotel. Had the same thing happen while waiting for the valet to bring Priscilla Bluebell back, so I had to sit on the floor there, too. But after that I was good, but made Mark drive home.
Salad, bread, steak, sweet potatoes and real Coke for dinner - yum! And later chocolate cake and DiSaronno. Yum!! Tomorrow is off the the tattoo shop for my marathon tattoo, hopefully they can get me in tomorrow. I'm sore now, and I can tell I will be tomorrow as well. It sucked a lot sometimes, but it was great, too. I did it!!! I don't know if I'll ever do it again though. But after my 1st HM I swore I'd never do it again, and we all know how that went
My 1st marathon.
Wait, did I say 1st? I meant only. Really, I did!!!!
Hmmmm....... Love/hate/love/hate/love/
The trip up to Chicago was fast, surprisingly so. Very little traffic. Took about an hour to get there. The parking at the Expo was approximately 1000 miles away from the part of McCormick Place the Expo was in. Up and down and up down the escalators we went, but followed the herd and found it. Picked up my stuff, which was quick and easy, then wandered around the expo. Ate some frozen Kefir which was quite yummy (why doesn't my store carry plain anymore???), bought a skull head headband, and found my name on the Nike wall. YAY!!! Schlepped 1000 miles back to the car, validated my parking, and left.
Then headed off to the hotel. Yeah, it took 45 mins to drive 3 miles. That was the kind of traffic I'd expected on the way in. Gave the valet the keys to my car, and hoped I'd see her again someday. Checked in and was denied a late check-out, but everyone was. I wanted Lou's or Geno's for dinner, but they were a little far a way, so we ended up at a place the concierge recommend - Bella Bucino, I think. Pizza and salad - yummy! Then wandered back to the hotel to chill, but popped in a Corner Bakery to get snacks for later. They messed up the order, but still gave us good stuff.
Watched TV, read, tried on the hotel robes, hung out in the wonderful shower for a while, and then.....couldn't sleep. Arrrrrrrrrgggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! A quiet, also not sleeping husband next to me, but a tossing and turning and then sniffling kid in the next bed over. He was driving me crazy. Picked up my pillow, the extra blanket, and went into the bathroom and closed the door. Yes, I slept on the freakin' bathroom floor!! Woke up and it seemed quiet, so then I crawled back into bed, but I really don't know what time it was. Then just kinda dozed in and out all night.
EDIT - fireworks, I forgot there were fireworks! Just after 9pm we heard *boom* *boom* and looked out the window and there was a fireworks show over the lake! We had free fireworks from our window - score! And it was a nice show, too.
5:00 wake up call - ugh! But I wasn't sleeping anyway, so I don't suppose it really mattered. Ate some oatmeal at the hotel, packed our stuff, checked it with the bell desk, and checked out. Wander out into the still dark night 5:30 am is still night! And headed off to the race. The hotel was probably less then a mile from the start, so it wasn't so bad. Just followed everyone else.
Mark and Benjamin couldn't go in, so they gave me some good lucks, and I wandered in on my own. Hit the potty line, then into the start corral to wait. Where, about 10 mins before race start, I decided I had to pee again. Shoot! Was just going to have to deal with it. Once the race started, it took about 17 mins to cross the start line, I had put myself at the front of the 11/m mile start. I had hoped for a 5 hour finish.
Had to stop and pee at about the 3 mile mark, it was the first potties I saw. I didn't want to stop, but I didn't want to hold it for another 23 miles, either. I wasted about 5 mins there. Why do women take so long? Really? What the hell are you doing?!?!??!?!?
The 1st five miles was nice, just scooting along listening to the crowd and the bands and whatnot. Drinking at the all water stops. Alternating water and Gatorade. Gatorade is kind of nauseating. Had my Fig Newtons with me, and ate 2 at about mile 10, where I decided it was kind of warm, and this was really sucking. Ran/walked up to the 13.1 marker, where my time was way off.
That was when I decided to REALLY start feeling sorry for myself, and let that misery stick with me. About 15, I truly considered quitting, but how was I going to tell everyone I quit, especially with no real good reason? Plus, I'd be way upset with myself if I did quit. So I kept going. I think there were some more Newtons in there somewhere, and an Excedrin Migraine. Tylenol and caffiene - yay!! I had to, but somehow one got squished and ground into useless powder. At 18 (I'm gonna die) they had Clif shots, and I grabbed one. Glad I did, because I started to feel much better about mile 20, and decided come Hell or high water, I was going to make it. I ate part of a banana somewhere, too. I freakin' hate plain bananas!
I ran/walked from 20 to the end, but there was much more running between 20 and the end than there was between 13 and 20. About 2 miles out, Nike had their thing, and was doing the "only 2 more miles until you've run a marathon" spiel which almost made me cry. And I'm not a crier. WIMP! I got all excited to see the 800M mark and was ready to run to the end, but then someone put a hill in my way - nope, not gonna happen! So I walked the hill, and then ran to the end. And FINISHED!!! And almost got all weepy eyed again.
Collected my medal, water, Wheaties, Clif bar, preztels, and Gatorade and set off in search of my family. Passed on the beer.
Before the race, I had saved 5,10,15,20,25 mile texts into my phone to send to Mark, which I did. He send back Go, Nan, I love you and See you soon, which helped alot.
I saw a one legged runner, a blind runner(!) an a lady who seriously looked to be in her late 60s, early 70s. They helped keep me going. Chinese dragons and Elvis, too. Also a couple cavemen, Superman and Supergirl, and a lady Thor. The spectators were great - especially the homeowners with their hoses and sprinklers and ice and such. Everyone cheered for everyone!
Post race- I thought I was ok, but on the way to the hotel, we had to stop and cross the street. Stopping moving wasn't good. I thought I was going to pass out or throw up (I was the post-race bottle of Gatorade recovery) so I had to sit in the dirt for a few mins. Got back up, and the world went all sparkly and spotty, but I stayed on my feet, and made it back to the hotel. Had the same thing happen while waiting for the valet to bring Priscilla Bluebell back, so I had to sit on the floor there, too. But after that I was good, but made Mark drive home.
Salad, bread, steak, sweet potatoes and real Coke for dinner - yum! And later chocolate cake and DiSaronno. Yum!! Tomorrow is off the the tattoo shop for my marathon tattoo, hopefully they can get me in tomorrow. I'm sore now, and I can tell I will be tomorrow as well. It sucked a lot sometimes, but it was great, too. I did it!!! I don't know if I'll ever do it again though. But after my 1st HM I swore I'd never do it again, and we all know how that went
DebbieH
Cathlete
OHMYGOSH! I am sooo overly impressed! Waaaay to go Nan! How neat to text your hubby along the way too...great idea! None of us would have blamed you if you quit. I am beyond amazed at people who can stick with it for anything over 8 or 10 miles!!! Thanks so much for sharing...laughed at a lot of your lil' blips!
GOOOOOOOOOOOO NAN!!!!!! YOU ROCK!!!!!!
GOOOOOOOOOOOO NAN!!!!!! YOU ROCK!!!!!!
measuredoak
Cathlete
Congrats! Great job! Loved your narrative. You did great!!! ^^^^5 to you.
thebratee1
Cathlete
Great job!!! Congratulations!!
Regina
Regina
