#rochestermarathon

[hughism]

The second greatest sign of a marathon. #roc #rochesterny #rochestermarathon #running #marathon #milemarker #mile #mile26 (at Mvp Rochester Marathon)

[sweetorangewhispers-blog]

Bang Bang, Boom Clap, Break Free

"The job isn't done until you say thank you.

You're going to be tired when you cross the finish line. And pumped on I DID I! ENDORPHINS. Use those endorphins, even if you're blurry-eyed and it's time to pack it in, to do just.one.more.thing. Say thank you. Celebrate the victory by outlining how to you there. Declare your strengths. Go to bed grateful." Danielle LaPorte 

Sunday, September 21, 2014 is one for the books. I finished my first half marathon.  Most incredible feeling in the world -- there's something about the first of anything....ain't I right? I've been inside a human slingshot and thrown 400 feet into the air, I've ridden motorcycles with strangers on a Friday night in Manhattan, I've broken into and climbed 15 flights to the top of an abandoned psych ward in five inch heels....but I'm telling you, none of those moments compared to crossing that finish line. 

The race began at 745 am and I was already there by 6:30 am along with thousands, from all over. We were all pumped, excited and nervous -- there for a full, half or relay. I made typical rookie mistakes -- I started with a pace leader that may have been too fast for me. For the first six miles, I was running off of that adrenaline and those endorphins -- and around mile 5-6, I started to feel it all and was like: "Hot damn, what have I gotten myself into?" At that point, I slowed down and told myself that I had to finish.

My "pushing" myself would have not been possible without the amazing volunteers and crowds cheering along the way -- "When your legs get tired, run with your heart!", "Run now, poop later.", "PR or ER", "You're halfway there." "You're got this.", "Inspire someone.", "Work hard, play hard, love hard, love life." It was amazing to high five that little kid at the half way point, it was great to receive water throughout the course from beautiful, encouraging humans and the gels at the Brighton Town Park (get it! I was really starting to feel SO tired there).

Around mile 8-9, it started to POUR rain HARD. It had been sprinkling for some time, but right then and there the heavens opened up and BOOM. I'm not gonna lie -- I thought about giving up, but I had to keep on going. I had a little over 4 miles left! I ran with one eye closed and alternated them because I couldn't really see and the rain droplets were hurting my eyes. Once I got to UR, the rain reached its intensity -- to the guy who yelled, "you've got this! you're doing great!" -- those words where a mental/emotional/spiritual energy shot. THANK YOU.

Once I crossed the Ford Street Bridge, it became real: I'M ALMOST THERE!!! To the amazing cop/member of the RPD who said, "You're almost there! It's all down hill from here!" at the Hochstein School of Music and to the girl who was like, "Well at least now you don't have to shower!" once I got to Frontier Field, THANK YOU!  When I saw the 13 mile marker, I lit up and I sprinted to the finish line for the last .1 mile.

It was amazing! It made me teary eyed, that so many people care to show up and cheer on!

After crossing the finish line, I didn't feel tired nor sick nor physically ill in any way. Since I didn't run a full, I didn't hit that 20 mile "wall".  However, I did feel very disoriented and wasn't as cheery as I wanted to be when I saw all my loved ones (Jalon, you da best!). It took me a full 20 minutes and staring at the medal to process that I had finished.

I started to train and run for the wrong reasons you can say -- now, I totally have a different view. While you may get that banging body or that near banging body while training and such, and that's all good and great, it's WAY WAY WAY WAY deeper than that -- it's a mental, emotional, spiritual and physical feat, "we do distance races for all the same reason: we want to know that we can endure." (Thank you Ms. L)

I can endure. You can endure. We can endure.

So what's next?  Well for his week, lots of stretching, recovery, a massage, yoga, slowly bringing back the running in (one week is sufficient recovery for a half) and a weekend daycation :D

And after?  Well there will be training for a sprint triathlon in the Spring ;) and then sometime in the future, a full. I'm addicted ;)

"The world will break your heart ten ways to Sunday. That's guaranteed. I can't begin to explain that. Or the craziness inside myself and everyone else. But guess what? Sunday's my favorite day again. I think of what everyone did for me, and I feel like a very lucky guy."

Pat, Silver Linings Playbook (2012)