Imafitnessfreak
Cathlete
The marathon started at 6 a.m. so it was still dark outside. The start was so cramped that you couldn’t raise your arms to scratch an itch. Once the cannon fired, everything spread out very quickly. I wouldn’t even say that I was “locked in”, however, I did start close to the front and it only took 40 seconds before I crossed the “Start”. Some of my friends, it took 5 minutes and they were stuck behind walkers!
The first few miles were typical warm-up miles as I made my way across the Ohio River, through a few Kentucky towns, then back across the Ohio River into downtown Cincinnati. That burned off only 4 miles in 34 minutes, I was happy with the time but sad I did not see my family downtown…but it was so crowded! I feel warmed up and ready to go. I was heading towards the mouth of the “Beast” the 3 mile climb, the part of the course that had everyone’s hands shaking…except mine! I worked those hills countless times! They came and went just as I expected…with no problems. My goal was to “take them”, but not hard, as I usually do! I wanted to conserve my energy.
Now I am excited because I have been seeing the pace group for the 3:40 group, I can see their balloons and they are getting closer. Also, I am heading towards the spot where my Mom and brother said they would be waiting for me. By mile 10, I gently pass the 3:40 balloons. I know they are behind me and not far. If I can keep them behind me, then I had will have the ultimate best run ever. I am thrilled…3:40 is behind me…and so are the worst of the hills! Oh…but now I am bummed…I don’t see my mom and brother! The next spot where my husband, kids and more family is not for another 6 miles and how do I even know they will be there?? I haven’t seen anyone since the “Start”! Did they get arrested or something??
The road is closed on the right side for runners. Other side is traffic. I hear a lot of honking and see my brother in his car, heading towards the place they wee supposed to be. He is hanging outside the car window while my mother steers the car. He is screaming for me like the lunatics we all are and saying “Remember your plan” (per my request”. I am happier now. Hills behind me, 3:40 behind me and I saw my brother. All the runners around me are these ultra fit people and it makes me feel good to be in that mix. The course has been rows and rows of spectators and I am hearing “Go Sarah, Great job Sarah, looking strong Sarah, keep it up Sarah” all along the way. I am so glad I put my name on my shirt!
I am ready to make my way to the ½ way point. A few more hills and then it is time for a decline in elevation. I pass the half at 1:50:15. That is fine. My quads are starting to feel tired, like they are getting sore. This surprises me because the only time this happens is after I have taken a long running break, like after returning to running after my 7 weeks off from the stress fracture. Usually, my glutes start to burn and I feel it in my thut and that starts in around mile 15.
A few more miles and I hit mile 15 where I see my husband, kids, niece MIL, FIL and step dad. That was nice to see but unfortunately, it comes and goes so fast. I am making my way towards a hard stretch of highway, hard because it is “the wall” miles (which I refuse to acknowledge it even exists) and 1.25 miles of concrete. I can feel the 3:40 balloons gaining on me. I hear more honking from a passing car. It is my van with my husband, kids and my step dad hanging out the window screaming for me. They are heading downtown to watch me finish.
I am feeling it hard in my legs and think keeping the 3:40 balloons behind me just isn’t possible. I am at mile 18 or so when I hear the loudest thud ever…the sound of someone’s body hitting the concrete without any warning. That really sucks, I feel so bad for the person and at this point I can see, and feel how it could happen. I can feel it in my own body, even though I have been using gels and Gatorade the entire race. I do not want to be next. I know it can happen and I don’t want to be next. I can keep pushing but I know if I do, I probably will not finish. I want to finish. I decide to listen to my body and ease up. Mile 20 comes and I am right next to the guy holding the 3:40 balloons. By mile 21, they are slightly ahead of me. I do not care, I have to listen to my body is I want this to be a wonderful experience.
Suddenly, I feel the most excruciating explosion in my right shoe. It feels like the entire tip of my toe just literally exploded! Like it just burst like a water balloon! What the heck? “Keep going, you are not stopping for a toe thing”. I keep going. Now the mental comes into play. My body is exhausted but all I can think of is “I am running a marathon”!! Every now and then, a negative thought would come in and I squashed it so fast. The one thought “this is hard”…”No it’s not, I am so strong, everyone keeps telling me I run like I have done this before, and after today, after the next 5 miles, it will be the truth! Everyone in the training group tells me how fit I am and it is the truth. I am a bad ass!” I am actually extremely proud of how I handled the mental aspect of this marathon.
Mile 22, I see Patti, one of my favorite coaches. She tells me how great I look, like I have not been sweating at all. We talk a bit, I ask her to check my shoe for a bloody mess because I don’t want to look down, looking down screws up my form. She says I am fine, feeds me a few Tylenol, takes my picture, tells me I don’t need her help so she is going back to help teammates who are not doing as well as I am. Oh, if my body could talk!! But it’s can’t, I am doing the speaking and I have worked so hard on the mental training, all I can say is “I feel great! I feel really great”! It feels like my form is atrocious and I am moving at a 12:00 mile but I don’t care, I am about to finish my first marathon!
