Indeed it took me almost a million years (2 hours 20 minutes at a 10:46 pace to be precise), but I finished it nonetheless. And to be quite honest, I actually enjoyed it. (Well, all but the last thirty minutes of it, when I almost died). And I really want to run another one and just keep running on a regular basis in general. Shocking--I know.
So how did this happen? I ask myself that exact question every time I'm sweating and looking gross when I'm on a run too.
Basically this one time I fell head over heels for this boy named Max who loved running all sorts of distances, but especially long races like marathons. We started dating and he would go on runs all the time and then asked me if I liked running too. Obviously I answered that I enjoyed it even though I couldn't remember the last time I put on my tennis shoes. Then we started going on runs together in the evenings. (To be more accurate, Max would go on a 10 mile run and do at 2-3 mile cool down jog with me). So like any crazy love struck girl would do, when Max suggested we run a race together I agreed. We also got a bunch of our roommates to run with us and made a fun little road trip to Las Vegas out of it. Max signed up for the 50 miler and I signed up for the 10K and he made me a whole training schedule and everything. I even ran DURING Christmas break, which shows you just about how much I liked him. Come race day Max got sick and had a fever and didn't actually get to run his race. But I still ran the 10K and even though I thought I was going to die I still finished. After the race Max said I would be converted and would be addicted to running. But that never happened. And then we got married. So then I told him I didn't really like running, and then I stopped running all together. For a few years at least.
After a semester of pharmacy school I realized I should probably exercise so that I can be more healthy. Especially because I'm deathly afraid of getting osteoporosis (it runs in my family and it's not if, but when I'll get it...) and all the science suggests that you only build up your bone density until your 25 years old I decided to start exercising. I started out with just some yoga and zumba classes at the RPAC but then I started running because it gave me an hour or so of guilt-free tv watching!
Over Labor Day weekend this year, we drove up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Marquette for Max to run another marathon. (Just a side note: The UP is one of the most beautiful places I've been to! It had such great views of the great lakes and cute little local restaurants and little boats and light houses. I definitely want to go back and visit again). On our way home, we stopped by to see Janine and Kevin (Max's cousin and her husband) in Detroit. It was then that we all decided it would be so fun if we ran a race together...and I hesitantly agreed. The Indianapolis Monumental Marathon was in just 8 weeks and luckily it was one of the flattest race courses (I probably wouldn't have agreed to run it if it wasn't).
On race day I ran with Allison, my SIL, and thank goodness she ran with me! It was so fun to run with her and the first 6 miles felt super easy and fast! (It also helped that the first couple miles I was distracted by trying to sprint to the the nearest portapotty--apparently I drank way too much water before the race started). The last few miles were hard but Allison kept me motivated and kept telling me the finish line was just around the block (she said this about five times before we actually got to the finish line :P). There was a point in the race that I looked around at all of the other runners and thought, "wow, everyone here actually paid money to be here to run 13.1 miles on a saturday morning?" haha. It was so fun to have Max's brothers and Mom there to support us all too. (I didn't take hardly any pictures because I didn't have my phone or camera after the race--sad, I know!)
I still can't believe I actually ran 13.1 miles but it feels good to run and exercise and be healthy. Yay for the word of wisdom. The gospel is true guys--being healthy is great! Plus I feel less bad when I get two servings of dessert!
So sign me up for the next race! :D
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