OKC Memorial Marathon

4/26/09 5:30 a.m.
I am standing in front of my friend Kelly's hotel, thinking to myself, it is so crazy that I am warm enough in just a tank top and skirt! This should have been a premonition, with some kind of theatrical music playing in the background. But, no I was just thankful that everyone would get to see my cute outfit.

Back up to the week and weekend leading up to the marathon!
I had been to the doctor early in the week to treat a horrible sinus infection. So I had spent the week feeling tired and weak. But, on the plus side they gave me a cortisone shot, which I was convinced would give me an edge.
Stuart and I had a pretty hectic weekend planned. It involved going to Denton, TX on Friday night to attend weekend festivities for a friend's wedding. So on Saturday evening around 8:30 p.m. I found myself headed north on I-35 towards OKC. I arrived in OKC around 11:15 p.m. I was so wired, that I found it hard to sleep! So my alarm went off at 4:40 a.m. after a night of about 4 hours of sleep, and a whirlwind weekend of wedding festivities! Cue the music anyone?

4/26/09 5:30 a.m.-6:30 a.m. Cloudy, 70s, humid, and windy!
Kelly and I arrive down by the race, and head over to the free pancakes at the Frist Methodist Church. We are admiring each other's outfits! I am outfitted in a red skirt with white polka dots paired with a black tank top, and Kelly is wearing a pink skirt with a white tank top. We look cute! We quickly get some pancakes, head outside for a quick photo op with Runners' World Tulsa and head over to the starting line. We headed over the starting line, and it was packed. We are lucky we are both little people, becasue we ended up squeezing between some bars to get into the starting corral. So we are in line, and I am noticing that I am already sweating. Not a good sign!
So the gun goes off, and we get started while trying to keep the 4:30 pace leader in view. There are a lot of people, and it is very crowded. So for the first few miles all I can do is focus on not bumping into other people. I comment to Kelly that I am sweating profusely. I mean my ponytail was soaked by mile 5. Kelly and I avoided some of the first water stops because they were so crowded. But, we had to start going through them around mile 5. I tried to take pretzels, and powerade to keep my electrolytes and energy up. I was feeling pretty good for the first 10 miles. Kelly and I stopped to take a quick break about mile 10. By this time the half-marathoners had turned to go back, so the course wasn't quite as packed. Then when we hit Lake Hefner (mile 14 & 15), I just couldn't keep up the pace. I told Kelly to go on ahead of me. We were holding pretty steady, and were set for a finish of about 4:30 at this point. But, I just started feeling bad. So I cranked up the ipod, and set out against the 30 mile per hour winds. So just to recap, I had been sweating heavily with the wind at my back, then all of the sudden I had the 30 mile per hour wind in my face. So of course, I started to shiver and get the shakes after a few miles. Around mile 17, I met up with a man named Larry. He was running my same pace, so we joined up for a few miles. I am sure that we made quite a sight! He was an over six foot, 250 pound black man jamming out to loud hip hop music (you could hear it through his headphones.) Larry turned out to be a married 28-year-old insurance salesman from Dallas, TX. He was an absolute sweetheart! We chatted about OSU (he was a big fan) Dallas, running, etc. But, Larry was a little concerned that I was still having the shivers. He encouraged me to stop at a medic. I told him I would stop when we were done, or if he was really concerned he could carry me on his back. Unfortunately, a medic on a bike pulled up, and started talking to us. He thought it might be a good idea if I came to his tent and grabbed a quick banana. So I left Larry, telling him I would catch up later, and went with the medic (aka running cop) to his tent. Well, he was out of bananas, but he had powerade. He gave it to me, and I asked 'I can have the whole thing?' I didn't even wait for him to say yes before I had drank the entire thing. I was crazy thirsty! So he let me go with the understanding that I would take a walk break, and check in down at the next mile marker. So I headed off to take a walk break, and was about in tears. I stopped at some point to adjust my shoes, and when I was leaning down I noticed some man staring at me. I told him in my most pitiful voice, that he had no idea how much pain I was in. He replied, 'you signed up for it.' Just what I needed!
My savior arrived!
Just when I was at my lowest point, my savior arrived in the form of a cute bubbly blond named Stacy. I heard 'hey Runners' World girl, you are doing great!' I looked up through my tears and there was Stacy smiling! So I joined up with her for the last few miles, just in time for my powerade to kick in. I was so far off my time, I had leg cramps like nothing I had ever experienced in my life, and I had to take a walk break that I didn't think anything could get me out of my funk. But, lo and behold, Stacy arrived scooped me up in her sunshiney personality. She told every volunteer, and spectator thank you. She cheered on every person we passed on the course. She was unbelieveable. And, between all of this she encouraged me to keep pushing. She danced in the road to the crazy music people were playing, and talked to all the spectators! She made me remember why I was there, not to get some stupid time, but to accomplish what few people ever do, Run a Marathon! I actually started to enjoy myself, and started to laugh. I joked with one of the guys in a wheelchair (who had a good sense of humor) that I would give anything to hop a ride on his lap for a little bit! We even passed Larry again. Once, I got relaxed with Stacy we even had times we were running 9:30 minute miles. At mile 24 1/2 we found my family waiting in someone's yard. My aunt and uncle ran out to see what had happened, apparently they had signed up for text message alerts, and I had been set to finish in 4:30 for the first half of the marathon, and then things got crazy. So my uncle went to call Stuart, and my aunt decided to run the mile in with us. Of course, she was all rested up and running fast! I had to remind her 'hey fast lady, the rest of us have been running for 25 miles, and we are a little tired!' But, I got my second wind arriving at the finish line for a finish of 5:16.

