Day Thirty-Five: Part One

Caitlin H.

May 2, 2010 - 2:00 PM

The following takes place between 2:00pm and 3:00pm:

Run 13.1 miles in the morning, play a softball game in the afternoon. Sure, why not?

At 7am this morning I finally began a much-anticipated journey - the Eugene Marathon.

Actually today I only ran the half marathon. I know, I know, I'm disappointed too. I had signed up for, and desperately hoped to run, the full marathon. But after mono and strep throat last term my training schedule just didn't turn out like I would have liked. So instead, I opted to just run the half, enjoy the experience, and rather than think of it as the end, consider it the beginning. I'm already looking for the next big race I might run. But here is a brief recap of today:

Mile 1: Life is great. I'm finally getting over my nerves and just feeling excited!!! I had no sense of where my mile time would be, so I just started somewhere near the middle of the second pack and weaved my way through traffic. What fun! I started angling myself to be on the inside turn of corners and I started feeling like a world-famous bobsledder- always thinking ahead to the next big move and getting myself in position.

Mile 2: The magnitude of this adventure is starting to set in. I'm going back towards campus now making a nice loop through some familiar streets. My iPod shuffle is serving me well - the music is keeping me motivated. But as I approached a hill I realize the slow number I had playing just wasn't going to cut it. I skip forward to "Jump" by Van Halen instead.

Mile 3: 10 more miles to go? That doesn't seem so bad. I've positioned myself with other marathon runners to see what they do and what they're saying to each other. Near the end of mile three I get my first glimpse of the elite runners heading back the other direction. I admire their efforts, but a part of me wonders if they might be crazy. Although, now that I've experienced this kind of event myself, I have to admit: I get it. I understand why they do it.

Mile 4: I pass the field where I had my first ever practice with one of my Eugene soccer teams. I start thinking about the kids on my team, thinking about the season. I tried to think about each one of them individually and what running a long distance race like this might mean to them.

Mile 5: I've turned the corner - literally. I'm heading back north now and I feel like I'm making good progress. I haven't seen anyone I know out on the course and I'm beginning to search for familiar faces. In need of some motivation, I keep a few ladies in noticeable outfits in eyeshot and try to close the gap.

Mile 6: Now I'M one of the faster runners looking back at the people still running behind me. Everyone is cheering, even while running, creating a pretty impressive supportive atmosphere. I love it.