"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...

Love song of a Runner (Lindsey)

"So this is the New Year/ and I have no resolutions..." (Death Cab for Cutie - The New Year)

Every year I take stock of the my past 365 days and set a list of goals for the following year. I believe self reflection is critical to growth and making for a happy and healthier life. So when I strapped on my shoes this morning for my 16 mile jaunt (groan) I set out to compile that list.

What did I come up with? Not much of anything. I actually spent the first 3 miles of my run cursing myself and my camel pack: myself for being such a crazy person for signing up for a marathon and my camel pack for leaking down my back. (My pack is pretty finicky. If I don't close the cap just right I get leakage.) Needless to say, it wasn't a fun start to my run.

But I kept going... why?

Zach, my sweet husband, accompanied me this morning on my run. He knew I was nervous and that I had a difficult time last week running on my own. Despite a recent lag in time since his last long distance run, he took on the challenge to keep me company. During my first 3 miles of cursing and self doubt, Zach took every stride with me and encouraged me to keep going. When my camel pack started dripping down my back he offered to carry it instead of me so I could be comfortable. I didn't hand it over because I'm stubborn but his offer melted my cold and angry heart. After that the miles ticked by under our feet.

My mind began to wander about running and it's impact on my relationship with Zach. It was difficult when we were first married to coordinate time to be together with our work schedules, school, hobbies, and sports. We are both pretty active people but our schedules never seemed to overlap. When we moved to Charlottesville for Zach's residency I picked up running races with Heather (see first post). I think running with Heather sparked Zach's interest in running races with me. Perhaps he saw that if we could do it, then he could do it too or maybe he was fed up and wanted to find some way for us to do something together. I'm not sure, but whatever got him over the first finish line in Williamsburg has been a blessing for me and for us. Since then I've had someone to push me out the door when I don't want to go and someone to understand what it's like to be so tired that you can't make it out of bed for the rest of the day. He's been my cheerleader and my running partner. Even when he's sprinting by me to meet me at the finish line, the fact that he's there means a lot. I think it's brought us closer. I know that he's proud of me and he knows that I'm just as proud of him. We help each other meet our goals. (Am I making you feel sick yet?) Sorry for all the sap but I thought it was worth it to share.

Whatever my New Years resolutions end up being and whatever life hands me to deal with this year, I know I can make it because I have my running buddy.

For those of you contemplating resolutions for the year: how about this year you tie those shoes on and step out the door with your significant other? See how far you can go together? See how close it brings you...

Most poignant song from my mix today: All I Need by Radiohead.

Days to go: 47 days

the last piece of pie... (Lindsey)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. As I write this I am enjoying familial laughter, the Simpson's, doggie fur, and one too many pieces of pie. I love the holidays. It's so nice to spend time with people who you are just comfortable with, who love you despite your quirks, and may share your healthy appetite for competition. I'm sure game night part 2 is about to start...

Well, we've reached the dark side of training, the untapped mileage is about to be tapped. I ate my pieces of pie without guilt this year because I'm about to embark on the impossible. Thankfully I have two great running buddies to share the blood, sweat, and tears. I also have one of the most supportive hubbies ever. Zach and I ran the Richmond half marathon a couple weeks ago and it turned out to be a motivating experience. The week before the race I was actually very fearful that I would have a difficult time, that I wouldn't feel good after the race and that would bring me down about my marathon training. However, it turned out to be quite the opposite. Zach ran the whole race with me (because he is super sweet) and I ended taking 13 minutes off my time! That was super motivating. But to top it off, I felt great after the race. Bonus! So in the very least I'm embarking on my impossible journey on the right foot.
Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend!

85 days to go!