So close!

Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is next weekend!
Wow, back in December when I signed up for the training with Runner's World, I guess I never fully expected to get to this point. I am going to run for 26.2 miles this coming Sunday morning. This from a girl that a year and half ago thought that people who ran were crazy, crazy people. And, now I am not only running the marathon, but I also have a goal time of 4:30!
Interesting things I have learned:
1) New running terminology: PR (personal record), tapering (cutting down your weekly mileage in anticipation of the marathon), FARTLEK (I honestly really don't know what this means, but I think it is funny!), kilometers (which we all know I still haven't caught on to quite yet), splits (which I know what this means, but I have no idea how to explain it!)
2) You can get up, run early in the morning, and still go to work afterwards. I have started running at 6 a.m. two or three mornings a week-which is going to suprise a lot of people. Which means I have to get up at about 5:20 a.m. I consider 5:20 a.m. the middle of the night. So the fact that is my new wake up time is very suprising to me! And, for all you non believers out there, the sunrise is beautiful, and you really do have more energy for your day after working out in the morning.
3) Don't try to explain complicated theories you don't really understand to your husband who is super smart (he may make fun of you.) I have started taking yoga a few months ago, and had really been enjoying the benefits it has added to my running. So I am trying to explain to Stuart how it is kind of like a law of science, the one that says 'for every action, there is a opposite reaction.' Or, however that crazy saying goes. Anyways, Stuart starts asking me really hard questions like 'Who's law is that?' and 'What number law is that?' So it is Newton's first law of physics. Finally, I got fed up and explained it in my terms, yoga is the opposite of running. So they complement each other very well. And, my lovely husband replies (while laughing) that he is going to write a blog about me. Well, I beat him to it!
So I am ready to run a marathon. I am tapering right now, preparing to load up on carbs over the next week, and most important have a brand new running outfit all picked out to wear.
Oh, before I forget http://tracking.theendresultco.com/2009/okcmm/index.php
that is the web address you can register to recieve text message or email update of my porgress of my marathon if you would like to track me as I run this Sunday...
So I don't have much more to add, other than I will give you all a full report of the marathon next week!