At this point, I am out of water…that’s o.k., water stops at every mile. I decide to walk the next few water stops to relieve some of the lactic acid build up. That helps! Mile 23, I see another coach, Joe Fung. He runs with me after I walk my water stop. I tell him my quads are burning and it is pissing me off. He tells me “That will happen” and I cannot help but laugh to myself. Of course it happens…I am at Mile 23 of a marathon! I tell him I am doing great and he says he is going back to help some one who needs it.
Mile 24. I see another coach, Red Dog Martin wearing a goofy pig hat with flapping wings. He takes my picture and gives me a high five. He ran the ½ and is injured, so he cannot run with me.
Mile 25.2…I see the head coach, Joe Brinkmann. He has been pulling my reins due to my early stress fracture for 2 months. I don’t know what he is going to say to me. He takes my picture and starts running with me. I tell him I am feeling great. He tells me I am doing awesome and seems genuinely enthused. We talk a bit and he tells me I am at the home stretch. One more mile!
Last mile…the spectator crowd is super thick as I re-enter downtown. I have one final hill and it feels more difficult than ever, but one foot in front of the other because I know for a fact, that is it for hills. I’m at the top and the crowd is just nuts! Old Spice has a bunch of pretty girls handing us towels. I grab one because I am a souvenir junkie and I love free stuff! I am downtown and I have ½ mile to go! More and more people are screaming my name and I am thinking “I am finishing my marathon, I am reaching a goal I have had for 13 years and I am doing it very well. I missed 2 month of training due to a stress fracture and yet here I am. I am doing a fantastic job, I am very strong! I am very determined and driven! I really like who I am right now!” I lift my arm in the air and start circling the towel in the air as the crowd is cheering and screaming my name. The more I circle the towel in the air, the more they cheered. I round the corner and I can see the finish. I go under the over pass of the bridge I stood on the day my husband asked me to marry him. I hear the screaming of my name is growing louder as I get closer and it is echoing under that bridge. I even hear my brother screaming my name. I put that towel back in the air and everyone screams harder! The announcer sees me and starts screaming my name, too…over the loud speaker! “Here she comes, great job Sarah, here comes Sarah down the final stretch, she is looking great.” All I can hear is from every direction is “Sarah”!!! This is the best finish of my life! This feels better than anything I have ever done! I deserve this moment! I worked and earned this moment!! I am finishing my 1st marathon! I did it! I worked hard and I did it!! I had so much help along the way, but I did it! I never gave up! I never let myself quit! It was never an option.
3:48:40
Overall Rank 969 of 4172
Class Rank 23 of 219
Sex Rank 177 of 1709
The first few miles were typical warm-up miles as I made my way across the Ohio River, through a few Kentucky towns, then back across the Ohio River into downtown Cincinnati. That burned off only 4 miles in 34 minutes, I was happy with the time but sad I did not see my family downtown…but it was so crowded! I feel warmed up and ready to go. I was heading towards the mouth of the “Beast” the 3 mile climb, the part of the course that had everyone’s hands shaking…except mine! I worked those hills countless times! They came and went just as I expected…with no problems. My goal was to “take them”, but not hard, as I usually do! I wanted to conserve my energy.
Now I am excited because I have been seeing the pace group for the 3:40 group, I can see their balloons and they are getting closer. Also, I am heading towards the spot where my Mom and brother said they would be waiting for me. By mile 10, I gently pass the 3:40 balloons. I know they are behind me and not far. If I can keep them behind me, then I had will have the ultimate best run ever. I am thrilled…3:40 is behind me…and so are the worst of the hills! Oh…but now I am bummed…I don’t see my mom and brother! The next spot where my husband, kids and more family is not for another 6 miles and how do I even know they will be there?? I haven’t seen anyone since the “Start”! Did they get arrested or something??
The road is closed on the right side for runners. Other side is traffic. I hear a lot of honking and see my brother in his car, heading towards the place they wee supposed to be. He is hanging outside the car window while my mother steers the car. He is screaming for me like the lunatics we all are and saying “Remember your plan” (per my request”. I am happier now. Hills behind me, 3:40 behind me and I saw my brother. All the runners around me are these ultra fit people and it makes me feel good to be in that mix. The course has been rows and rows of spectators and I am hearing “Go Sarah, Great job Sarah, looking strong Sarah, keep it up Sarah” all along the way. I am so glad I put my name on my shirt!
I am ready to make my way to the ½ way point. A few more hills and then it is time for a decline in elevation. I pass the half at 1:50:15. That is fine. My quads are starting to feel tired, like they are getting sore. This surprises me because the only time this happens is after I have taken a long running break, like after returning to running after my 7 weeks off from the stress fracture. Usually, my glutes start to burn and I feel it in my thut and that starts in around mile 15.
