Notes
MY FIRST MARATHON!
I started out very easy doing my first 3 loops in 30 minutes/3.16 miles. I had a blast the first 4 (out of 8) loops but from there it went downhill. Loop 5, 6 and 7 were pretty bad and especially in loop 6 and 7, I started to hate running thinking of why I am doing this: paying money and driving 400 miles for running my ass off.
Arriving at the loop checkpoint for the last loop was, to my surprise, quite a relieve. My friend, Pascal Seiler, who came with me and supported me every time I completed a loop, must have seen that I was tired and in pain. I took off my bottle carrier and took my IPot Shuffle. I wanted to do my last round with no baggage and listen to some great goa-trance tunes by Infected Mushroom. To take off for my last loop was easier than I though despite the pain in my legs, hips, back, arms and especially on my left fingers.
Deliberately I didn't listen to any music for the last 7 loops in the hope that it will give me the right boost. I've finished my last loop in more that 45 minutes and leaving for the last loop at 4:25 I hoped to be strong enough to finish before the 5 hour mark. With this I took off light and great because of the music.
Along the way, as a motivational move, I said good-bye to the tallest trees, the Honey Dew Doughnuts store, some of the traffic lights and especially the beautiful lake. I ran a good round without stopping, which didn't happen since the past 3 loops. My legs felt they could dead-look with any step but that was a risk I wanted to take.
In the last mile I pushed some more running always a bit faster. I passed a few runners, who were probably on their last loop too. The last 300 feet I started to run as fast as I could, turning into my last left corner to the finish line. The spectators, around 30 people, were great probably recognizing my pain and efforts cheering me on. While crossing the finish line I glimpsed the clock and was recognizing to my greatest joy that I've finished my first marathon, after starting running in a little more than 4 months, in 4 hours 59 minutes and 58 seconds. That truly was a great feeling.
I totally expected my legs to go into total shock and they really felt funny. But I kept walking around and after 30 minutes I felt safe enough to sit in the car and have myself driven home by my friend.
This was something I read so much about it. A marathon isn't something great to achieve but I've got the whole menu served: delicious pre-race excitement, the juicy power and grace of the first half of the race, the rather sour next few miles of pain and repeated question why I am doing this, and the sweet desert of my last loop with the red cherry in the form of the medal they gave me upon completing it.
Today, the day after, my legs are a bit sore but I have no aching muscles and neither any blisters. What a great experience! Bib #: 36.