15 miler

 I lived.  It was not pretty, but the run is somehow complete.  It was an out and back run, half on paved road and the other half on dirt.  Uphill on the out and downhill on the back.  My legs felt like bricks from the start, but the first half was decent.  Here are a few things that went through my head while I was in my happy place.

Upon looking down at my chest to fix my ipod I thought, "Wow, for the first time in my life I might be skinny and have some noticeable boobs at the same time!"

I contemplated armpit hair.  I thought it would be really smart to grow my armpit hair out for at least a week before race day and not shave it until marathon morning.  That way I will be sure to avoid any possibility of having shave stubble and/or razor burn during the race.  Sounds incredibly weird right now, but it made perfect sense during my run.  I was even ready to email it as a "heads up" to my running friends.

I thought about how brilliant it is that I am training at 5500-7500 feet in elevation.  The race is at about 2500 feet.  I thought, "I got it in the bag!"


The second half was a living nightmare.  My legs, hips and calves were fried.  I walked a lot from mile 10 and on.  Here are a few of my thoughts for the second half.

I can say with near certainty that I will never do a marathon again.

I wonder if my uterus could fall out, as in a prolapsed uterus?

With my second (smart) toes slamming into the front of my shoes and my right underarm nearly raw from chaffing, I was convinced I needed to invest in a new pair of running shoes one size bigger, a new Camelbak with a better cut for my body and a surfer rash guard top, immediately.

At about mile 13 I yelled at myself, "You can't finish a damn marathon!"  This actually worked wonders on my twisted mental state.  It spurred my only second wind.  Teenage rebellion method works.

Once home my husband fed me macaroni and cheese, oatmeal and water.  I was preparing for an entire afternoon on the couch.  Turns out I'm not that sore.  Yet.

It took me 3:25 to do 15 miles.  That's a 13:40 pace.  I guess my new goal should be to finish in under 6 hours.  I admit I am a little deflated, but I need to remember that I did not start this run fresh and under the right circumstances.  Also, I must train myself to stay in my happy place when the going gets tough.  Armpit hair beats out prolapsed uterus any day.

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