The LeBaron Bunch, kinda like The Brady Bunch only BeTTeR

"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. but the body is never tired if the mind is not tired."
George S. Patton, U.S. Army General, 1912 Olympian

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

The St. George Marathon...Finally


Thanks to the Spectrum Newspaper

Here's a link to some more pics taken by my BIL from Bluebelle Photography!!!

The Marathon is done!!!!!! WE DID IT!!!!!!! I think I ODed on icy hot. Is it possible? I stopped at every aide station and got pretty close to a few strangers totally rubbing my legs down. I am a very modest person, and here I am lifting my shorts up as high as they can go without revealing a bum cheek. Luckily the last few times my darling came and ran along side me and rubbed them for me. But then others saw how awesome and vigorous he was that they got in line too. "I want that guy, he definitely knows what he is doing!" I am really hamming up a very, very difficult part of my race. The hardest part were my I T Bands. It hurt soooo dang bad, it was almost unbearable, but every time it got unbearable there was an aide station with very willing strangers ready to rub them down.

Oh hooray for all the wonderful volunteers!!! They were there at just about every mile marker handing out Vaseline, icy hot rubs, Gatorade, water, cliff shots, oranges (I do not recommend oranges, uugggh I hadda slightly bad experience after eating one, and it dealt with a lot of bubbles and aspirating a bit) and bananas. I had no problem with bananas, they were fabulous. I haven't really trained on the GU, but it settled really well in my tummy, I had one before my run and 2 more during. I tried taking little bits of GU along the way, and it was a lot easier than trying to gulp the whole pack all at once. I also had some ibuprophen, and sports jelly beans, and some electrolyte pills. Just some info for those who might run someday.



Gettin ready to get icy hot!!!

On a good note, I was really feeling great, my lungs, my muscles, my mental, my tummy!!! All absolutely fabulous. It was unreal how wonderful I felt, and it was a darn good thing because I don't know if I coulda handled more than what I was dealing with.

Surprisingly a lot of my fears didn't happen, no uncomfortable, crampy tummy, which meant no diarrhea, (a big fear), no big ol' blisters, just one tiny one. No hitting the wall that I've heard so much about. What a wonderful gift. No cramping when I stopped to drink or get rubbed down (well my I T bands cramped). No heartburn from too much water or Gatorade. K, a lot of fears, sorry. I could probably keep going, but I am just so grateful, I didn't have these other issues.

Oh Yeah!!!


When we arrived at the Vernon Worthen Park there were all these people standing in line waiting for their turn to get on one of the many, many, many buses. The bus just kept on goin, and goin, and going...up, up, into the mtns.. .Sheesh... When we finally arrived there, the street was lined with flags for us to run through...Awesome!!!! It was cold...so good thing for the fires they built. It's a good idea to wear layers and dispose of your layers along the roadside as you start warming up on your run. Also, it's a good idea to cut up those thick girls tights and make sleeves to pull off even later.

Then there is the time when you hafta leave you warm abode and go stand in line to go pee, and if you're lucky, ah hem...how shall I put this?...poo. And hopefully if you hafta do the latter you at least have toilet paper. I recommend bringing some form of T. P.

There are porta potties at most mile posts, and you hafta wait in line or you can go behind a pink bush. You throw a lot of things out the window like discretion. Sorry. Let's just say, when you hafta go you can't and when you shouldn't go you hafta. ..'nuff said...

I saw sooo many people, big and little, skinny and slightly plump, TALL and small, tan and white (me), people with pain, people who I kept passing, and kept passing me back. A lady with her lipstick and foundation on and ultra blonde hair up in piggy tails. Someone with some really cool yellow shoes, make that 2 people. Some really cool signs....Like... "Cash for Klunker Shoes"...and..."That's Not Sweat, That's Your Fat Cells Crying"... A couple of 14 year olds. Some people that would just walk up the hills. I ran up all the hills, but was still passed by those who walked the hills. I remind myself...I'm still good enough. When I got closer to the finish line I saw more people walking than I had seen the whole time. This was a hard time for a lot of people.


At mile 22 my darling man met me and took some pictures and even ran with me for a few miles. It was so wonderful to have him with me, what a special time. He helped me with my legs a lot. When we arrived at his bike he hopped on it and rode to the side for quite a while, til about 24. Not soon after he left, I saw my brother Mark, and brother-in-law Tim. They started running with me, it was so wonderful. It woulda been pretty draggy if it wasn't for them talking to me and entertaining me.
Then we turned the corner and there it was the balloons, the people, the finish line!!!!! I started crying and hyperventilating!!! I had to stop, and gain control, 'cause I couldn't breathe. So down the stretch I went, and before I knew it, Tim and Mark had gone and there was my Darling with all our kids minus one, and they ran the rest of the way with me to the finish line. A very special moment.

