My journey started with a wonderful company called Arctic Ease. They passed out a sample at my half marathon expo and I really liked the sample after the race. I wasn't sure where to buy it so I started following them on facebook. Almost immediately after I started following them they were holding a contest for the Pittsburgh Marathon. I had to answer questions such as "favorite things in Pittsburgh", but since I had never been I looked up different places that looked interesting to answer the questions. To my surprise I got a message in my inbox saying I was the grand prize winner and won the entry fee and either a flight or hotel to the marathon! This was before I even knew I would be moving to Orlando.
When I found out I was moving I chose flight- I was determined to still run the marathon. Although with moving and the crazy week and weekends leading up to it, I wasn't able to put 100% into my training. I still had some amazing runs though, from Bonita Springs in Florida to Manhattan Beach in California.
I have crazy memories of getting bit by a dog, settling into my new apartment in Orlando and discovering new trails. It has really been an exciting, yet crazy few months leading up to it, but I can't even express how happy I am that I went through with it.
Saturday morning started my 24 hours in Pittsburgh journey. I didn't arrive in Pittsburgh until 5 PM. One of my friends, Nicole, who I haven't seen in years- and was roommates with Natalie (who I visited in California) absolutely made my trip. I was blown away by her kindness. First- her and her boyfriend JD picked me up at the airport and brought me to pick up my race packet from the wonderful Arctic Ease staff. Then we went to a cute Italian restaurant in a basement near where Nicole lives in Shady side. I had a house salad and pasta with vodka sauce- it was amazing! I took carb loading that day very serious, and spent the day snacking and drinking water. When we got back to Nicole's apartment I laid out all of my race things. This is one of my favorite things to do before a race!
I went to bed right around 9 PM. I didn't sleep well the entire week leading up to the trip because I was excited and anxious for the race, so it was great to fall asleep early. I woke up at 4:30 AM to my alarm, and realized I was in Nicole's bed alone. When I went to her living room I saw her curled up on the couch and her boyfriend basically sitting up in a chair sleeping. They were worried about waking me up so decided to sleep in the living room, I COULD'NT believe it! Also, I had planned on taking a taxi or walking the 5 miles to the start line because I knew I would have to get up crazy early- but instead Nicole arranged with a friend of hers who was running the half to meet me at the bus stop. They said there was no need for me to run a 30 mile marathon and they would drive me- at 5 AM!
So I met up with Nicole's friends at the bus stop, and the bus never showed up. We ended up driving to the race, and although it was crowded we found a spot close in the parking ramp. I was in the same corral (B) as the sister so we headed into the corrals together, said good luck, then I put my headphones on. It was raining on and off throughout the morning, and I used my white lululemon headband to cover my ears to keep my headphones in and dry.
Now onto the race! My official stats off Active.com were as follows:
Bib: 1946
Div: Women 25-29
Chip Time: 4:07:58
Clock Time: 4:10:09
Overall: 1573
Sex Pl: 395
DivPi: 109
10k: 53:30
Half: 1:54:29
15 mile: 2:11:43
20 mile: 3:02:20
DivTotal: 377
Sextotal: 1639
Pace: 9:28
4284 Finishers, 2645 Male, 1639 Female
As you can see the beginning was great! I was flying. I felt GREAT honestly until about mile 20. It was rainy, but it felt nice after a few miles. When I got to the half point and realized I had about half left, I wasn't worried. My body was still feeling great and I was moving along. I didn't feel any pain until about mile 20, and then it all kind of hit me. It was really tough to push through- it wasn't as much a mental wall as physical wall. Each step was painful and it was hard to push through the end. Around mile 24 the 4:00 pace guy showed up and when he passed me it was like everything stopped. I had no motivation and it was hard for me to move, since I was so close to finishing under 4 hours.
A man came up behind me and said "come on! we've been at this together since around mile 6" I didn't realize but I guess we'd been running near each other for the past 15 miles! So we ran the end of it together, even chatted a bit and crossed the finish line together. After the race, we gave each other a hug and that was it. It was something I'll always remember! Also when I crossed Nicole and JD were standing there. I can't even explain how amazing it was to see people at the finish line, especially since when I signed up I didn't expect anyone to be there.
The marathon was an incredible experience. I couldn't walk for almost a week following the race- I could walk fine in heels but flat footed was a different story. Physically my body has never been in the pain it went through those last few miles, but I felt so amazing when it was finished and accomplished that I could see myself pursuing another one. I love running still and am anxious to start up again once the pain goes away in my feet.
I am happy to say I completed my first marathon!
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