Baby, I was born to run (in the rain, snow, sleet?)!

Saturday, March 28, 2009 6:00 a.m.-Not a drop of rain!
So the weatherman had been prediciting maybe a few inches of snow on Saturday morning, so I was up early to monitor the weather since our 20 mile run was scheduled to begin at 7:00 a.m. Since there wasn't a drop of rain outside, I thought I would stop procrastinating and head out.
6:55 a.m.-Pouring rain and thunder (what the heck was I thinking!?)
So at this point I am in my car next to April, when Kelly hops in my car. We are all debating about if they are having the run or not. Everyone is there sitting in their cars. Finally, Kelly makes a move suggesting we just go get started.
7:30 a.m.-We are jogging at a nice pace in the rain. It is about 38 degrees. Which sounds cold, but when you are running you produce a lot of heat!
Kelly and I are running directly in front of some boys that have to be either in high school or college. This is providing endless amusement for us, as they feel free to discuss all sorts of colorful topics! One of which being tights.
End of first 5 mile lap-Kathy is there waiting for us with snacks and water. We don't spend much time there. Instead we spend a good 5-10 minutes in the restrooms trying to dry out our gloves!
By this time it has went from sleet to snow. The sleet was misrable, as it hit you in the face (my only exposed surface) it hurt! So it is obviously getting colder outside. But, we smile our big girl smiles, and get back out there. We actually have a very scenic 5 mile loop, the snow is beautiful. And, it is not getting us nearly as wet as the rain, so this loop seems to go by very fast.
End of our second 5 mile lap-Kathy has bailed-lucky dog! Only a few runners are left. Kelly and I hit the road hoping that this experience will be worth it in the end! This lap turned bad very fast! The snow was coming down a lot heavier, making some of the surfaces very slick! And, the temperature has dropped a lot. We really don't even talk for most of the loop. Which if you know me (and I would assume if you are reading this you do, is very unusual for me!) At some point Kelly and I discuss the possiblity that this was a little crazy, but we both just decide that we are very dedicated. There is a very thin line between dedication, and frost bite appearently!
End of the 3rd loop (so 15 miles completed) I am starting to have second thoughts. I can't feel my toes, and my hands hurt. I had two pairs of gloves, but both are soaking wet by this point. But, we start out on the final loop. It appears that all the other runners have went home. The snow is heavy, and I am seriously worried about my toes. I think I may need them-don't they help with balance? And, since I am not all that graceful, I am pretty sure that losing one might effect my running!
When we arrive at the 11th street bridge I really notice how much snow has accumulated. Crud, I still have to drive back to Owasso. I am really conflicted at this point, I have come too far to quit is what my mind is saying, but I am also thinking none of this is going to matter if I get into a car accident. My mind is going back and forth over all of these thougths! Plus, running is sort of like the military, you don't leave a fellow runner behind. So I tell Kelly, that I think we need to go back. But, Kelly is determined to see the 20 miles through-plus, she lives within walking distance (if that was necessary) of the loop. So we part ways. I head back to my car feeling defeated, frustrated, and sad that I left Kelly! I look accoss the river for her as I am running on the other side, but the snow is too thick to see the other bank. I am so lonely at this point (so I can't imagine how Kelly felt finishing the final 4 miles). So I decided to pick up the pace, and just get back! So I end up with a little over 17 miles for the day.
Follow up to that day: Kelly finished her 20 miles, we both arrived home safely, and Owasso ended up with approximately 10 inches of snow.
Sunday, March 29, 2009-4:00 p.m.-Beautiful, sunny and 60 degrees!
I head out to Riverside thinking that I will run 3 miles just to say that I completed 20 miles. I really wasn't in the best of moods, because this felt like cheating! But, all is not lost, I ended up running 6 miles, and ran into a ton of people with Runners' World out finishing their mileage from the day before!
So 23 miles later the weekend was thankfully over!