That's right, my friends, I finished! I was a little slower than I wanted -- finished in 6:30 -- but I finished and that's all I care about!So, for the report:
Race day started this morning at 2:30 am when I got up and prepared to get ready to be at the start at the assigned 4 am -- it was damn early, but I actually beat my alarm out of bed because I was ready to go. At 6 am, we were all lined up in the appropriate places, the anthem was preformed, and then there were fireworks, and we were off! That first mile was awesome: The adrenline had me fired up and the crowd was wild with excitement. We started near Epcot, so our first miles were through Epcot and it was so cool because it was still dark, but everything was lit up and it was so much fun.
At mile 8, we entered the Magic Kingdom, and I have to say, hands down, that was my favorite part. There wasn't anything that compared to running down "Main Street USA" and through Sleeping Beauty's castle, and the crowd there was amazing. By mile 12, we were headed out of the Magic Kingdom and I was feeling really good, but at about mile 15, I started to wear out, and at 16, I felt exhausted. It was a long road into Animal Kingdom, and it was just past there, at mile 20, when I just wanted to fall into the grass alongside the road and die. Seriously, I know that 20 feels like I'm almost there and I should've been excited, but I had to face the fact that I really wanted to be done, so much so that I really wanted to just quit and have them cart me to the end.
At mile 21, I cried a little bit in pain, frustration, and fear.
My legs hurt so bad that I had to stop and stretch every half a mile; my feet ached, my guts were churning, I was unbelievably hot, and I just felt wiped out:physically, but also mentally and emotionally. Needless to say, the last 10K was mostly a walk effort (and I'm a slow walker). Once we entered MGM, I knew I had it in me to finish, but I was in a lot of pain as we passed through MGM and re-entered Epcot. By that time, I didn't even care about passing through Epcot; I just wanted to cross the finish line and collapse into my husband.
I crossed the finish, and immediately burst into (stiffled) sobs of relief and pride -- I actually did it, I could hardly believe it was true; it was one of the best feelings of my life, and I guess all the pain was made worthwhile by that moment.
I'm home now -- we drove back this afternoon -- and I am incredibly sore: My feet hurt, one toe nail is definitely going to fall off, I have a blister, my knees hurt to bend, and I'm hobbling around like I'm 80. But I did it, I really did do it -- it doesn't quite feel real yet.
22 comments:
CONGRATS! I knew you could do it.
awesome Jess! Congratulations on finishing a marathon!! so cool.
Most excellent, the medal looks awesome on you. Congratulations cherish the accomplishment.
Wow! Nice job! Thanks for the recap!
JESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS Great JOB!! U fought through the pain and U got it done! You should be very proud of yourself...WAY TO GO!
Congratulations, nice to see the reward for all that effort.
om effing g!! awesome awesome job! revel in the pride and the opportunity for your hubby to wait on you hand and foot :)
look how cute you are! I was thinking about you this morning as I was getting ready, and I realized I never wished you luck.
GREAT job! the soreness will subside in a few days and you'll be planning your next!
OMG! I am sooooo excited and sooooo proud of you, Jess!!! You did it!!!
Mike and I were cheering for you all this morning, speculating where you were in the race.
Let the excitement and pride soak in...and then, once you forget about the pain...e-mail me (barbsmarathon@gmail.com). Let me convince you to run Chicago. ;) We're close to the same pace and could pull each other through.
But seriously, way to go on this accomplishment!! That Mickey Medal looks fantastic around your neck!! I knew you'd be brilliant!
Just so you know, you will be even more sore tomorrow. Try to walk around. It hurts to start, but once you get moving, you will feel better. I think sitting too long makes it worse. You should start feeling better on Tuesday and by the end of the week, you should feel like your old self.
Contratulations. Good job.
Awesome work, disney sounds so FUN!!
YAY! YAY! YAY!! you were still able to post!! at least your fingers werent exhausted!!!
i had a feeling after 20 something went wrong! but i am SO glad you finished!!! way to go!!
mine is 6 days away and i feel like crying each day as it gets closer!
Very, very awesome! You should be so proud of yourself!
Congratulations rock star!! So proud of you!!!
*meagan*
congratulations! that's a bit of a huge accomplishment!
Congratulations. Great job.
Congrats!! Enjoy your recovery!!
Congrats!
Way to go, Jess! I am so proud of you! I can't even imagine how emotional this was for you! I would have been a complete basket case! AWESOME! GOOD JOB! WAHOO!
Congratulations on finishing the marathon!
CONGRADS, Jess! YOU did it!!
I'm not sure if it is kosher to comment on an old post, but oh well, here goes... the feeling that you mentioned at the end of your race report when you (may have) rationalized that the pain was all worth it, is the same type of tool that I use to get me through long runs, especially with the heat of late. It isn't as strong since there is no finish line on that day, but somewhere, weeks away there lies another finish line that will return that feeling of greatness. Sure, it still takes physical effort to get through the miles, but now that I'm actually trying to train properly I've started to grasp how important the mental aspects are as well.
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