A few more miles and I hit mile 15 where I see my husband, kids, niece MIL, FIL and step dad. That was nice to see but unfortunately, it comes and goes so fast. I am making my way towards a hard stretch of highway, hard because it is “the wall” miles (which I refuse to acknowledge it even exists) and 1.25 miles of concrete. I can feel the 3:40 balloons gaining on me. I hear more honking from a passing car. It is my van with my husband, kids and my step dad hanging out the window screaming for me. They are heading downtown to watch me finish.
I am feeling it hard in my legs and think keeping the 3:40 balloons behind me just isn’t possible. I am at mile 18 or so when I hear the loudest thud ever…the sound of someone’s body hitting the concrete without any warning. That really sucks, I feel so bad for the person and at this point I can see, and feel how it could happen. I can feel it in my own body, even though I have been using gels and Gatorade the entire race. I do not want to be next. I know it can happen and I don’t want to be next. I can keep pushing but I know if I do, I probably will not finish. I want to finish. I decide to listen to my body and ease up. Mile 20 comes and I am right next to the guy holding the 3:40 balloons. By mile 21, they are slightly ahead of me. I do not care, I have to listen to my body is I want this to be a wonderful experience.
Suddenly, I feel the most excruciating explosion in my right shoe. It feels like the entire tip of my toe just literally exploded! Like it just burst like a water balloon! What the heck? “Keep going, you are not stopping for a toe thing”. I keep going. Now the mental comes into play. My body is exhausted but all I can think of is “I am running a marathon”!! Every now and then, a negative thought would come in and I squashed it so fast. The one thought “this is hard”…”No it’s not, I am so strong, everyone keeps telling me I run like I have done this before, and after today, after the next 5 miles, it will be the truth! Everyone in the training group tells me how fit I am and it is the truth. I am a bad ass!” I am actually extremely proud of how I handled the mental aspect of this marathon.
Mile 22, I see Patti, one of my favorite coaches. She tells me how great I look, like I have not been sweating at all. We talk a bit, I ask her to check my shoe for a bloody mess because I don’t want to look down, looking down screws up my form. She says I am fine, feeds me a few Tylenol, takes my picture, tells me I don’t need her help so she is going back to help teammates who are not doing as well as I am. Oh, if my body could talk!! But it’s can’t, I am doing the speaking and I have worked so hard on the mental training, all I can say is “I feel great! I feel really great”! It feels like my form is atrocious and I am moving at a 12:00 mile but I don’t care, I am about to finish my first marathon!
At this point, I am out of water…that’s o.k., water stops at every mile. I decide to walk the next few water stops to relieve some of the lactic acid build up. That helps! Mile 23, I see another coach, Joe Fung. He runs with me after I walk my water stop. I tell him my quads are burning and it is pissing me off. He tells me “That will happen” and I cannot help but laugh to myself. Of course it happens…I am at Mile 23 of a marathon! I tell him I am doing great and he says he is going back to help some one who needs it.
Mile 24. I see another coach, Red Dog Martin wearing a goofy pig hat with flapping wings. He takes my picture and gives me a high five. He ran the ½ and is injured, so he cannot run with me.
Mile 25.2…I see the head coach, Joe Brinkmann. He has been pulling my reins due to my early stress fracture for 2 months. I don’t know what he is going to say to me. He takes my picture and starts running with me. I tell him I am feeling great. He tells me I am doing awesome and seems genuinely enthused. We talk a bit and he tells me I am at the home stretch. One more mile!
Last mile…the spectator crowd is super thick as I re-enter downtown. I have one final hill and it feels more difficult than ever, but one foot in front of the other because I know for a fact, that is it for hills. I’m at the top and the crowd is just nuts! Old Spice has a bunch of pretty girls handing us towels. I grab one because I am a souvenir junkie and I love free stuff! I am downtown and I have ½ mile to go! More and more people are screaming my name and I am thinking “I am finishing my marathon, I am reaching a goal I have had for 13 years and I am doing it very well. I missed 2 month of training due to a stress fracture and yet here I am. I am doing a fantastic job, I am very strong! I am very determined and driven! I really like who I am right now!” I lift my arm in the air and start circling the towel in the air as the crowd is cheering and screaming my name. The more I circle the towel in the air, the more they cheered. I round the corner and I can see the finish. I go under the over pass of the bridge I stood on the day my husband asked me to marry him. I hear the screaming of my name is growing louder as I get closer and it is echoing under that bridge. I even hear my brother screaming my name. I put that towel back in the air and everyone screams harder! The announcer sees me and starts screaming my name, too…over the loud speaker! “Here she comes, great job Sarah, here comes Sarah down the final stretch, she is looking great.” All I can hear is from every direction is “Sarah”!!! This is the best finish of my life! This feels better than anything I have ever done! I deserve this moment! I worked and earned this moment!! I am finishing my 1st marathon! I did it! I worked hard and I did it!! I had so much help along the way, but I did it! I never gave up! I never let myself quit! It was never an option.
3:48:40
Overall Rank 969 of 4172
Class Rank 23 of 219
Sex Rank 177 of 1709
