I was surprised about how calm my nerves were the night before the race. We went out to dinner and I ate so much spaghetti and bread that I could barely breathe, and slept through the entire night. The only slip-up was that I slept through my alarm in the morning -- there's my recurring dream from the summer about sleeping in and missing the starting line -- but luckily I set it early enough that I was able to still get a piece of peanut butter toast and a banana on my way out the door, even after waking up late.
The starting line was pretty exciting on the Jacques-Cartier Bridge. Everyone around me was just so excited and of COURSE they were playing "The Final Countdown" just before the gun went off. As soon as it went off, I couldn't feel anything but raging happiness. I don't know if "bliss" is the right word, but I was just so happy that for the first seven miles really felt like I was flying. The weather was perfect -- a little bit cool with sun, and it smelled like autumn. I have to say that really the only thing I could've asked to be better weather-wise was the wind. MAN OH MAN we were running against the wind for some parts -- particularly over the bridge going back onto the main island. But everyone around me was just sort of laughing at how ridiculous we all must've looked, leaned forward and giving it our all but probably going verrryyyy slowly. The first half of the race all seemed to just blow by... when I got to the halfway mark I couldn't believe that that distance had been my entire race last year. Not to belittle the half-marathon at all.... it's an amazing feat and I'd love to race it again... but I was amazed at how quickly it went by.
The second half, however, was not such a breeze. There is a big hill going up Berri right after the halfway mark. I kind of felt like it was the make-or-break point of the race, and if it hadn't been for a couple of my friends at the bottom and my dad running alongside me at the top, I'm not sure how I would've done. There was never a time in the race where I thought "I am definitely not going to finish this" but there were a couple of times when I thought "How am I going to finish this?!" (There's a difference, I swear.) The hardest part was probably miles 19-24... right around the mythical "wall" (although I'm not sure I ever really hit a definite wall.) My arms felt numb and I thought that I could feel every single tendon in my feet stretched to their maximum tightness.... but it seemed that at the right moments there was always a friend waiting around the next corner, or some random person on the street banging on a set of bongos, or something to make me think "This isn't that bad."
The part that made me laugh at myself the most though I think was the 16-mile mark when I said to myself "Okay good, only 10 miles left." Only ten miles!?!?! I finally felt like a crazy runner person.
The last two miles of the race were really just incredible. Laugh if you want, but tears were coming to my eyes as I watched the Olympic Stadium get closer and closer. Running through the chute, lined by thousands of people, through the finish line was probably one of the greatest feelings I've ever had. (The second I stopped running was a much different feeling, however...).
I just want to thank everyone who has read this blog, or helped me through my training this summer in any way. Every bit of support and encouragement really helped. In the car on the way home from the race, my little brother asked, "So... are you going to to another one?" I don't have any doubts that I will... but right now I'm still recovering and need to brace myself to sit down in a chair... so ask me again in about a week.
Ohhh and one last thing... just some stats:
I finished in 4:28:05 (even though I said I didn't care about time and only about finishing, I still wish I could've broken 4:20!) But.... on a much more positive note which makes me so happy and proud of myself... there were 65 women who raced in my age group (18-24 years) and I came in 26th!! So hey -- above the 50th percentile for my first marathon... I can't ask for more!!! :o)
Thanks again everyone!!!!!!
The second half, however, was not such a breeze. There is a big hill going up Berri right after the halfway mark. I kind of felt like it was the make-or-break point of the race, and if it hadn't been for a couple of my friends at the bottom and my dad running alongside me at the top, I'm not sure how I would've done. There was never a time in the race where I thought "I am definitely not going to finish this" but there were a couple of times when I thought "How am I going to finish this?!" (There's a difference, I swear.) The hardest part was probably miles 19-24... right around the mythical "wall" (although I'm not sure I ever really hit a definite wall.) My arms felt numb and I thought that I could feel every single tendon in my feet stretched to their maximum tightness.... but it seemed that at the right moments there was always a friend waiting around the next corner, or some random person on the street banging on a set of bongos, or something to make me think "This isn't that bad."
The part that made me laugh at myself the most though I think was the 16-mile mark when I said to myself "Okay good, only 10 miles left." Only ten miles!?!?! I finally felt like a crazy runner person.
The last two miles of the race were really just incredible. Laugh if you want, but tears were coming to my eyes as I watched the Olympic Stadium get closer and closer. Running through the chute, lined by thousands of people, through the finish line was probably one of the greatest feelings I've ever had. (The second I stopped running was a much different feeling, however...).
I just want to thank everyone who has read this blog, or helped me through my training this summer in any way. Every bit of support and encouragement really helped. In the car on the way home from the race, my little brother asked, "So... are you going to to another one?" I don't have any doubts that I will... but right now I'm still recovering and need to brace myself to sit down in a chair... so ask me again in about a week.
Ohhh and one last thing... just some stats:
I finished in 4:28:05 (even though I said I didn't care about time and only about finishing, I still wish I could've broken 4:20!) But.... on a much more positive note which makes me so happy and proud of myself... there were 65 women who raced in my age group (18-24 years) and I came in 26th!! So hey -- above the 50th percentile for my first marathon... I can't ask for more!!! :o)
Thanks again everyone!!!!!!
