My May Day Marathon!

Last weekend I ran a marathon! This was a goal that I've wanted to achieve for a long time, but I didn't think it was possible. I always excused myself by saying things like, "My knees can't handle it." But I decided to legitimately train for it and try, and I was able to run it! I didn't do an organized race; I plotted the 26.2 mile route myself and ran it on my own.

Being the great friends that they are, Carrie and Rachael offered to run the race with me. And while I also liked that idea, I realized that it would better for me, mentally, to do the run on my own. They are much faster runners than me, and I knew that I wouldn't enjoy myself as much if I knew that I was slowing them down. By running on my own, I could go at my own pace and also listen to books/music without thinking about whether I was sufficiently socializing along the way.

But Carrie and Rachael still were so supportive and found a lot of ways to make this run special for me. They made countless signs and showed up the night beforehand with a "swag bag" that included a t-shirt, energy bars and snacks, pasta (for carb loading), an inspirational letter, a marathon number tag, and even a 26.2 sticker. They decorated my yard with signs for me to see in the morning, and then stopped five times along the route to cheer me on. They are such great friends, and they really made this day so special for me.

I didn't run a fast marathon: the first third of the run I had a ten minute mile, the second third of the run was an eleven minute mile, and then the last six miles were rough - I was running about a twelve minute mile. But I did it! The time that I felt best on my run was about 14 miles into the run. I was running along the bank of Lake Washington, along a sidewalk that was covered with pink cherry blossom petals. Some of the powerhouse singers that I was listening to at this point in the run were:

• "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin
• "Listen" by Beyoncé (from the "Dreamgirls" film soundtrack)
• "Rise Up" by Andra Day
• "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston

J and the kids met me about halfway through my run with signs. And then, not long after I ran the Seward Park loop, I got a call from E that she had her baby that same morning! So at Mile 18 I got a boost by learning that there was a Baby Oliver to love! I knew it was a possibility that E might have her baby that morning, and I had even left her a message earlier in my run, saying that I was running to the beat of the "Oliver" song (from the musical) in my head. It was so exciting to get a call and find that he actually had arrived!

I actually had to end my call with E after several minutes, because I was surprised to run into Carrie and Rachael on the trail - it was their first stop along the route to cheer me on. It was really encouraging to run into them during those last miles, and I was really touched that they waited along the route as I (slowly) progressed.

As I was nearing the last bit of the route, I realized that I was probably going to reach my goal earlier than I thought. I think I must have picked up a little over half a mile by crossing streets and running in a slightly less-linear route sometimes to maintain social distancing. So I ended up calling J and asking him to pick me up at Coulon, because I didn't want to have to run that last leg if I'd already met my goal! Carrie and Rachael also met us at the park, and they kept running with the finish line ahead of me, until I finally hit the 26.2 mark!

Then I immediately got in the car and J drove me home, where the Dinner Group families were waiting to welcome me. They had even made a finish line for me in sidewalk chalk. Even in just sitting in the car for the drive home though, my legs started to cramp up. So when J pulled up to the house and I got out to run across this last finish line, my legs really protested! But I did it!

Carrie had an "MM" medal made for me, which I cherish more than the Inca Virtual Marathon medal that I also earned through "The Conqueror" app (even though the Inca medal is really cool). But I felt so much love on this day, and it was a great kickstart to my birthday celebrations. Rachael even made a chocolate mousse cake, which tasted so good!

And now, I'm recovering from the race. I had to use handrails for the day or two following the race, whcih was expected. I also have had some lower back pain, too. In fact, my lower back was giving me some grief during my taper before the race (I think it was used to the long runs and felt strange when I cut back on mileage). I didn't have any back pain during the race or the following day or two after, but the dull ache came back earlier this week after the race. Yoga and barre exercises have helped a bit. I've gone out on two short runs (1.5 to 2 miles), but my right knee feels a bit achy and my right hip keeps making a clicking pop with each step. So I can tell that I'm not back to normal yet.  I've read that some people say it takes two weeks to recover, whereas others say that the recovery should last as long as the miles of the race (i.e. 26 days).

Now that things are over though, I do feel a little bit unmoored and bereft. Training for this run has been really great for me during this pandemic, because my weeks had structure through the training schedule. And I've felt like I was progressing toward a goal, which was good for me mentally. I don't know what my next goal will be. I don't think I'm going to be a continuous marathon runner; I think half marathons might be more my jam, because the running is still enjoyable for me at that length. Once I get closer to 20 miles, I feel like the experience of running is more about mental endurance than enjoyment of the experience. I'm not sure what kind of training or physical fitness goals are in my future, but I'm sure I'll find something. I know that I'm forward to doing more Zumba, barre and yoga, though, since those were put aside while I did all of my runs. And I look forward to summer bike rides, especially so I can finish earning my Camino de Santiago virtual challenge!