This is what all the training was for, FOR THIS MOMENT!!! Oh my goodness it was super awesome, it was heaven. There were my parents and another brother, and my in laws, and sis-in-law, and 2 more brothers-in-laws with their wives and kids, rooting me on. When I got closer to the finish I just couldn't control myself, I sprinted to the end. It actually felt great...I felt no pain. I finished at 5:08:42 about an hr later than I was hoping for. Oh well, I finished. And I feel pretty darn good... it is over. A chapter in my book is filled, {this might cover more than a few chapters in my life}.


After the finish line, I got my medal and there was my dear, dear training partner, Nissa, with a big smile and a hug. I lost her at the starting line, so this is the first I had seen her. We ate a bit and then I went and found my family and got lotsa pictures. My Darling gave me some beautiful flowers, as well as my mom...so fun!!! We then met with everyone at the park and had a taco salad lunch.
What a good time. It was haaarrd, but it was very remarkable, and life changing. I am grateful I was able to do this, I have been able to be healthy the whole time I have trained, and close to injury free. A BIG THANK YOU to a loving Heavenly Father....I will be forever grateful. When you're training for a Marathon, it's hard to really know if you will ever really make it to the starting line, because of the rigorous training schedule and chance of injury. My I T bands have been a very real problem, but I am grateful it was at least doable, I will heal eventually. Thank you to all that supported me, I couldn't have done this ultra crazy thing without you. WOOO HOOOO!!!!! Everyone should run a Marathon, put it on your calendar, Oct. 2, 2010!!!!!! See ya there!!!!

8 comments:

Steve Vawdrey said...

Andrea, well said. I relived much of my marathon experience through your blog. Great detail and feelings. We had very similar goals. I was hoping to finish between 4:00 and 4:15...didn't happen. I was probably one of the walkers how passed you on the hills, but of course, you passed me plenty of times too.

I, too, was flooded with emotion at the finish line--not sure where it all came from, but it re-enforced the understanding that I had just completed a full marathon. Such an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.

Funny how I know you hardly at all, and at the same time, we have a ton in common. Thanks for keeping it all positive during the race--it helped me a ton.

Hope your IT Bands are doing better. I'm still shuffling along and living on Ibupropfin each morning and night. I'll probably go back to my physical therapist for further recovery advice. I surely won't reach my 1,000-miles for the year, but will be close (around 900). Keep on runnin'!

Steve

Lorilee said...

What a mess you have turned me into. I am still crying, as I think about the whole marathon experience. I couldn't be more proud of you. I am glad that all went so well. I am glad that you saw thru the hard times and focused on the positive. Heck....I am still crying. Anyway, what a wonderful chapter in your book of life. I am so proud of you. What a true inspiration you are. Thanks 100 fold for sharing you story.

I made a book for my brother of his marathon experience. I'll have to show you. I think you should do the same. Love ya.

Fun Family Times said...

Good Job! I am glad that all went well, it is good to hear how it went!

Cheryl said...

I've been checking your blog every day since the marathon. Thanks for posting about it. & thanks for making it a good long post so we could read the gorey details---along with the rest.
Love your smile in the top photo.
I admire your one of many accomplishments.

Cheryl said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Clark Family said...

Andrea you truly inspire me and I thank you for sharing it all with us.

Angie Stewart Black said...

Hi Andrea! Good job for being so dedicated and so determined to finish a goal. I need to be inspired too!! Your family looks so adorable! How are you guys doing? You will have to check out my blog and see my adorable little ones! We should get together sometime and hang out! You look great and congrats again on your accomplishment!

Stephanie Lee said...

Andreandreandrea.....Amazing is all I can think to say. And even that seems substandard as far as adjectives go.
How I would have loved to have been there right along side the whole time. It would have been so amazing to experience something like that with such a positive, determined woman. I admire you even more than I did before...which was a whole heckuva lot, I tell you! :)
Way to go, girlie. Way to go!! Oh, and HUGE kudos to Arty for being such and amazing support to you not only in word, but also by example. The stories of him running along side you always brought tears to my eyes. What an amazing guy he is. Amazing people the lottaya.
Wishing I could give you a hug right this very second....
oxoxoxo

Related Posts with Thumbnails