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Friday, May 23, 2014

26.2...Nashville

running a marathon is interesting. i'm pretty sure people think
1. i'm crazy
2. i love it
3. it's not that big of a deal because i've done it so many times
in case you didn't catch 5 little confessions this month...
1. if setting and accomplishing a goal is crazy, then yes i'm crazy. 
2. i love pushing my body, enjoying health benefits, my running friends, and the sense of accomplishment. 
3. every single race is a big deal

ever since college bff robyn moved to nashville, we have been talking about running the marathon there. between injury, surgery, and a baby, it took a while to actually do it. everything finally worked out this year, and another friend from college, allie came to run the half.
it's taken me a while to sit down and right this post because i felt like i needed to simmer down a little before writing. there were definitely some good things (goal accomplishment, time with friends, rock n roll), but overall i didn't have the best experience (very hard course, super hot, race issues).

my mom and i left in time to get to nashville late afternoon, but traffic was pretty crazy. we went straight to the expo. it was big and crazy.

even with pre-race nerves, we had a good time catching up the night before. arriving into town the evening before the race makes things a little stressful.
allie, me, robyn
robyn's dad also ran the half
bob, robyn, me, allie on race morning. the fact that it was already this light was very different from other races. 

i had no idea the race was so huge. i love all the people and crowds.
because there were so many people, start times were staggered according to projected pace. by the time my corral started it was almost 8:00am and HOT! 8:00 is way too late and 85 degrees is way too hot to start a race. it was freezing and pouring rain last year so starting earlier was probably not even an option. i really wish it was.

with allie at the start
my mom came to the race. even though i was only half way done at this point, i seriously felt like i might die.  i'm pretty sure i scared my mom when i told her i didn't know if i was going to make it. (FACT-i never ever ever consider dropping out of a race even when i possibly should). i was so hot and so thirsty. i stopped for a quick pic.
and then kept on going. besides being super hot, the course was mostly all uphill. i knew it would be hard, but i had no idea how hard. this is not a course for a runner like me. even though this was marathon #8, i felt way out of my league.
i expected to see my mom again, but i never did until the end. i'm sure she got worried i might not make it.
almost done halle freakingl ujjah
at the finish line
robyn is a really fast runner. we have done a few marathons together in the past, but this is the fist time i've seen her at the finish line. 
i did it! i ran 26.2+ miles in the blazing hot sun.

everyone always wants to know...
how i did (ok. i finished)
what was my time (about the same)
if it was hard (26.2 is hard.always).
even though it was a really hard, i'm glad i did it and will probably never do that race again.
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5 comments:

  1. Good for you for finishing. That's a huge accomplishment! I always think about running... and then it never happens. Maybe one day!

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  2. I am always impressed by marathon runners. Doesn't matter how many they have done. I give you even more props for doing it in the heat. If I start back up running again this summer it will probably be night runs. Texas summer heat for sure is something that requires tolerance building.

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  3. Wow. Almost all uphill? Um. Yeah, so glad I didn't do this one! ha! But, wow, what a sense of accomplishment and at least you'll know that you probably won't do another full as hard as this one again!

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  4. Congrats! I did the Country Music 1/2 marathon in 2008 and then the Rock and Roll Marathon in San Diego later that year. My knees never really forgave me but it was a great experience! You go girl!

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  5. I have so much respect for people that have the dedication to run a marathon. I have been planning on training for one for a while, but I haven't gotten down to it. I think I'm scared. Maybe I just have to jump in.

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