The first person who I had ever met who had ran a marathon, I met when I lived in Hawaii.... Rebecca Boswell. Never did I even think of running a marathon. I just ran, just ran for fun. Along the beach, to work, through the gardens of Hawaii, to Waimanalo. I really thought I might cripple myself by running a marathon...no really I did think that. The not so beautiful word "bunion" kind of scared me off from the powerful word "MARATHON". I am not sure why my leisure 10 mile runs didn't encourage me to give it a try.
While pregnant with my first son, I continued to run. I figured it would help my delivery and my recovery, and I knew it would help me in general. Yep 9 months pregnant and still running. While I was pregnant with Asher, I got to see my husband, Justin, work hard week after week training for his first marathon. Right in the middle of his training, our first son, Asher was born. With a new baby, Mommy demands, work, and life, Justin kept training and finished his first marathon in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. "Wow, I want to do that" I thought.
It all happened after becoming a Mom. When Asher was 10 months old I started training for my first marathon with Justin. Several shoe stores along with a foot doctor suggested that I use motion control shoes and orthotics because of my gait, arch, and bunions (because I am not fond of that word I will use the word "feet" from now on). So yes, I bought those heavy things and started training. Any runs from 6 miles plus, my ankles and feet would hurt and be sore for a few days. What would 16 miles do to them? I didn't know. But I had to try. After completing my third 10 mile training run the soreness stopped. I have since read that your tendons strengthen and adapt to your training, so I assume that is what happened to me. God really designed us well!
I am not a social butterfly. I wish I was, but I am just not, and that is me. For a lifetime I've worked on this. I have found a few things that make me more social. Massage therapy (yes, I am a massage therapist), my children, and running. I come alive, I am me. That is when you see the real me.
Back to the marathon. I didn't miss a single training run. I used my trusty Timex Ironman training watch to push me or to slow me down with it's heart rate monitor function. My goal was to finish feeling good. I paced at a 10:19 pace for the first half, then I pulled back to average a 10:33 per mile pace because of the heat and my heart rate. I finished the OCMM 2010 in 4:36:32....one second faster than Justin. I didn't hurt. The next day I felt great. I could do this again.
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| Justin and I at Mile 16, Lake Hefner |
There were some athletes that inspired me along the way: The Oklahoma City Landrunners, Justin, Asher, Rebecca Boswell, Ashley Elias, Amy Palmero-Winters, Joan Benoit Samualson, and Dean Karnazes. My favorite book "Born To Run" was a key motivator in my training. Thanks to all.
So another pregnancy later, it was time to run a little faster. I had Abram on January 17th, 2011 and eight days later, I went on a one mile jog. I was back, and running faster than ever in no time. I was busy. I didn't know what kind of routine I had. I just knew any day that I got to shower and brushed my teeth was going to be a good day. I needed all the sleep I could get so I didn't run in the morning. It forced me to run later in the day pushing my awesome BOB Duallie stroller, filled with a two year old and a newborn in a car seat. For a few weeks, I didn't run on my own, I only pushed the stroller. I got stronger and faster.
And oh yeah, I got rid of those heavy shoes. I started running in the shoes that I was just wearing around the house; Vibram Five Fingers. To add to my minimalist shoe collections, I was introduced to Newtons. My feet are not yet pretty, but since the shoe switch, my feet have improved dramatically. Thanks Vibram and Newtons.
So here I was 3 or 4 weeks postpartum and I thought I would train for the half marathon coming up in a couple of months. I did, and it wasn't that hard. During the half, miles 9-13 were hard for me to keep a good pace, but I didn't give up. It would have been so easy to let go of my goal and just slow down. In the last half mile my trusty partner, Justin paced me. I remember him saying that in the last stretch we were going to have to pick up the pace. I said "don't tell me until it is time to go faster". I was silent for the last couple of miles, just focusing on keeping a fast enough pace to make it in 2 hours. We were on the home stretch and he told me "let's go, we are going to make it". I was moving my legs as fast as I possible could. Justin said "one minute, fifteen seconds"......"forty five seconds"...........my hands started getting tingly......."thirty seconds"........."fifteen seconds"....my head started getting tingly. Wow, I was about to pass out, but didn't. My heart rate was at 172 and I had pushed as hard as I could. I left nothing on the course. We finished with a time of 2:00:38. Justin was so strong. He helped me reach my goal. He is my hero.
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| 3.5 Months Post-partum and Running Hard |
So bid deal, what now?
