"I am ready to fly" (Lindsey)

I think I've started and re-started this post about a million times. I'm having a difficult time putting into words what Marathon weekend meant to me. Because it isn't just a 26.2 race - it's more than that. It's months of preparation and support from friends, family, co-workers, trainers, clients, and strangers. It's life changing and soul shaking. It's blood, sweat, and a whole lot of tears. It's also not about me - it's about my running buddies, my husband, my family. It's the humbling experience of watching a blind man finish the marathon and a fire woman dressed in full gear (including tank) finish the marathon to honor her deceased friend. It's about inspiring others while inspiring yourself and finding out how freaking strong you really are. Yes, when you finish your marathon - you are "freaking" strong. ;-)
So because I'm a photographer and it's easier for me to tell a story with pictures I thought it would be easier to tell my story with pictures from the weekend...

Rise and shine - it was a 5am wake up call to be ready to go by 7am. This is me and Austin in our pre-race glory. More like "holy cow what the heck am I doing??!" We were down a runner due to Heather having a knee injury but she was there to cheer us on like the rock star that she is. We missed you so much on that run Heather!

Zach ran the half marathon that day. He got a PR!! 1:53! then he ended up running another 3 miles but that's for later in the story...

Wow - well this was from early in the race. I think about mile 8. This is also about the time that my quad turned into a giant rock of pain. oh yeah it was awesome (she says in heavy sarcasm). Much of the rest of the race is me and Austin stopping for me to stretch and yes, Austin giving me a massage which one male runner enjoyed immensely. I don't actually recall most of this time because it was a) painful and b) non-descript. I like to compare it to what it must be like for someone having a kid. Women tend to forget all the painful stuff but remember all the good parts. 

 

Well here is the best part for me and thanks to my best bud Whitney - it will be with me always. :-) Mile 23, right where I needed it most were my husband, parents, sisters, soon to be brother in law, best friend, dear friends, and new friends. That's a lot of people! and yes I have the world's best husband and yes he ran the rest of the race with me and Austin. and yes, that's me cussing about wanting a beer. ;-) 

couple corrected false-hoods about marathons - 1) If you can run 20 miles, you can run 26.2. Technically this is true, however, they leave out the part where the last 6.2 are the hardest miles of your life. 2) do the training plan, you can finish. hmmm yes, technically true but in reality it wasn't just the training that got me through the race - it was my running buddies and all my support on race day. Seriously one of the most beautiful, human experiences of my life. 

Example of my beautiful, human experience. 

and then awkwardly stuffing your face not seconds later...

followed by choreographed crying. What can I say, we are Arnold's.

happiness

My awesome family!

Marathon runners are 0.1% of the population. So happy to be part of the club! Thanks Austin for pushing me to keep going when I didn't think I could. <3 

Curious about post race recovery? It's a lot like child birth or running a marathon - you forget the pain and remember the good parts. My ice bath following the race felt amazing and everyday my legs start feeling more and more normal. 

Now, which marathon will I run next...

83 hours, but who's counting (Lindsey)

I can't believe it, it's down to the wire. 3 more days, or 83 hours, 5037 minutes... who's counting? This past week I've felt somewhat like an addict coming off a high, looking forward to their next hit. Am I actually comparing long distance running to being high? sigh. This week has been a week of mixed emotions: excitement for Sunday's race melts into complete panic at the thought of running 26.2 miles but then they peak again at the thought of running across the finish line. This week has been more tapering and more stretching but I've had this feeling of "ansy-ness." I'm used to spending all afternoon running and now workouts are finishing in 30-45 minutes. What am I supposed to do with myself? Am I addicted to running now? I guess there could be worse things.

I've been trying to keep positive (there isn't anyway I'm going to get through this without some rose colored glasses) so I've been thinking about all the positive changes that training for this marathon has brought me. So here they are:

1) I can now lift my dogs' 50 lb dog food bag like it's a 5 lb weight. - yay for muscles!
2) Running has improved my riding. I rode Mafazi this past weekend and I'm pretty sure she was trying to figure out who the heck was on her back. "who is this chic w/ legs 'o steel and good posture?"
3) I'm learning how to tell the difference between pushing myself and being hard on myself - there's a difference.
4) I'm learning not to cheat myself - I have to do some of the hard stuff to get to the good part. You have to put in the work.
5) I'm learning that I'm a little more spiritual than I thought.
6) Discipline - you need it.

Remember those New Years Resolutions I hadn't figured out yet... well I've thought of one: I want to keep up with my running and cross training. I'm signed up for the Charlottesville 10 miler in March. It sounds like a piece of cake compared to the marathon but I think I'm going to aim to take some time off my PR. Who knows, maybe someday I'll be competitive in some of these races... we'll see.

Song of the week is Take on Me - covered by A.C. Newman - It's the first song on my marathon mix. I'm ready to take you on marathon!