RunningAHEAD - Topic: Eugene, My First Full Marathon

perchcreek

i'm lovin' it... MM#1949

posted: 5/6/2008 at 7:18 AM

Enkie! WOW! You REALLY earned the title "Marathoner"! Every good marathoner has incredible stories of overcoming adversity and somehow pushing through misery to cross that finish line. First marathon's are the most special and memorable and your's is no exception! Way to tough it out! Congratulations! Steve

Perch's Profile "I don't know if running adds years to your life, but it definitely adds life to your years." - Jim Fixx "The secret is to make in your mind possible what was not possible before. The secret is to make easy what was difficult, instead to make difficult what really is easy." - Coach Renato Canova

Sarge

posted: 5/6/2008 at 7:24 AM

Congratulations! You did your first marathon Cool

Marathon training is a serious committment and takes a lot out of you, it sets you up to catch viruses etc. 26.2 miles is so long that little things begin to add up and become big things. 5 -20 milers Shocked

Got you to the finishline, way to fight. Learn from the experience and better fortune next time. Well wishes and hoping for many more years of running for you Big grin

Courage ! Do one brave thing today...then run like hell.

Tallrunner

posted: 5/6/2008 at 7:52 AM

Enke, Congratulations on your first marathon. They are the toughest one...and you showed toughness. Rest up and take some time off and surprisingly enough I bet you might just want to run another one (that's what happened to me!). Thanks for the race report. I enjoyed it and the pictures. Tall

Recent Best times: None recently

breger1

posted: 5/6/2008 at 8:22 AM

Enke, It was great to meet you in person. You are beautiful and, now we know for sure, very strong too! I think that's what defines marathoners. Strong. You are there too. I'll laughed at the many f-bombs you left out there. I promise you. Most everyone out there launched one or two somewhere along the line. I launched more than you I suspect. (I know this may not feel funny now but it will later!) A lot of things conspired to make your run a tough one; the virus, the hydration and nutrition issues. But ya know what? YOU DID IT! No one can ever take this one away from you. By the way, you should have Photoshopped me out of that picture. It would have been much better then. Bill

"Some are the strong, silent type. You can't put your finger on exactly what it is they bring to the table until you run without them and then you realize that their steadiness fills a hole that leaks energy in their absence." - Kristin Armstrong

TammyinGP

posted: 5/6/2008 at 12:54 PM

Don't listen to bergermeister up there about photoshopping blah blah blah! I tried to be in as many pictures with him as I possibly could this weekend - nice, tall handsome man that he is! I was so glad to finally meet you and after meeting you, I have to chuckle at all the f-bombs you were dropping - that seems SO out of character for the Enke I met at dinner! LOL I thought my day was tough . . . oh my word enke - you really had a tough 2nd half out there and we had so many similar things going on. But YOU were still the one that toughed that out and finished it! congratulations! I wish that this would have turned out differently for you - that the 2nd half would have been easier on you and there was food around for the later finishers. That's really bad. I don't think they should allow folks to pack up boxes with as much food as they can take. I was a bit shocked to see that happening. Some folks had food that would have sustained me for a day! Shocked

I hope the bad memory of this doesn't taint your desire to run another one someday, because I think your next one will definitely be the sub 4:30 you were hoping for!

Tammy

hopeful4ever

Mr. Chip & Mizz Rizzo

posted: 5/6/2008 at 3:27 PM

Oh poor dear Enke!!! I have really been watching your training knowing that I'll be following in your footsteps before too long . . . . now I'm scared! Honestly though, I know that if you didn't have that F-ing virus Wink

that you would have had a much better experience. I feel really bad that you got to the finish line without anyone there to help you out! Bottom line is you toughed it out and you are now a marathoner - no matter how you look at it. Like others have said - some time down the road I'm betting you will try another. Get some rest and Congratulations to you!!! ~Mary

~Mary

"My sunshine doesn't come from the skies,
It comes from the love in my dog's eyes."

~unknown

http:www.rawleypointkennel.com

Spareribs

King of PhotoShop

posted: 5/6/2008 at 4:09 PM

Let me share with you two things that I know about the marathon and believe with all my heart. The first is that your very first marathon is always hard. You don't know what to expect, you're nervous; it's hard to make a real plan, and everything tends to worry you. People who run a strong, calm, first marathon are very rare. Second, to persevere through a first marathon, as sick and run down as you had been is a tremendous feat. I don't know how you did it, but it was admirable. Never mind the time. I know this is the week when you are thinking, "never again to I want to go through this or feel that awful" but you have survived a huge challenge and I promise you it will never be that bad again. You were very courageous on Sunday. Now you are a marathoner. Nice going. Spareribs

