Route 66 Marathon

     On Saturday afternoon I go to the race expo to get my packet.  I go to the packet pickup and give them my ID.  A few seconds later the young man with my bib in his hand says loudly we have a first time marathoner.  Everyone behind the table start yelling and ringing cowbells.  I turn bright red and silently pray the floor opens up and takes me away.   No luck and now people in line are wishing me luck and saying how great it is.  I smile and nod, say thank you and keep moving away. OMG people should warn you that they do that.
 
   5 am Sunday the alarm goes off, first instinct is to hit snooze, second thought is Oh hell it is RACE DAY! I get up make coffee, let the dog out, bathroom, dog in, breakfast, brush the teeth, wash the face, comb the hair, bathroom, & get dressed.  Get the race bib straight, earbuds, garmin, protein/Ucan shake, house key, & phone. All morning I focus on the small details because the minute my mind goes to the race, I am nauseous. Run to Quik Trip for a Cliff bar I forgot to buy on Saturday and head over to meet with the run group before the start.

     Take some pics with run club, bathroom again and walk to the corrals. Find corral C and meet with some friends I met at the OKC half marathon. We take a few pics, chit chat and they talk about me doing the Full. I'm trying not to hurl. My trainer Nate comes by for a few words of advice, "Start slow, it should feel slow, it should feel easy!" Ok Nate! Is what I say out loud but what is running through my mind is: don't puke, don't puke, don't puke!

 7:55 gun sounds & confetti cannon erupts for the wheelchair races. Gulp!

 8:00 guns sound for Corral A! Ugh!

 8:10 gun  for Corral B. Shit!

 8:15 gun for Corral C damn it here we go!
   
   Slow down, breathe, slower, breathe, slower, breathe, ok,,, stay here this pace just keep it steady. This is just a 10 mile easy run, followed by a 10 mile pace run and ended with a 10K finish. Hahaha yeah right.

     Mile 1-5 were mostly about me settling into a groove and focusing on the mile at hand and not the other 21 to go. The terrain is mostly level with some very small hills followed by a downhill. The weather is 55-60 degrees, humid, partly cloudy with wind gusts.  The crowd is scattered along the course, cheering with signs and cowbells.  At mile 5 a male runner passes me and I read the back of his shirt "They shall run and not be weary." Isaiah 40:31. I say a prayer of thanks.

      Miles 6-10 are mostly level ground. The run is feeling good.  I am constantly checking my pace, my breathing, heart rate and level of effort. My heart rate reads high but I feel good.  The crowds are thicker here on Brookside.  I come up on Emily a fellow run club member. We chat for a bit and then I move on.  At this point I laugh out loud at a sign on the course that says "Smile if you have to Pee!"  I laugh and point at the man's sign and say why yes I do, so thanks for reminding me. haha!

     Miles 11-15 start a constant uphill.  I do a quick check. Breathing good, heart rate good, legs good, now my feet are getting a little tender from the minimal shoes and hard ground but not bad.  At about mile 12 we part ways from the half marathoners and head out for the other 14 miles.  This is the point of no return now. Oh crap did I really sign up for the FULL? Why did I do this?  Oh well here we go.  At mile 13 we run right by my car. Really? I even have the key with me. No Keep going cupcake.  Mile 14 we go by within a block of my apartment. Really? Oh well I don't have the house key with me.  Mile 15 is port-a-potty time. Yuck!  By the way running tights and sweat do not aide in a speedy pit stop.

    Miles 16-20 is still a constant upward climb.  The crowds says the top of the hill is right up there.  Yeah right. You get to the top take a corner and go uphill some more.  None of the hills are straight up or steep it is just a constant  medium grade incline.  Mile 16 my feet are really feeling the force of the ground but it is endurable.  Mile 18 my right lateral thigh is aching but again it is not bad. I just attribute it to fatigue.  Mile 20 I stop and stretch my right quad and hip flexor which seems to help.  Now just before mile 21 starts I have another laugh out loud moment.  Somebody has tacked a sign on a pole at a point where the course takes a left turn.  There are no spectators here it is just the sign on the pole that says "SMILE IF YOU MASTURBATE!"  So random, who puts a sign up like that. Dang it, laughing hurts too.

     Miles 21-25 Unchartered territory which is going to take me right by my house and my car again.   Mile 21 starts the downhill to the finish.  Mile 21 introduces a new pain.  A stitch in my right side of my abdomen that  causes a spasm in my diaphragm.  I am not out of breath but with this spasm in my diaphragm I can not draw a good breath.  At first instinct you want to panic, but I force myself to calm down.  Am I breathing? Yes.  Am I getting enough air? Yes.  What to do? I decide it is probably dehydration/electrolyte imbalance.  At the next water station I walk through it and drink a Gatorade, a water and chew on some of the Cliff bar.  It helps for a bit.  At mile 23 it starts to spasm again, luckily a woman had set up her own refreshment table and had her carton of salt out and would pour it into your hand to lick off.  It was awesome and probably is what kept me from having to walk to the finish.  Bless her soul!  Mile 24 brings my male runner back to pass me again. Yes it was the same man with the Isaiah 40:13 verse on the back of his shirt. I don't know how or when he got behind me because I promise I only seen him the 2 times and both times he passes me and got right in front of me long enough for me to read the shirt and say a Thank you Lord.  Then he keeps going till out of sight.  I am really tired at this point.  Everything hurts.  I keep running.   I will not stop.  I have to finish.  Mile 25  Ronnie from my run club, runs out to me on the course pats me on the back and tells me "you have got this Michelle.  Turn up here to do the Center of the Universe tour then a couple more turns and you will be at the finish.  You look strong Michelle."  This brings tears to my eyes because I really needed it.  My side hurts. My diaphragm is still having spasms. I pretty sure my feet are going to be a bloody mess if I ever take my shoes off.  I turn and do the universe detour and hear Gary from run club call out to me and say "looking great Michelle you got this!'  I wave and say thanks!

     Now I come back down from the detour and see Amanda from run club on the corner and she yells "Go Michelle!"  As she says it I hear all of you saying it too.  I can feel all of you with me on the last leg of this course.  I make a turn and there is the lady from the running store.  She has been everywhere on this course.  This is the 5th time I have seen her along the course.  Each time she has razzed me about my beauty queen wave, this time she jumps up and high 5's me and says the finish line is around the corner.  I believe her because she is sitting by the 25.9 mile marker.  I hear all of you yelling GO! GO! FINISH!

     Mile 26 I can see the finish line and the crowds lined up on either side of the course.  I pick up my pace. I lean forward and start kicking it to the finish.  I see Nate my trainer on my left and hear him yelling.  I hear other run club members yelling. I see Bart Yasso and he says he likes my kick!  I high fived Bart Yasso as I cross the finish line at a chip time of 5:31:59.  I collect water, Gatorade and my medal!  I assure the medical people that I am OK! 

     I am a Marathoner! A year ago I did my first 5K in over 45 minutes.  Six months ago it took well over 3 hours to do a half marathon. 6 months ago I smoked. 4 months ago I could finally run a mile nonstop outside.  Today I am runner, an athlete, a marathoner and anything else I decide to take on.

Live Epic!
Michelle