the flanagan brothers came out to wish me luck
on a gorgeous alaskan summer morning, not a cloud in the sky and 60+ degrees, i ran (and completed!) 13.1 miles around anchorage. a mixture of city streets, back roads paralleling the airport, gravel roads and rugged, rooted trails, inclines after l o n g inclines - this certainly was a feat!
i had been preparing for this run and visualizing the outcome, over and over in my head. probably the best feeling is that hard work pays off. i'm so grateful to have such support from my family to train for the 12 weeks. a hundred thank yous to my husband and mother-in-law for watching the kiddos so i could selfishly escape (alone) on my long training runs. thank you!!!
so at 9:30 a.m., the horn sounded and we took off... like a herd of snails. with nearly 2,400 participants, i wasn't able to reach my stride until nearly a mile in. i felt great. the sun was shining and i felt loose and warm and ready to run. (a new music running mix helped, too.)
it felt like any other race - that is, until the marked trail split and the 5-milers went to the right, and we continued on. no backing out, the only way to finish was to run another 10.1 miles! i guess i was still in disbelief that i was actually doing this.
with the aide stations every 2.5 miles or so, i was able to stay hydrated and replenish any fluid loss with the intense heat beaming down on everyone's sweaty bodies. we just aren't used to this kind of heat up here - it brought me back to my days playing youth soccer at the mysa usa cup, mid-july in minnesota. what, like, 90% humidity in 90 degree weather?! oh, i do not miss those temps!
about the time i was feeling a tad nauseous from the heat, the path diverted us into the cool woods. thankful for some reprieve from the sun, i then battled another challenge - uneven terrain and slight inclines and roots and a much narrower trail. bumping elbows, feeling my knees kinda give way at times, constantly watching for low hanging tree branches while also paying close attention to the uprooted trees below. i was thankful when we reached the coastal trail.
around mile 8, feeling a touch hungry, i pulled out a pack of GU and quickly gulped it down. the flavor was blueberry and something, but it tasted just like pureed raisins. not very pleasant and very much distracting. but, it filled that hungry void... for a while.
i run with a nathan's water belt, and it holds two 10-ounce bottles - one with water and one with orange vitaminwater. i made sure to always take some liquid from the aide stations (saving my supply for in between stations) and always eat a slice of orange or watermelon. i knew (lack of) food was likely to be my biggest obstacle, and sure enough, that's what did me in...
at mile 11.5, i hit a wall. i was amazed to still feel great otherwise; my knees were holding up, my left hip that recently started irritating me a few weeks back was actually feel ok, too. but, my hunger alarm went off. that feeling in the pit of your stomach, that ache in the back of your throat, i actually was seeing black splotches and feeling a tad faint. oh, i couldn't believe it! i have passed out a few times in the past year, and those little black dots were the last things i saw before lights out. so, i did what i told myself i wasn't going to do - i slowed to a walk. i remember shaking my head a few times and concentrating on my breathing. i downed the rest of my vitaminwater, but i was really needing some sugar! i think next time, i'll pack a jolly rancher or two.
reaching mile 12, all i had to do was run up the biggest, nastiest, neighborhood hill in anchorage. one of those that just winds around and around and just about the time i thought i was going to see the high school around the next corner, there'd be another section of hill to climb - gah! the second to the last song on my ipod came on, and i knew my 2 hours and 20 minutes of music was about done. i had to push it if i wanted my PowerSong to be my last song.
i wish i could say i gave it all i had, but all i had was a mediocre jog. i obviously "ate" the GU a little too late, as i never really felt that strength come back. crossing the finish line felt like a dream. jogging to a walk, i looked up to see jack smiling and waving, ben's face covered with the camera lens and my dad and uncle clapping for me. some of my 4 favorite men. i'm so blessed.
ben snapped a few pictures of the end. these are my favorites. he's getting better, don't you think?
finally!
crossed 2:20:53
cinnamon bread, cookies, watermelon, powerade - all with my little man
(hey, it's hard work cheering on mama!)
below are the professional pictures from the course. i received a link of 30-some pictures to choose and order from, but i couldn't stomach spending $80 for all. sheesh. i chose 4 of my favorite shots, and i won't spill how much these cost me!
mile 9 or 10
mile 11
home stretch
love seeing that banner!
i told myself i wouldn't make any hasty comments until after my half. i can now confidently say that i have NO desire whatsoever to run a full marathon. but. i can also confidently say that my next half marathon is august 19! i'd like to see that if some more fuel and maybe a candy or two will get me to under the 2:20 time frame. here's to hoping...
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