Yep, that's what I thought Sunday, the morning of my first full marathon (26.2 miles). I'm tough! It was a beautiful morning with clear skies and temperatures in the 40s and I was ready! I had my music, my electrolyte pills, my packets of energy gel and lots of adrenaline. Everything physical has come easy to me including the two half-marathons I'd run in the past and many triathlons, so I was banking on the fact that being constantly fit would carry me through without the insane amount of running that many do when preparing for a marathon.
The gun goes off, fireworks shoot over Congress Avenue bridge and we we're off! At the half way point I was doing and feeling very well. I actually though "this is going to be a piece of cake!" Little did I know that just two stinking miles ahead (mile 15) was a wall, and I ran face first into it. All of a sudden, the spectators on the sidelines seemed to be closing in, their cheers were distracting and I felt as if I was in a fishbowl. Every step brought just a little more pain and eventually I had to walk. I would begin to run again and make deals with myself - just make it to the stop sign or stop light and you can walk for a few minutes. But that's where all the people hang out and not only do they cheer, but they say your name since it's on your bib! "Stop cheering me on damn it! Stop smiling at me, my legs feel like they are being stabbed with a knife!" The deals I made with myself changed. Just make it past the intersection with people and you can walk. HA!
As soon as I thought we'd reached the point where we would turn south towards the finish we'd turn back north, up a hill, back into the neighborhood and controlling my thoughts became extremely difficult. I was convinced that they kept moving the mile markers farther apart just to mess with me.
Apparently I had a group of friends around mile 20 who saw me (I didn't notice them) and called Jon who was to pick me up. They said "he really looks like he is in pain." Thank god I was running and not walking when they saw me! But they were right and I was so humbled. I had the emotional pain of realizing my body couldn't just do anything I wanted it to without paying the proper price. And I had more physical pain than I'd ever felt in my life. It wasn't just in my legs, it was my back, my arms, my glutes (butt) and my shoulders.
By mile 23 I just wanted to crawl behind a bush and cry. I think what kept me going in part was anger. The crowd was growing toward the finish and they would say ridiculous stuff like "just 3 miles to go, you can do it!". I wanted to smack them in the mouth! Just 3 miles huh? No I have 3.2 uphill miles to go thank you very much and that's easy for you to say stuffing a breakfast taco in your mouth! Is it possible that I sound like this when I'm the cheerleader and my student is in pain?!
Well anyway, I finished, let the tears out and did what Jon told me to do...kept moving. Shopping and food, that will make me happy. As I walked hobbled through Neiman Marcus that afternoon I saw a little boy, probably 5 years old, in a walker with braces on his legs fighting his disability for every step with his dad encouraging him along the way. Perspective.
I woke this morning with no joint pain, only muscle soreness, with a body already healing and a big lesson about perseverance. In the Greatest Salesman in the World, the third scroll is "I will persist until I succeed." Yes indeed. And you may want to cry along the way, but it doesn't mean you're not tough. Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must - as long as you are doing what you love.
I also woke this morning a better athlete, a better trainer and a better salesman. So if you're a citizen of the real estate industry and I've been calling on you...watch out! If I can finish a marathon and still work toward IronMan, I can certainly make you love me! ;)
It's January 5th and about 80 degrees today in Austin. Man I love this city! It's pretty close to spring here and we'll probably have only one or two more cold snaps for the season so it's time to start training again. So many of you ask about my progress to the Ironman race (very flattering by the way) I decided to create a section in which to group all of those posts called Road to Ironman.
