marathon recap

The alarm was set for 6:10am. The marathon started at 8am which is rather late for a race, especially in Dallas because it gets so hot (more on the scorching heat later). Even though the nerves were running high we manged to eat our toast with peanut butter and banana slices…

And do a quick photo shoot:

The race started at the Texas State Fairgrounds by the Cotton Bowl. It didn’t take long to get there from our hotel but the traffic to try and park was ridiculous!  I snapped this picture of the fairgrounds while we were waiting to exit I-30. 

We arrived at the start line about 5 minutes before the gun went off. It was hot and humid for 8am. We did a quick look around for the gang: Jamie, Katy, Jaime, and Brian, but didn’t see them, so off Mr. B and I went.

The first four miles were perfect. We were right on pace, hydrating, and getting into a groove. If the whole marathon was like the first 4 miles the rest of this story would be very different. After mile 4, Mr. B and the rest of the half marathoners split. I was really sad. I missed my running buddy, plus I knew that I had a looooong way to go. 

Miles 5 to 9 were like my training runs, simple and efficient.  I finally saw some familiar faces at mile 9, YAY Parents!! I was feeling awesome! Nothing to complain about (except for this old Greek guy that was trying to hit on all of lady runners).  Dude, you’re old and crusty! quit trying to pick chics up at running events. 

After mile 9 we left the lake by way of an on ramp, then headed into this random, boring, neighborhood.  One water station had a drum line that was somewhat entertaining, a nice break from the monotony.  Then things started to go awry. At the half way point, the sun was starting to cook. I don’t mind heat but it felt like 90 by 11am. NOT COOL, literally.

We ran north in the morning around White Rock Lake and had to come back south into the city to finish the race. I kid you not, the wind was probably blowing 30mph! I swear I felt like I was running in Egypt. All that was missing were camels and guys with turbans. 

I saw my parents again at mile 16 and was starting to feel fatigue and heat exhaustion set in. The whole time I kept monitoring my heart rate because I was feeling nauseated. My goal was to keep my heart rate below 170 so when I decided to do that I knew my hopes of finishing a good time were out the window. It was a huge defeat mentally but at the end it was the best decision I made. 

In this picture, I am laughing at myself because I must have been on crack when I signed up to run a marathon in Dallas in April. Did I really pay to do this?

Mile 21; I could have killed someone. Let me first explain that to even get to mile 21 you have to run up the steepest hill in Texas and there were no water stations. I seriously almost went ballistic!!

Luckily, my parents were with my cousins that just happen to live in the neighborhood that mile 21 went through because otherwise I would have died. David gave me water and a couple of bottles to go. 

I probably could have quit at this point. It was HOT and people were starting to drop like flies. Even some crazy Ironman guy was walking. No bueno. Then my mother, who receives the Saint of The Year award asked if I needed her to run with me. It took less then a second for me to say, “Let’s go!” 

And off we went! 

My mom, who is a runner at heart but hurt her hip recently and hasn’t been running much since, ran the last 5 miles with me. Praise Jesus for parents. I love you mom and could have not finished without you! 

The last three miles were hell. No other way to explain it. Running back to the fairgrounds there was no shade, hardly any water stations, and nothing to look at. I was just pissed at the this point and wanted to finish. Mr. B found me at mile 24 and gave me a fresh water bottle, which my mom used to blast me in the face. Hilarious because I wasn’t expecting it all, but I wasn’t feeling much of anything at this point. After a few minutes he gave me a pat on the butt and said, “See you at the finish line.” His poor legs just couldn’t take anymore. 

As we entered into the last couple yards of the race, my mom looked at me and said, “Run!.” I took off and finished the race strong. Whats funny is that there was an older lady finishing at the same time and being the competitive person I am,  I thought I would push both of us, but she took it way too seriously and called me a  “b” under her breath as we crossed over the finish line. Whatevs, you psycho! I was trying to help!

My race time was horrible. I finished in just over 5 hours. Which really pisses me off because if it wasn’t for the heat, wind, and lack of water I would have had a better time. All in all, I was in the top half of all the women finishers, so not bad.  The course average for all finishers was 5:01 which put me right at average, but I really wanted to beat 5 hours!  Guess that means I will have to run another race in October or November. Anyone want to come to Denver for the Rock-in-Roll marathon in October?

Afterwards, I finally saw Mr. B!! He finished his first half marathon. I wish I could have been there to see him. So proud of him. 

Here is a little after race photo shoot! 

Yay for marathons! 

Jamie – Marathon 

Brian – Half Marathon

Jaime – Half Marathon

Mr. B – Half Marathon

Me – Marathon 

Meg – Best Cheerleader EVER!

Katy – 5K 

I am so proud of each and every one of these guys! Best way to run a race is with your friends! 

 Taste of victory. 

 Wurth Women kicking butt again. Love you mom! (Fitting that her t-shirt says: Just Bee Yourself)

 Very grateful to my parents for making the trip down from KC. 

After the race my parents, Mr. B and I headed to grab some post-race food at Fuzzy Taco’s. Who knew beer and chicken tacos could taste so good after a long crazy run? 

Unfortunately we had to fly back to Denver that night, which meant we didn’t get to stay and party for Brian’s birthday:( Next race, wherever we are, we are definitely staying the night because trying to walk to catch a plane when you can’t move your legs is really embarrassing! 

Now it’s Monday and I am recovering. My legs hurt but I guess that’s the price you pay. No pain, no gain. 

Thank you to everyone who came to the race. Your support and love mean the world to me and without you I could not have finished this race. 

A special thank you to my husband. Thank you for being patient with me and helping me through my training during ski season. Without you life is not the same. I am so proud of you for finishing your half marathon and I can’t wait for our next adventure!

Love to you all!