Marathon Complete!!

Running the marathon on Sunday was an incredible experience. Definitely not easy, but worth it! I can't thank you all enough for the encouragement, and for helping me reach BEYOND my fundraising goal!

The full story:

Dung and I arrived in San Diego Saturday morning and headed straight over to the expo after we checked into the hotel. The expo was impressive-and crowded! I picked up my race packet and we walked around a bit. I changed my corral from 21 to 19, which was definitely a good idea. After a solo trip to the TNT inspiration dinner (while my family chowed down at the hotel), I headed back to the hotel room for about 5 1/2 hours of sleep. I'm told this is a good amount of rest before a marathon.

My alarm went of at 3:30am Sunday morning. By 4am Paula and I were down in the lobby meeting up with all the TNT participants. (Paula took footage of the morning, and also along the marathon route). We boarded buses and headed to Balboa Park for the start at 6:30am.

When the gun went off, it was definitely a surreal moment! Crossing the start line was incredibly exciting, and I couldn't help but think about the culmination of all the training we embarked on for the last 4 months.


Miles 1-13 felt strong! I ran with Allie from TNT, and we toured downtown San Diego, The Gaslamp District, and the 163 freeway. Knowing my loved ones were waiting for me at mile 13 was a huge motivating factor. My favorite moment of the race was finally seeing them waiting for me on the side of the road (with fuel in hand).






The second half of the marathon was a completely different experience. Allie and I separated, and my hamstrings began to cramp up around mile 15. I continuted to push on, even though my mental state was declining quickly along with my legs. My phone rang numerous times until I reached mile 21, which didn't help matters (see point # 2 below).

At mile 21 my running buddy Laura jumped in with me, which was a welcomed distraction. The last 6 miles truly are the most challenging of the entire race, and any company and/or encouragement is necessary! Those final mile markers crept by SO slowly, and I didn't feel any relief until I saw Dung and Paula at mile 24 with big smiles and last-minute snacks :)

By the time I ran through the first gate at the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot, I could barely feel my body, but I knew I was close to the the end. Coach Gail jumped in with me at mile 26, and brought me through to the finish line. I was able to run hard for the last stretch, which was completely amazing.


When I crossed the finish line in 5:41:58, Gail immediately gave me water, salt, and a wet towel. I wandered aimlessly to gather my medal and meet my family. I barely remember crossing the finish line, but I will never forget seeing my family and wearing that medal for the first time.



Quick thoughts on what I learned:

1) Family and friends along the route make all the difference.
2) If you bring your cell phone along, set boundaries with those who know you have it.
3) Make sure you take the time to stretch WELL before lining up in your corral.
4) Walking for 30 seconds to 1 minute at each water stop is probably a good idea.
5) Your body can do way more than you think it can!
6) A positive mental attitude can propel you far beyond any physical exhaustion :)

Gear I used:

Shoes: Nike Zoom Structure Triax +12

Shirt: TNT jersey

Capris: By Roadrunner Sports

Sports Bra: Fiona by Women's Moving Comfort (amazing, by the way)

Hat: TNT

Nutrition:

2-3 packs of shot blocks

Gatorade G2/Focus

2 salt packets

Gel Blasts w/ caffeine

Banana (pre-race and a few bites during)