Rock N Roll Recap

Well, I can say I have finished what everyone determined to be my impossible: running 2 marathons within a 3 week time span. So yes, 26.2 miles, 2 weeks of recovering, a 17 miler, taper, and then repeat 26. miles.

us and our bibs. we are so pumped!

So.  Renee', Becca, Kinsey, and I all set out on our weekend of fun in NOLA with car worship, random life talks, windows down til we were freezing, and maneuvering the NOLA life.  We got to my aunts, crashed there, and off to the expo we went.

So we get to the expo, and it is HUGE.  Brooks sponsors it, so there is lots to do...

like. ride a mechanical shoe. no big deal.

or take pictures with mirrors with positive messages.

So, we go to eat that night with dad, dawn, my Gulfport long running friends, Katie and Lauren and their marathon cheerleaders are with them, so we are all having a good ole' time hanging out, catching up, and just getting our last minute nerves out.

We all wake up at the crack of dawn, get ready, and off to the start line we go.  Katie, Lauren, and I all started together in corral 7, and Kinsey, Renee', and Kelly went to theirs, and thus the battle began.

I wish I was as thrilled as I looked...oh well. great pic!

Warning;  THIS IS MY WORD VOMIT OF MY RACE.

We start running, and the first 13 miles were pretty fun, because they were all IN the heart of NOLA, so there were lots of people, fun jams, and the 1/2er's were with us.  So after 12 it was just the fuller's.  We did a BIG loop to lake Pontchartrain, and it was LONG, and had 3 random bridge hills.  So, I was with Katie and Lauren til around 14 when I decided I wanted to go faster, so off I went.  Around that time I was also realizing I was quite tired, and I still had 12 left, so I texted my faithful text cheerleaders, and told them. Shortly after that I began the brutal process of my asthma attacks-aka-air not entering my body-SEVEN times total at the end of the race.  The last 11 miles I was either crying, trying to focus on anything other than running, taking my inhaler, or telling the Lord I was done with running.  If I could explain how CONVINCED I was that 26 was never going to come...oh man.  SO.  Around mile 19 I hit 'the wall' (your body depletes of glycogen) and had to walk for 5 or 10 minutes because ZERO air was entering my body.  I knew Katie and Lauren were within 5 minutes of me, so I walked until we 'ran' into each other, and we were all just so thankful to have each other be our sides.  No amount of words could express how thankful I was to see them and I know it was vice versa-to just BE with each other as we were dying a self-inflicted death. So, we just kept running because that was all we could do.  Around 23 I saw a Clinton running friend and when he told me I had a 5K left I KNEW I would survive. So, we did finish, and all finished within 5 minutes of each other which was great.  We didn't get the time we wanted, but whatever.  In the end, we ran that marathon DOWN.  My time:  4:27:33.

I have been asked if I felt more accomplished at the end of this one, or blues, because I mean.  If you can't tell, Blues was a breeze and should have been MUCH harder.  However, I am thankful I did this one because I feel like I had the 'typical' marathon experience.  Hell and Back.  So.  I feel much more accomplished in rock n roll because of the amount of struggle it involved.  I have never struggled along with something more in my whole life.  Seriously.  I hate admitting how much I hated it, however.  Here is my heart to you:  I HATED RUNNING SO MUCH IN THIS RACE.  However, here is where the love comes in.  I am still. happily running after it, because love is more than one situation-just like with a person.  One experience won't make you divorce someone-same with running (yes-I just made running my other half basically..)

I need to take the moment to post my two favorite runners at MC.  Renee' ran the 1/2, and Brittney is a 5Ker, training to do a 1/2, and these ladies push me.  They are determined I am the crazy runner they look up to, but I just wish they knew how much watching THEM progress is inspiring to my soul.  We have been through ALL types of runs together, and I am glad we have that close-knit bond.  Without these two women in my life, I can genuinely say I would not have finished that second marathon.  So, thanks guys.  I love you both more than you will ever know.

Coming next:  BRITTNEY'S FIRST 5K, and my birthday 20K trail run!