Aamos

posted: 5/6/2008 at 6:31 PM

Hey, you don't need to run another marathon. You could do stand-up, or get a job writing comedy, if you want it. I know you were really suffering out there, and I was trying to feel your pain, but your report kept cracking me up, even when your physical condition was at its most dire. [Insert to say in all candor that I'm really glad you got some fluid in you and are not suffering any serious after effects, as some of what you endured was seriously scary.] I suffer from a queasy stomach when I run long, which is why I always carry my own bottle of Accelerade I mix up in the ratio I can handle, so I can truly imagine the goo experience, but again, you describe it so hilariously, and then to still feel sorry for whoever was behind you [and there were substantial numbers of folks behind you, if there's any cold comfort in that!] Good laying down that toothpick to finish, too! I'm going to remember that one! I agree with Tammy on the practices of some fellow runners who opt to feed themselves and their families for the rest of the day with the food meant for fellow runners. Geesh! [Another reason to run half marathons--they get to the food first. I werry about this--ask divechief--at my first Seattle, I was really looking forward to the Ivar's chowder and was warning half marathoners not to be piggy.] Keep us posted on your plans, whatever they are. OK, so I'll forgive you for the curses Wink

grins a huge toast to you, A, one of those crazy f@(#ing Shocked

marathoners Big grin

Masters 2000 miles

enkephalin

posted: 5/6/2008 at 6:35 PM

I am really touched by all the thoughtful replies. I hope I didn't sound too negative about this whole experience and scare away the first timers!! Mary - you can do it!! Go slow, eat and hydrate, that is about all the advice you need. It was tough, but I guess I can start admitting that my timing on running this thing so soon after being sick was a gamble and I most likely would have had a better experience on another day. But, that said, marathons are unpredictable. Spareribs, you have some very sage advice. I will probably come back to this marathon thing again....I just have to focus on other stuff right now. I also need some time to lose those negative dendritic connections in my brain that formed from this experience. I wasn't cursing out loud remember, but yes, I curse like a sailor, and my kids have accidentily heard me a few times! Embarrassed

Dive and Arf - I signed up for the Seafair half a long long time ago, as the rates go up so fast. I would love to see you guys there or beforehand.

"During a marathon, I run about two-thirds of the time. That's plenty." - Margaret Davis, 85 Ed Whitlock regarding his 2:54:48 marathon at age 73, "That was a good day. It was never a struggle."

Twocat

posted: 5/6/2008 at 8:31 PM

Losing that much time while training for your first marathon makes for, well, a tough first marathon. I am sorry it was not a better experience. You are a strong and trained with dedication. I can pretty much guarantee that if you train like you did again, sans getting knocked out by illness, you will rack up a new PR that will leave you amazed! More importantly, I suspect you will have a great time doing it. In any case, finishing the race with all you went through is quite impressive and you deserve both rest and everybody's congratulations.

Live like you are dying not like you are afraid to die.

Drunken Irish Soda Bread and Irish Brown Bread this way --> http://allrecipes.com/cook/4379041/

predawnrunner

posted: 5/6/2008 at 9:14 PM

Oh Enke - I've been watching your training, and I'm so sorry this was so difficult for you. But you are freaking tough, you train strong, and you will be back with a much much better experience. I'm very sure of it. I haven't been sick in years, but this virus has really laid me low too. Same thing - horrible headaches, miserable sore throat, etc etc. 26.2 is hard, 26.2 while sick is really really hard. Your report was the best I've read in quite awhile, though I winced at your suffering. Enjoy your medal, take some time to recover mentally, physically, whatever, then get back in the game. Oh - and I hope we meet up some time! Smile

aka Mrs. WillRunForBeer, MD, USA

Marathoning, the triumph of desire over reason

eliz4015

posted: 5/6/2008 at 9:30 PM

You made me laugh, you made me cry - what a wonderful RR. I'm so sorry you had such a difficult time, but so grateful you shared the story of your experience with us. You're a truly amazing MARATHONER, regardless of what adjective you put in front of it. Wink

I hope that you'll find a way to truly be proud of your wonderful accomplishment in running 26.2, especially the way you toughed it out. Eliz

flomotioncoaching.com

btb1490

posted: 5/6/2008 at 10:22 PM

What an ordeal, and what a GREAT account of that ordeal! Like Aamos said, much of what you wrote had me cracking up, not because I thought it was funny that you went through all that, but I think it's because MOST of us have been through what you have and can identify with it, and realize how absurd all of this nonsense is, yet we keep coming back for more and more of it. What the heck is wrong with us? You did everything right leading up to this race. Do it again, only take what you've learned this time around and make it better. Congratulations, marathoner Erika... I mean Erin. Wink

p.s. Thanks soo much for thinking of Amy out there! Smile

Running the 2016 Boston Marathon for Children's Hospital

vista

posted: 5/6/2008 at 10:48 PM

Wow.......what a memory for your first Marathon. Somehow I feel like you will someday look back and appreciate exactly what you did. You FINISHED your Marathon under adverse conditions. You were fine to start but endurance failed and this can only be the result of the virus. You had already put in plenty of miles....that was not the problem. Anyway, you will be fine the next time around. But the appreciation level for the next one will greatly rise. Thanks for the report and pictures (minus you!). And....CONGRATULATIONS on being a Marathoner.

Vista

nonoruns

Renee the dog

posted: 5/6/2008 at 10:53 PM

You are one tough woman! And, I really admire/respect tough women. Big grin

Seriously, congratulations! Scare away people who haven't done a marathon yet? Nope. You may have inspired me. If all it takes is good training, dropping F bombs, and semi-puking on the course, I'm so there! (someday)

GOALS 2012: UNDECIDED

GOALS 2011: LIVE!!!

Masters Running

Eugene, My First Full Marathon (Read 427 times)