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June 07, 2005

I ran a marathon!

Josh finishes the Rock 'n Roll Marathon in San Diego
Originally uploaded by josh.ev9.

A lot of people have a lot of theories about marathons. Everybody who has run one in their life will definitely have advice for first-timers.

• Remember to eat a salt packet every few hours.
• Start slow, save your energy for the end
• Don't try anything new on race day

One thing that nobody mentioned is that you should not go to work the day after a marathon. It is such a bad idea. I was so zapped yesterday. I couldn't even walk, let alone think straight.

The marathon was a completely rewarding experience. It was some of the worst pain I have ever experienced in life, but in the end it was definitely worth it. I went much slower than I had expected, due to a late-breaking knee injury, but that should go away in the next few weeks.

The first three miles were piece of cake. I couldn't believe how fast they went. It was easy to rack 'em up in the beginning. A little after mile 3 my left knee started to bug me again. I had taken the last 2 weeks off to let it heal, but the pain creeped its little head, and I had to slow down. I was so disappointed at that point. I tried forcing myself to run, but the searing pain would not allow me to breathe, which is vital, right? I walked the next 20 or so miles at a 15 minute mile pace, which was also painful. See, I trained to run a marathon, not walk one. All of a sudden I was working my walking muscles waaay harder than they were used to.

I saw friends at the early stages of the race. Karen at mile 5 (and again at the finish) and Puneet and Scott at mile 7 or so (and again in the evening). The rest of the race I was pretty much alone. Kinda. I thought about my mom a lot during the race. She was the reason I ran. She inspired me to do it, and supported me throughout training. She was the reason the pain was worth it, and the reason that I ran the last mile as fast as I could, despite the pain in my legs. Thanks for being an inspiration, Mom, I love you.

I should also mention that the Sis, Tami, was also waiting for me at the finish line, done-up hair and all. Tam had prom the night before, and still made it to SD in time to see the race :-D Love you Tam-uh.

I cried a few times during the race. The reasons that people had for running were so inspirational. Some ran for their wives, some for fathers, others for children. Seeing the pictures and names of these people on my competitors' jerseys was so inspirational. Sometimes I just couldn't hold back.

I definitely cried at the finish line. I was so fatigued, and crossing that line represented 6 months of really hard work. Sometimes I worry that I'm not challenging myself enough, but in this case the challenge was surely difficult. I am glad it's over, but I can't wait for the next challenge.

I would like to encourage everyone to consider competing in an event with the Team in Training organization. It is a fantastic training program that will prepare you to compete in a marathon, triathlon, or century ride (cycling). It also supports the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, a fantastic charity. If you have any questions about my experiences with TNT and LLS, I'd be glad to answer them.

Anyway, thanks to all who supported me on this run. There were so many people who were so generous with their support, both verbal and financial. I raised over $2,200, which I am very proud of. Thank you thank you thank you, for supporting me on my trek to become an official marathoner.

Posted at June 7, 2005 09:28 PM

Comments

Posted by: Erik at June 8, 2005 04:04 AM

Posted by: siouxzanna at June 8, 2005 03:04 PM

Posted by: Jacki at June 9, 2005 02:23 PM

Posted by: tamara aviva evnin at June 9, 2005 04:41 PM

Posted by: Mom at June 11, 2005 12:43 PM