My Marathon Journey Part 1

This is the first in a series sharing my marathon journey and what I learned along the way.

“I did it! I finished 26.2 miles! It was not at all the way I pictured it would be. But I guess that's how life is, we plan and prepare and work hard but sometimes things don't go as planned. So, we cry a little, collect ourselves, gather the best darn friends & family a girl could ever have and finish
the race a different way. I am so blessed. I've been told many, many times lately that I'm amazing. The truth is I'm surrounded by amazing people who carry me! There are no words to describe how blessed I am!”  - Facebook Post 5/17/14

My quest to complete a marathon started out much like many other runners. I had run dozens of 5k’s, a couple 10k’s, four ½ marathons and a few other races thrown in there. When I first started my ½ marathon journey, Holly H told me I would be running a marathon in a few years. I told her that I would NEVER run a marathon. But, even then, I think I knew deep in my heart that I couldn’t come that far in my running journey and not do a full marathon.  I always thought “I’ll do it when I lose weight. I’ll

do it when I’m faster. I’ll do it when my kids are older.” But on Thanksgiving morning 2013 I was running with JoAnna and talking about some things going on in my life. I told her I was considering a marathon in 2014, possibly even Ogden. She greatly encouraged me to do it. We talked about how it would be a celebration for me. I’d had some extremely difficult years. Health issues, multiple surgeries, biopsies, MRI’s, CT Scans, treatments and lots of scares. I was in the middle of dealing with Doug’s unemployment and the tremendous stress and pressure that brings and also fighting an incredible depression. It was a depression unlike anything I’d ever felt before. I didn’t want to live let alone get out of bed and go for a run or take care of my kids. In spite of all of this, or maybe because of all of this, I knew that it was time; it was time to train for and run my marathon.

I trained and I ran. I tried to lose weight but the depression was such a hard thing to overcome that controlling food was more than I could handle. I didn’t lose the weight I’d hoped but as the medications, counseling and sleep all came together to help ease the darkness I was able to concentrate on eating healthy. I went into the marathon knowing that I had spent the previous few months eating healthy and taking care of myself even if my weight was only about 10 pounds less. I knew I was strong.

When I would do my long runs I would post on our NERC (Northern Exposure Running Club) FaceBook page and ask if anyone would like to join me. I usually had tremendous support on all my runs. If no one wanted to do the full miles with me people were always willing to do part of them with me. I ran very few miles on my own.

Long runs are tough. They are a learning experience in themselves. I grew through hardship and learned from experience. Some of my high lights:

My first 14 mile run, I had started at the local running store and ran throughout town, up to the dam, university campus, 1400 North, the LDS temple. As I came down the temple hill I was out of water and still had five miles left to run, luckily, my friend Roz lived at the bottom of the hill. I stopped at her house to refill my bottles and she said she was running with me. We headed back to the running store and as we got closer we realized it we were going to have to loop around to get reach 14 miles. It was hard, I was tired, and I hadn’t run close to that far in almost two years. I ended up walking much of that mile but I ran that last lap around the parking lot to see my watch say 14 miles!

The first attempt at 17 miles, JoAnna and Jill met me at my house. Our plan was to run to the temple and back. Along the way we were picking up Marci, Emily, Jeremy and Mindy so they could run some of the miles with us. The day started out mostly warm, for February, I even left my jacket hanging on the mailbox at Emily’s house. We made it to our turn around point, feeling good. Made it back to 1400 North when it starting blowing a frigid wind. We ran most of the way through North Logan against that wind. Then it started snowing on us, I was slowing down. We changed our course a little bit trying to make it easier but we got to about 13.5 miles and realized we were too wet and it was too cold to go on. I insisted we get over 14 miles because I wanted it to be my longest run ever, so, I think we went 14.2 and called it quits!

My second attempt at 17 miles was up Blacksmith Fork Canyon with Emily. She did the entire run with me- her farthest by far and it was a wonderful run! Except for Emily’s IT band.

 

The first 20 mile attempt, what a day! The people who were going to start with me backed out last minute. I had reservations about this run but figured it was just because I was nervous about running 20 miles. Doug agreed to drive me up the canyon; we met Tawnya at the bottom of Blacksmith Fork Canyon to give her a ride up. On the way we hit a deer! It didn’t die and we had vehicle damage so we had to drive back down the canyon and call the sheriff.   Finally more than an hour later we were able to head up the canyon to start our run. Tawnya took off- she’s faster than I- and I started a good run. I had a great six mile run when the pain in my side became too painful and I started throwing up. I was in so much pain that the running was too much jarring so I had to walk for the next four miles until Emily came to join me for my run. I was so grateful to see her! I got into her truck and she took me down to my car. I called Doug and told him to meet me at the ER. I was diagnosed with “maybe a kidney stone”, given pain meds and sent home to sleep for the next couple of days. I now know that it was the beginning of my symptoms of my sphincter of Oddi (75% blockage of liver bile duct) showing up.

My final long run was a 20 miler, once again down Blacksmith Fork Canyon. It started out great, by about mile 10 I was having leg cramps from my hips to my ankles. By mile 15 I was in so much pain and I said to Emily and Jenni “All I want to do is go sit in the river.” Emily said: “Maybe you should.” I decided to give it a try; we walked down to the river. I tried to stand in it but couldn't get deep enough and I didn't want to get my clothes wet because I knew I needed to finish five more miles. I sat on a fallen tree feeling frustrated and starting to feel defeated. The thought was going through my head “If I don’t finish this, I can’t do my marathon. If I can’t finish this, I’m not sure Doug will continue to support me.” I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. Suddenly I was reminded that I happened to have two zip lock bags in my pocket. What you don’t carry extra zip locks all the time? I know I was blessed to have them there! I filled them with water, lay down in a grassy area and rested them on my hamstrings, Jenni and Emily even massaged them on my legs. After a while the cramping went away and I was able to complete my miles. Looking back, I think this was a time that I had to decide if I was a quitter. It would have been really easy to call it a day. To get in a car and go home, I wouldn't have had to run my marathon, I could have just blamed in on my body and stopped.