Yesterday I competed in the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City, Utah... my first marathon! The night before I tried to get to sleep at about 8pm but probably didn't drift off until 9pm. I had to wake up at 2:20am in order to make it to SLC in time to board the buses. All day prior to the race every time I thought about anything running/marathon related I experienced butterflies like no other! I was a little surprised to wake up refreshed and excited for the run. Usually I dream about missing the bus or showing up without my running shoes or something along those lines, but I slept very well and felt very ready to go.
My training has included the Ogden half marathon, the Ragnar relay, and a bunch of my own personal long runs. I originally was planning my first marathon in September up in Logan. However, the more I thought about it, the more I couldn't wait to run... so I signed up about two weeks ago for the Deseret News. A little more than a week ago I decided to do a 16 mile run to see how well I felt, and learned I needed better socks, and that my legs could definitely handle at least that distance.
I'm not sure how this marathon relates to others, but the course takes you down a 3,200 foot elevation drop. I knew the drop would be difficult but I had no idea how hard it would be on my knees. Before I even started running I had these goals in mind; be patient... don't get caught up in the fast downhill, drink a lot of water, and try and have fun. I really wanted this to be a good experience without the pressures of pace, time, etc. I estimated 4 hours but wasn't going to get too excited about beating 4 hours or coming in behind 4 hours.
After 1 mile of running I was surprised to see that my pace was right on at 9 minutes. This surprised me because even though I was telling myself to be patient and go slow, I didn't think I'd be that slow. Regardless I tried not to get too excited about that and pushed on. By mile 6 the brutal downhill came to a temporary halt as the course moved from East Canyon to Emigration Canyon. The next 1.5 to 2 miles were a pretty decent climb. I am finding that uphill runs aren't too bad for me... I mean aside from the greater cardio strain, I feel pretty good going up. All too soon the uphill ended and again the downhill drop for about another 6 to 8 miles. This is where I was surprised by some really strong aching in my knees. It seems like here around 13 to 14 miles I was forced to walk a bunch and try to stretch more. I didn't expect that this soon into the race that my legs would break down, so I really hoped and prayed that it would just go away. The next mile or so uphill seemed to do the trick in terms of helping my knee feel better.
As I came through the Bonneville Golf Course, I met up with a lady that I later learned was running her 75th marathon. Our pace was good and we were able to talk a little bit. Just having someone to talk to made a huge difference in my mind frame. I was able to take my mind off minor irritations and pains in my body and the next mile or so passed very quickly. I found a pace that felt very comfortable and I cruised along.
As I approached mile 20 I fully expected to hit "the wall." I tried to prepare myself mentally by thinking of the 6 mile runs that I'd done in my training. Oddly enough, and perhaps thanks to my very slow start, I felt great at 20, 21 and 22. Unfortunately I didn't miss the wall entirely as it was waiting to pound me at mile 23.
With the wall firmly on my back I turned off the ipod as it was getting so difficult to continue. It was all I could do to force myself to keep the legs going. I was in the city now and the sun was up and killing me. The heat, combined with the distance caused me to become overwhelmed with nausea. My feet ached and the hot pavement seemed to burn with every step. I tried to remember the course map but couldn't. All I could think was "don't stop" so that I could finish sooner and be done with this insanity. I would repeat in my mind, "the faster you run, the quicker you're done."
The other thing that really stood out to me, was how long it took to run a block. On South Temple, I noticed as I crossed 700 East and then was shocked as I came up on 600 East, and thought, I only ran 1 block!?!
The final length was surreal as I forced myself to finish. I mustered up whatever strength I could and pushed to the finish line. My family was to the right and I was glad to see them cheering me on. As I finished and was given a medal of completion, I slowly walked into the recovery area. Normally when I stop running from a long run, I immediately feel relief to my legs. This time however, I was amazed the my legs didn't stop hurting. I had a very hard time catching my breath, and couldn't get enough ice/water/power aide.
The concern on Shanda's face was obvious, so I can only imagine how terrible I looked. She kept repeating, "You did a marathon! Are you ok?... you did a marathon, are you ok?" As I looked at the family and thought about what I just did, I was overwhelmed with emotion, mixed with pain throughout my entire body!
I finished the race in 4 hours 30 minutes and 7 seconds. I was 318 out of 492 runners, 37 of 51 in my age group, and 231 of 327 among males.
Today as I sit here in pain, I wonder if I'll be able to do another. I'm signed up for the Top of Utah Marathon, but my right knee is very sore. The prospect of running even 1 mile right now is overwhelming. I have a hard enough time even moving from a sitting to standing position!
For now I'll not worry about the future or the past, but be content with the knowledge that I am a marathon runner!
