20 A marathon!?

Race number twenty brought a biggie!  October 23rd brought Marathon Day!   Alle and I headed to Morgan Hill to complete what would be our first marathon ever.

Here is the elevation of the course. 

I had my alarm set for 4:30 so that I could get dressed and pick up Alle at 5.  At 5:15 I woke up to a text from Bryan's phone....oops, I quickly threw on my clothes and hopped into the car with my headphones, a towel, my watch, a Gatorade, my arm tattoo, and the flip flops on my feet.

I picked up Alle at just about 5:30, and was handed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!  I decided to make sure I had my arm tattoo, which I did, but then realized I HAD NO SHOES!!!! Luckily I was only a mile from my house when I realized this and not on my way to Morgan Hill.   I drove back home to pick up my shoes from Matt who was waiting outside with them.

Then Alle and I were finally on our way.  We arrived and parked on a street about 2 blocks away from the start line and proceeded to get ready.   We put our shoes on, put the time tattoo on my arm, made sure the headphones were plugged in and then made a video.

We then walked over to the starting line eating some energy jelly beans and realizing we needed to go to the bathroom. We saw a line for some porta potties and jumped in.   We were just about at the front of the line when a man walked up to tell us that there were about 40 other porta potties a few feet ahead.  We were next in line and did not get out of line.  It was 7 minutes before race time. 

Alle and I before the MARATHON!

We finished in the porta potties and then headed to the starting line, we moved up as far as we could before the race started which was right away!

Where the race started, and where I was looking forward to getting back to.

Alle and I ran the first mile together in 10:30.  I was happy she ran that first mile with me because sometimes the hardest part is starting.  When the race started there was like a herd of people and soon enough the people dispersed and I was often running by myself, not able to see anyone around me.  I reached mile 10 at just over 2 hours.  I was feeling great. I was getting water and Gatorade at every station and making sure I was hydrated.  Somewhere in mile 11 I turned my ankle, but was able to shake it off, but that is when my time started to slow down.  When I got to mile 15 I was still running, and was feeling pretty good, after all over HALF of the race was behind me.  All of a sudden Butterfly Kisses came on my Ipod and I imagined dad was with me running the massive downhill stretch.  I continued to run until I got to mile 17.  My time was now about 4 hours, a major slow down,  this is where I had a breakdown.  And thought to myself, and nearly convinced myself that I could not do this race.  There was no way I was going to finish let alone finish on time. 

(Alle finished in 4:00!  This is about when she left this message for me.)

None the less I tried to continue on, I would jog when I could, but must admit a lot of the rest of the race was spent walking as fast as I could.  When I finally had myself composed again I said to myself, "you can do this Kristen, stop second guessing yourself."  I kept going and the miles seemed to be getting longer.  Mile 19, I was finally back on roads with cars.  I knew if I could get to mile 20 I only had a 10 K to go.  I continued on, running when I could.  I got to a point in the race where I could have cut 2 miles out of the race because it was an out and back portion, it crossed my mind to cut and then decided I would only be cheating myself and living a lie if I ever told anyone that I completed the marathon.  Before long, I knew I was at the tail end of the race, because the truck that was picking up the cones was parking right behind one the turns waiting to pick up the next set of cones.  At mile 23 I was thrilled to know that I only had 3 more miles to go.  I was so hot and the water that I had been throwing on my head at ever water station was evaporating faster.  I saw a full water bottle on the ground and no one around, and decided it was mine!  I opened the bottle and threw the water on my head.  Then I threw the water bottle.  Mile 25 brought the last water station.  Though I was thrilled to be at mile 25 I started to panic about making it on time to the finish line.  There was a 6:30 minute time limit!   About half way through the last mile, I saw Alle and I started crying, another breakdown.  I had only 3 minutes until the time limit, I was so upset because I wasn't going to be able to finish, I wouldn't get my medal, and I would have failed. 

A lady who I had been near most of the end of the race overheard me and told me not to give up and that I was almost there, that I was going to finish the race.  Alle also told me the same things, and that she would make sure I finished!  She jogged beside me, in her flip flops, until I couldn't jog anymore.  

I finally saw mile marker 26!  It was after 6:30 by now.  I entered the park running, there were people all around cheering, they were cheering for me!   I had to run into the finish, I couldn't let any of us down,  I entered the shoot and then Alle said to me, "Look he has your medal ready!  Get to him!!"  I took off as fast as I could and accepted my medal!!!  I had earned it! I finished with a time of 6 hours and 36 minutes!

I was overjoyed with tears in my eyes, as I crossed the finish line!

WE did it!

It was a tough walk back to the car, my feet were in some pain.  I was also still feeling down at that point, disappointed I missed my goal by six minutes.  Alle helped me realize it didn't matter my time, it mattered that I finished!

Still waiting to see if I am going to lose this nail!



I did end up having a blister, in fact I had three on my right foot!

Alle and I went to Chili's after the race!  This is Alle trying to stand up from the booth.  A waiter rushed over to her immediately thinking something was wrong.  Our reply, "We're marathoners!"

Race shirt and Medal!

Thanks for everything Morgan Hill!

Next race: Run with the Jets   November 6th