Marathon Finisher

It's been a while since I updated. The month of April is a blur in my mind. Since last I checked in, I have: attended my 15-year high school reunion; run 20 miles in my hometown; run 14 miles in the Brooklyn rain; come in second place in a fundraiser scavenger hunt; seen my parents twice in four weeks; read six books; written an article; eaten banana pudding, barbecue and fried chicken, not all at the same time nor in the same place; and oh yeah, RUN A MARATHON.

It took me 5 hours and 17 minutes, but I did it. I did it in 90-degree heat with 67% humidity, which according to Coach Lisa is a heat index of 102 Fahrenheit. I did it in Nashville, a city I love, with my husband and my parents watching. I did it by dumping cups of water over my head and down my neck from mile 14 on, even though it washed the sunblock off my left shoulder and resulted in some attractive ring-of-fire chafing around my left armpit (I'm right-handed, which I'm assuming is why my right side was not similarly afflicted. Note to self: switch hands.). I did it with electrolyte tablets, which I'm convinced are the best things ever since they taste like Gatorade but are kind of pleasantly fizzy , and they contain no sugar so they eliminate that sugar-coated tongue feeling Gatorade brings on when you drink it during a long run. I did by eating three salt packets along the course. I did it by eating six Gus in alternating chocolate and vanilla flavors. I did it after being serenaded by a suspiciously chipper man running the same 26.2 miles in the same heat while carrying a banjo. I did it without killing the guy at mile 6 holding a sign that said "FREE BEER: 20 MILES."

We had to wake up really, really early because the race started at 7 a.m. and the shuttle to the start line left at 4:30. Even typing this now, it makes me laugh. 4:30! Haha! So I got up at 3 a.m. (more laughter) with the help of my cellphone, the hotel alarm clock and a Southern-accented wake-up call. I had only slept for about four hours because I was still adrenalinized from the Team in Training pasta party and the team meeting we held after that, and had ended up dancing around my hotel room to the running mix on my iPod while laying out my clothes for the race. I also made Steve get up at 3, which he did with minimal grumbling. We dropped our bags off in Kelly's room and headed for the hotel lobby.

Despite the crank factor of the early wake-up and early shuttle, it was really nice to get to Centennial Park in Nashville with the first group of runners. Notably, we had time to eat our peanut-butter sandwiches and use the Port-a-Potties two or three times before the lines got huge. This race was really well organized, I have to say - no lines for bag check and the corral system and wave start made things very easy.

Kelly and I got to our corral, stretched a little and laughed at the girl behind us who was supposedly running the full marathon with artfully mussed hair, tight shorts and six gels stuffed into the front of her sports bra. Team in Training has instilled a little bit of snobbery in me, I guess.

The race officially started at 7. At approximately 7:01, Kelly and looked at each other and determined that we had to pay another visit to the Port-a-Potties. So we sneaked out of our corrals and jumped back in with no problem. At 7:34, we crossed the start line. And my parents and Steve were right there! Awesome. So nice to see them so early on.

The first four miles ran us through downtown Nashville, past the honky-tonks and the Country Music Hall of Fame and up to Music Row, where all the big companies have their studios. There were some hills but honestly, having trained in Prospect Park for a year and run the Nike Half in San Francisco, it barely registered to me that I was running uphill. It should also be noted that it was only (only!) about 75 degrees out at this point. The next seven miles or so went through a residential area where my sister used to live. Lots of spectators, very pretty. Saw my parents and Steve again around mile 5. It got steadily hotter and hotter but this area had a decent amount of shade.

We hit downtown Nashville again and at mile 11, the half-marathoners peeled off from the hardy souls running the full. I won't lie, this was sort of a low point, morale-wise. The half marathon at this event is HUGE, more than 20,000 of the 30,000 registered runners, and you could see LP Stadium and hear the finish line in the not-so-distant distance. There was no shade, and it was more than 80 out. We pressed on.

Mile 13, the halfway mark. Saw my parents and Steve again, and they said they'd see us at the finish. My mom produced a magical bottle of Gatorade out of thin air (OK, maybe out of her huge purse) and refilled my water bottle, which was delightful. Banjo Guy serenaded us. We ran past the TNT NYC coaches and coordinators again around this point as well.

At Mile 14 we started the ritual dumping of water over the head and down the shirt. The course went through another neighborhood and then into an industrial park, and finally along a trail along the river. This was very pretty but holy hot. On the way out of the park we passed a bank sign informing us that it was 82 degrees out and Kelly sagely pointed out that they should have turned those off.

Mile 18 was uphill. Enough said.

At Mile 20, we passed LP Stadium again. So cruel! Kelly's friend Janeen jumped in with us. Then we saw my parents and Steve again! Total surprise. I assured them that I was fine. They said I looked great.

At Mile 21, on yet another uphill stretch, Coach Lisa jumped in with us. I walked through a water stop, drenched myself and then suggested to Lisa that we walk a little bit further. She indulged me for a mile or so as I caught my breath and as Kelly and Janeen ran on ahead. We chatted our way into a park and ran into another TNT BK'er in there. Lisa encouraged us both to try running again. I hyperventilated. DAMN IT. Lisa told me to try again. Success!

Mile 26. Lisa left me to fend for myself on the remaining .2. If you are thinking that .2 is not very far, you are wrong. It is very, very far indeed. I was in a Zone, not looking at anyone around me. I heard my name yelled (turns out it was Steve), but couldn't look up or over.

Finish line. I ran over it with my arms and face up, a nice change from all the race photos of me with my head down. Then I started crying. I smiled to get my medal and for the obligatory medal photo and check-in at the TNT tent. Then I couldn't find my parents and Steve. When I finally did locate them, hanging out in lawn chairs under a tree (!), I started crying again. I managed to compose myself, change into less smelly/wet clothing and flipflops, make some introductions and get into my dad's car for the ride to our big lunch at the Loveless.

There was fried chicken and fried okra and cheese grits for lunch and lots of partying that night.

I still can't really believe that I ran a marathon. After so many years of unhealthy eating habits and periods of lethargy interspersed with gym-rat bursts, I can finally call myself an athlete. Pretty crazy for someone who couldn't run a mile in high school (although, to be fair, I could swim a mile, but the Presidential Fitness Test didn't care about that).

But what amazes me most is that I set a goal for myself over a year ago to become more fit and healthy, and a running program was part of that. And now I've not only learned to run, but I ran a marathon. I MET A GOAL. I am not usually very good with follow-through. Running this marathon makes me wonder what else I can do if I just decide to do it. I'd like to find out.