Put down the pom poms

Remember all that optimism from my last post? The highschool cheerleader channeling through me? I feel prepared, blah, blah, blah. Well, I'm singing a different song today.

I think running 13.1 miles on Saturday was one of the hardest things I have ever asked my body to do. I accomplished my goal, but not without anguish and pain. I ran the whole race, YAY! But I can barely walk today, YAY!

I have likened running long distance to childbirth. I didn't really know what I was getting myself into, so I was nothing but excited. Now that I know what it is like, not sure I want to ever do it again. And while I had all these plans (like many women with birthplans) to pace myself with people, I had to throw out all of those plans at mile 6 when the third person I tried to pace left me in the dust.

People have their advice and stories, but I am one of those "oh, that won't happen to me" types. My friend Aimee (who completed the full marathon on Saturday) prepped me Friday night telling me I would hit a wall at mile 10 and not want to continue. I hit that wall at mile 8. She warned me I would have bloody toes, or even finish without toenails. My bloody sock proved her right.

I did not feel prepared. It was a battle to the finish and when I did finish, Stephen had to hold me up because I was so lightheaded and nauseaus. Saturday night while trying to sleep, my legs repeatedly reminded me how much I worked them, waking me with aches I have never felt before. And even still, going up and down stairs is super painful. Fun times.

But just like I continued having children after our first, I will continue to run these long distances. I am hooked and already have my sights set on two more half's in 2011 with interest in shaving minutes off my time. Aimee prepped me that it gets addicting and that the more you do, the better you know how to train. I know she is right and it is good to know I will *hopefully* never feel this horrible after a race again. The satisfaction of achieving the goal far outweighs the temporary pain. And the achievement will stay with me forever, the pain will pass. I think once I can walk again I may even look back on this first race as my best ever. But not today.

Big thanks to Stephen who was such a support, not only holding me up after the run, but driving, entertaining and just overall managing the weekend.