I ran the San Francisco Marathon!

Three days ago, I ran the San Francisco Marathon and I still feel at a loss for words to adequately describe the experience… it was absolutely physically demanding yet so intensely gratifying that I wouldn’t have stopped for anything. 

In the days since, I’ve been recovering (pretty sore legs, some really unattractive feet and one rubbed raw spot but not as bad as I thought it would be) and lamenting the fact that this part of my journey has come to a close. This has been such an amazing adventure and I’m finding it difficult to believe that it is over and am alternating between basking in the glory and mourning its end... probably the reason I've struggled with writing this final post for the last few days... it's either that or the slight hangover I got from my post-race celebrations (you can't expect me to change THAT much!).

 

So here it is, the pièce de résistance to what came to be from the mother of all birthday hangovers, a traffic detour, a desperate need for change and a proclamation which had me step a million miles outside of my comfort zone, face a lifetime of self-doubt and insecurities and chose differently than before.  I chose to run a marathon and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.   The sacrifices of time spent with others, events missed due to early and long runs, the bodily harm (who needs toenails or kneecaps anyways) and the investment in anything and everything related to running (ever see the part in that movie Tin Cup where Rene Russo's character has all of the equipment strapped to her to help her learn how to golf?... picture that but for running)... it was consuming of time and energy but it was so worth it. The decision to try, the commitment by me and to me, the time invested, the pushing of physical limits, the emotional growth, the hard parts, the easy parts and everything in-between was more than worth it.

Thanks to the months and months of hard work and preparation, I did really well physically.  I tried to keep an eye on my pace and stayed fairly consistent the entire time despite never being able to locate the pacer in my wave.  I definitely went a bit slower than I anticipated… moving through some packs of runners, dodging walkers (people, please move to the right vs. stopping without warning in the middle!!), walking through most of the water stations and taking two very quick stops to stretch definitely slowed me down some but I just kept reminding myself to run my own race and stayed as steady as I could.   Considering that I was able to keep my breathing from becoming too labored and that I got through 18 miles before I really even realized that I was that far along, I think the pace was probably just right for me!

While I did start to notice the distance at mile 18, it wasn’t until mile 23 that things started to hurt.  My hip (which had been making its presence known the entire time) really ramped up the complaint level right around then and my foot/toes decided to join in right about that same time.  My knees didn’t want to feel left out so they also added their two cents right around the same mileage by expressing dissatisfaction with downhills (I was in awe of the people who went tearing down all the steep hills but more than that, I was incredibly thankful for the scary hill on my regular training route that helped me be able to run up every single hill on the course without faltering the least!).  Miles 23- 26.2 were incredibly difficult physically… I was tired but not to the point of feeling like I was hitting a wall and I still felt pretty good cardio-wise but every part of my legs and core really started to hurt.  When my body started to falter, I stuck with my plan and ran with my head (I figured since nothing had fallen off, it was safe to ignore all my angry pieces and parts) and kept going one stride at a time until I made my way across the finish line smiling, fighting back tears of gratitude, pride and relief... and still running.

And, thanks to some different yet just as important hard work and preparation, I fared just as well mentally.  The last inklings of self-doubt and nerves were gone by race morning (poor Sporty bore the brunt of the last of my panic when I became overwhelmed with the reality of what I was about to do when picking up my packet at the expo on Saturday!).  I reminded myself to stay relaxed and in the moment and soaked up as much of the experience as I could while doing my best to savor every quintessential San Francisco moment of the marathon. I choked back tears a few times from seeing my loved ones cheering me on, from remembering those who are no longer with us and by the experience itself.  I laughed at silly signs, smiled when I ran past where Sporty and I first met, acted as tour guide from time to time for out of town runners and listened to songs about my treasured city as I made my way across the Golden Gate. It was exceptionally exhilarating and I felt strong, confidant and profoundly alive.  I was totally, completely, blissfully happy.

So, if it sounds to you like I did pretty well, you will not even believe the amazing job that Sporty and Bendy did cheering me on throughout… they managed to make their way through marathon detours and other city craziness to find me not once, not twice but SEVEN times!! They had on their “team” shirts, had made huge signs, were cheering their faces off and even had an emergency bag with water, gels, lip stuff, etc. in case I needed anything. It was unbelievable and invaluable… they seriously were/are outstanding!!  I also had help along the way from some of my other incredibly wonderful friends who cheered me on from various spots on the route with great signs and words of encouragement... everyone was so amazing!  One particularly cheerful, active and inspiring friend (she is absolutely one of the most sincerely sweet and positive people I have ever known) was even strategically located near that very difficult mile 25 marker and acted as my own personal coach by hopping in and running with me for a bit while distracting me with stories about baseball, bars, police officers and anything else she could think of until the finish line was in sight... it was a much needed and appreciated boost that helped me press on and run every last step of the way.

After the marathon, we made our way to the hotel terrace overlooking the Ferry Building and festivities below and had ourselves a very good time… the sun was shining, the champagne was chilled, I was still standing (and being stretched out by Bendy as you can see in the photo... so spoiled by having a BFF who is, among many other amazing things, a certified yoga instructor), my Dynamic Duo were by my side and I was surrounded by good friends.  Everyone was so magnificent and I am completely and utterly speechless over the incredible love and support I received from all of my friends, family and loved ones before, during and after the marathon… it was tremendous and remarkable and something I will never, ever forget.

Running 26.2 miles through the streets of San Francisco was by far the most physically demanding thing I’ve ever done and it was also by far one of the most rewarding experiences of my entire life. As I've said before, running and this entire process has changed me... I'm stronger in every sense of the word and who I am today is not in spite of me but because of me.  It was “worth the hurt” and it was worth every single step of the journey.

In the final days leading up to the marathon I assured myself and everyone else that this was my one and only full marathon. I was tired and strapped for time and resources for anything other than running and my body felt like it was breaking down and about to launch a full blown revolution against itself. I was resolved in my thinking that only crazy people run 26.2 miles at one time.  As the days since the marathon have passed, I am still certain that only crazy people run 26.2 miles all at one time and I am also certain that my pieces and parts are not predisposed to go that distance.  But as the soreness and fatigue begin to fade into a distant memory (well,more like a less acute memory but still fading nonetheless), there is a little void being left in the wake that has me asking "what if" and wondering "what next".          So until we meet again...

26.2miles, 4hrs 58min 6sec

Cheers,

SF runner