My Marathon Race Report

Well it’s over, it’s in the books, it’s done I can check it off the list. I have run a marathon! Wow it’s still hard to believe, maybe it will sink I don’t know. In a way it was kind of anticlimactic. I guess what I’m saying is the journey is truly the destination. So all the training and weight and stuff leading up to it was the destination. Ok enough of the deep thinking stuff, now about the race. We got up at 5 to get ready; it was cold in the low 20s. I had laid everything out so all I had to do was pretty much get dressed. I went down to crank our car so it would be warmed up when we left and my cousin was up and she toasted me some bread, so that was my prerace meal two pieces of toast and a water. We were able to park a couple of blocks from the finish line (that was a big plus, it’s kind of hard to walk after running a marathon, so it was good to be that close when it was over). We went in and looked at where the finish line was. Then we walked and found the starting line and since it was so cold we decided to keep walking around until the start so we walked around on Beale street some then it was time to line up. I was in coral number 10 for those hoping for around a 10:30 pace. As I stood there waiting it was hard to believe it was really happening, I had dreamed about and worked hard to get to it now it was about to happen. I took my first gu about 30 minutes from the start. As they keep moving us closer and closer to the starting line as the other corals would go off the excitement keep building and building. I think it was good I had ran the half and the 10Ks because it did help me control my emotions and not go out to fast. The first few miles I felt like I could run forever, I guess it was the excitement and the taper as I was well rested. One thing that surprised me though there wasn’t nearly the conversations that that I heard when I ran the half in Florence, I really thought there would be more. I did hear a couple lawyers talking about some cases they were working on and a few were talking football. I can’t really remember what miles these were on, but earlier in the race there was a band under a bridge life structure that was playing the what I call the hey song that they play at hockey games, that was fun to run by with that playing. There was what I think was a homeless guy that somehow got in the middle of the race and was walking towards all of us and cussing because we were in his way, that was interesting. All this was before the half way point. Oh yea there was one time when the smell of pumpkins was real strong, everyone was saying do you smell pumpkins? Thought was funny. Saw one runner that couldn’t make it to the next port potty so he was peeing in the bushes! Back over twenty years ago while I was stationed in Arkansas me and buddy went to Memphis and got a tattoo, we actually ran by the house where I got it, I had forgot about it and there was a band playing and I looked over at them and they were in front of the house that was a tattoo pallor and I recognized it. I thought that was cool. Some other memories are giving high fives to folks along the way, kind of made you feel like you were one of those athletes you see on TV. A lot of signs folks had held up gave you motivation. There was guy around mile 24 was yelling out reasons you should stay strong, like you trained for this, this why you got up early and ran, you’re a special kind of person to be able to do this, now suck it up and finish strong. His words helped! There was a guy close to the end that had a little too much to drink and he was high fiving everyone saying we don’t need New York we got Memphis. These are some of the memories from the race, now on how the run went. Like I started to say the first few miles I felt great. I did good holding back on my pace and keep about a 10:30 all the way till about mile 15 then I got in the 11s for a few 19 to 24 was in the 12s then 24 was a 13:13 and 25 a 13:10 and 26 was a 12:26 I could smell the finish line then. The last .2 was a 2:37, that was the longest .2 ever. I felt real good till about mile 14 then my ankle started to hurt it was getting real stiff. When I stopped and walked at the water stations it hurt real bad, I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about stopping, but then I thought I have came this for and I’m not stopping 10 miles short of the finish so I pressed on. I did the water breaks for the first 15 miles every three miles then I dropped done to 2 miles between 16 and 20 then for the last 6 miles I stopped every mile and walked while I drank for the last 6 except I didn’t stop at 25 because I didn’t know if I would be able to start again. I ate a gu every45 minutes till about 3:45 minutes in then I had one every 30 minutes. I know I’ve been jumping from topic to topic with this recount, but I’ve been putting it down here just as it comes to my mind. At a little past mile 24 I was hurting pretty bad, but I realized I was going to do this I was going to make it, shortly I would be saying I had ran a Marathon! I started to fill up with emotion and I clinched my fist and tightened everything up and was fixing to yell yes and I almost caught a cramp in my left calf. I mean I came as close I you could to getting one without getting it. I told myself then OK no emotions no jumping for joy, no shouting, no acting crazy when I finish, just finish. So I ran the last 2 miles praying not to cramp! It was so neat going into the stadium where we finished they called out your name over the pa and folks were cheering for you, it was a neat moment. Right after I crossed the finish line I heard Jenny and Summer call out my name, it was an emotional time to see them to see the smiles on their faces. I got my medal then made an attempt at the stairs to get up off the field. It was funny there were two elderly ladies helping us up the first couple of steps and man that was the longest flight; well at least it seemed like the longest flight of steps I’d ever been up. I could see and sense the pride in Jenny and Summer’s faces for me as I got to them. We hugged and took a few pictures then I went to the are where we could get some free food and drinks. It was tough walking everything was real tight and hurting. I walked by the beer booth and a lady said hey you look like you could really use a beer I said no thanks and keep walking. The walk to the car was only a couple of blocks, but it seem like miles. We made it to the car and headed back to my cousin’s house to watch the Florida Bama game I got me a long shower before the game then relaxed watching it. Proud Bama won, after the game we were watching the post game and mark Ingram was running around everywhere celebrating and I talked to the TV and said you better be careful celebrating Mark you’ll catch a cramp, the TV went to a commercial and when it came back it showed Mark on a stage with other players and then all of a sudden he had a funny look on his face then he just dropped, he had caught a cramp! We all had a good laugh about that! After the game we headed home the ride wasn’t too bad I wasn’t nearly as sore as I thought I would be. The clock on the finish line showed 5:19:04, but my actual time was 5:01:47 they did a wave start so I actually started almost 20 minutes after the first wave. I did this I did it today not tomorrow I have ran a Marathon and I did it 369 days after I decided to start this journey.