Leading Ladies FULL Marathon Race Report

I can finally call myself a marathon finisher! On Sunday, August 16th, 2009 after 5 hours, 6 minutes, and 13 seconds of running, jogging, walking, and hopping (for real!), I crossed the Leading Ladies Marathon finish line and what an emotional feeling that was. I was elated and in pain all at the same time. Running a marathon is something I had wanted to do last year, and I even trained for the Leading Ladies Full last year, but chickened out and ran the half instead. I did get my Half Marathon PR there last year though so I was happy with my decision as I knew I had not trained properly to run the 26.2 miles. This year though, I was going to train and accomplish this goal of mine before I turned 30.
On Saturday afternoon, I received my race packet at the Expo and it all became real at that moment. The next day, I would be running my first full marathon. This was going to happen. My friend, Heather, who was also running her first full marathon at Leading Ladies came up from Custer on Saturday evening and we headed to the Holiday Inn to hear Ann Audian tell us her story. And let me tell you what a story it is! - Here is a description of her from her book, "An Uncommon Heart".

Born in New Zealand with badly deformed feet, Anne Audain was adopted as an infant by a kindly, hard-working couple-, who nurtured her and taught her that being adopted meant she was special because she had been selected over all the other available babies.
But she was a tiny child, shy and bookish, and with her awkward, stumbling gait, she became a special target for teasing by her classmates. Finally, when she was 13, the doctors felt her bones were strong enough to sustain an operation, and her condition was surgically corrected. Liberated from much of the pain and awkwardness for the first time, she discovered athletics at a local club and literally in a matter of months had become a nationally known runner in New Zealand.

She went on to run in the Olympics, win a Commonwealth Games gold medal, set a world track record, and to move to the United States where she became the first female professional runner, a Nike sponsored athlete, and the most successful woman road runner of all time, winning most of the major U.S. road races she entered from 1981 to 1991. Now a naturalized citizen, she is a successful motivational speaker and businesswoman, and is the founder of the Idaho Women's Fitness Celebration, one of the largest women's sporting events in the world.

To listen to this woman and everything she overcame in life was very inspirational and she made me believe in myself that I could run this race and finish 26.2 miles.

After the talk, we headed to the catered dinner which was delicious! We sat with my little 13 year old friend Maddy, who is only 13 and running half marathons! I know I have talked about her before, but she is just so awesome! She told me that she would be waiting for me at the finish line after her half the next day. What a sweat heart. So Heather and I head back to my house for a night of no sleep. I really don't think I fell asleep once. I was just a bundle of energy. Heather was having dreams that we missed the race entirely....not the best of nights before our first full marathons!

We were up at 3am and headed out the door at 345. We got to Spearfish at 4am and headed right to the bus. Looking back, we SHOULD have went to the bathroom before we got on the bus, because by the time we go to the Lead Country Club, we had to go BAD. The bus ride was COLD. I guess some people were getting motion sick and they had their windows down so it got pretty chilly. I chatted with Heather and with a few ladies sitting by us to keep my mind off of everything. I ate my banana and tried to eat my bagel, but I just couldn't. It was making me sick because I was so nervous. We got to the start line at the country club and everyone headed to the porta potties. As soon as I went, I just got in line to go again because I knew I would have to! It was a cool 39 degrees at the start line and I was just ready to get going so I could warm up! Right at 6am, we were OFF! I was beginning my first marathon!!!
We started off with a hill, but it wasn't a major one and it felt like a good warm-up for all of the downhill that I knew would be coming. I was just taking it all in the first few miles and they went by really fast! There were a few women around me and everyone was really supportive saying good luck to everyone around them. I love this race for being all women. It's empowering for sure. I was averaging 10 something minute miles and I was feeling good. At mile 5, my Ipod just DIED. My music was gone. If anyone knows me, you know that I DO NOT run without music...EVER...not even 5Ks! So to say the least, I freaked out. I still had 21 miles to go! So, I just decided that I would have to deal with it and keep running. The next 5 miles went by really fast too so I told myself that at this point, I had run 5 miles with music and 5 miles without and nothing really changed. I was still feeling good, I was keeping my pace, things were good. I didn't need my music. At mile 12, we started on the only real hill on the course. It's a tough little section, but the whole time I was going up, I knew that I would get to go back down on my way to mile 13 - the half way point! My pace went down quite a lot on mile 12, but I saw a lot of people slowing down so I felt okay about it. I crossed the half way point (13.1 miles) with a time of 2:23 which I was really happy about as I run most of my half marathons in the 2:20s so I was keeping what I thought was a good pace for me. I was halfway done with my marathon and I was still feeling really good! I alternated between water and powerade at the stations, I took my gels every 5miles; I was in a groove. At mile 16, I had just 10 miles to go - I had run plenty of 10 mile runs in my training; I could do this. I was under the 3 hour mark at that point so I knew if I could run the next 10 miles with an average of 12 minute miles, I could finish in under 5 hours. By mile 18, I was holding steady at an average of 11 minute miles, which I was so happy with! I just had 2 miles to go until mile 20, which is the longest I had ever run in one day. And then just a 10K (6.2 miles) left to go after that. And then I started to get tired. Mile 19 and 20 were pretty hard for me and my pace went down quickly. I was running all 12 and 13 minute miles until mile 23 when the WALL came slamming into me and I was DONE. I started swearing at myself and at the race and just wanted it to be done. But I only had 3 miles to go. That was nothing! But I had also never run 3 miles after already running 23 miles! I knew my family was at the finish line waiting for me so I just had to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Even if it was slower, I had to keep moving. But believe me; I was ready to fake an injury so I could be done! Those last 3 miles were brutal and slow, but I finished them and that is what matters. I got onto the bike path with .5 of a mile to go and knew I had this in the bag. I wasn't going to finish in under 5 hours, but it wasn't going to be much over 5 hours either, maybe 5:05. I would be happy with that. And then I got a cramp in my calf that hurt so bad that I stopped and tried to rub it out, but it was so bad that I had to start hopping on the other foot to keep going forward. I put my leg down to try to start running again (I only had .3 of a mile to go!!) but it just screamed back at me. I was SO mad at my darn calf that it would do this to me with such a little distance to go! How dare it! So, I stopped again and rubbed it and did my best to get it out; there was no way I was walking or hopping across that finish line! Finally it subsides enough for me to run, slowly at best, but still running. I see the finish line and I see my family and I hear my kids, yelling, "Go Mommy Go." and I crossed the finish line with a smile on my face knowing I had succeeded. No one could ever take this away from me. My time was 5:06:13 (11:40 minute miles) and I know I will be able to beat that time one day. My next goal will to be under the 5 hour mark. But for now, I am not thinking of when my next marathon will be. I am thinking of all of the support that my family and all of my friends gave me over the past 5 months of my training. I am thinking of Elaine Doll-Dunn, the race director of the Leading Ladies Marathon who has inspired me more than she will ever know. She was the first person who told me I would run a full marathon one day back in 2007 (after I had just finished my first half) and I looked at her like she was a crazy person. But of course, she was right and she saw more in me than I ever saw in myself. It seems like the only person whoever doubted me was myself.I am blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life. My sisters called me after the race, my mom called me (who still thinks I'm crazy for running at all!), and I received many messages and texts congratulating me on my accomplishment. They all knew how important this day was to me and wanted to share in my experience.
I am recovering nicely and will be going to my outdoor fitness class later this evening. The best way to recover is to keep moving - I will not be running, but I will be moving! Thanks again for anyone whoever told me that I COULD do it! Because now I believe you! I CAN DO IT!