Uphill all the way.

I google everything.  Don't we all?  But for some reason it didn't occur to me until yesterday that I should google for advice on how to prepare for a marathon 1 month after a marathon.  So I was winging it.  I ran 8 miles one week after the Little Rock Marathon, and then on Sunday, I ran 17.  (More on that later.)  Yesterday I decided to google, finally, how to prepare for multiple marathons.  That's when I found that I probably could have gotten by with 6 mile "long" runs during this month.  Oh well. I rested yesterday and am resting today.  Tomorrow, weather willing, I will go for a short run.

This need to do two more marathons is part stubbornness, part crazy, part attention-seeking behavior.  Whatever it is, let's just hope it works out.  I've registered for the Andrew Jackson Marathon on March 31 and the Hogeye Marathon on April 15.

Sunday's 17 miles...I set out wanting 18 with at least 16 (because I didn't really know what I was doing.  I thought I needed all those miles to make sure I could run the marathon in two weeks.)  The weather was warm and I didn't get out until 10.  I'm used to the winter weather when the only requirement was to get done before dark.  I also decided I needed a hill, so I took the turn to head up to Ft. Roots.  It was quiet and pretty up there and I got a good picture from about 3/4 of the way up.  It was a tough climb and my foot started to hurt again.  The run down didn't help much.

I went on down towards the river walk and turned around.  It started to get hot.  I looked forward to the water fountain at the skate park, and it did not disappoint.  Cool water in a wide, strong stream--I gulped some and refilled my water bottle.  I also took a bathroom break and then went back towards Burns Park.

Back at my car, I drank some gatorade and opened a pack of Gu.  My phone rang, a 1-800 number, and for some dumb reason I decided to answer it.  I wasn't paying attention and dumped half the gu pack on my phone and into my spibelt.  Sticky, gross, yuck--I ditched the phone and belt in my car and continued up the trail towards the Big Dam Bridge.

At this point I was over 11 miles and the last part of this run was grueling.  It was hot, I was tired.  I walked up part of the hill on the bridge, cursed the dry water fountain on the other side, and turned to come back.  I walked more.  I haven't had a run like that since last summer, one where I just could not keep going without walk breaks.  For the last mile, I counted steps up to 100 and then started over, walking 100 steps for every 300 I ran.  It was hot but my fatigue was worse, and the pain in my foot.  I finally stopped for good at 17 miles and hobbled back to my car.

The rest of the day I was barely awake.  I had a few beers and some lunch at Papito's with J and stumbled around Kroger with her.  I got in bed at 6:30 and dozed, falling asleep for good early and not stirring until morning.  I needed the rest.

Gifts.

On Friday I went out for a 3 mile run.  It was uneventful, but in the last quarter mile or so I approached some little boys on the sidewalk.  Two were in a little power wheels car, and one was standing beside some daffodils.  He had picked one just before I came along.  It's quite likely that he wasn't supposed to be picking those flowers--who knows?  As I came up to him, he suddenly looked up at me and said, "This for you!"  and held out the flower.  I pulled out an earphone to tell him thank you and how sweet he was, accepted my flower, and ran on home holding it.  It's sitting on my windowsill in the kitchen now.  Sweet little boy, sweet little yellow spring flower.

Today I planned on ten miles and only ran 8.  That's ok, right, since I ran a marathon last weekend?  I got the c-r-a-p scared out of me when another runner passed me on the right--this is where earphones can be problematic on the sidewalk.  Just after the other runner passed me, I started to pass an elderly man who was walking.  He motioned to me, so I stopped and again pulled out an earphone to listen.  He told me that I had the most smooth, beautiful running style, and was I using any energy at all?  I assured him that I was and he told me that he loved to see me run.  I thanked him.  Sweet guy.

I'm glad I stopped for a flower from a little boy and a compliment from an elderly gentleman.  And I'm glad to see flowering trees and leaves, though I did think about this the other day--in winter we can see the delicate patterns of tree branches that are hidden in summer.  It's bare and personal until the leaves come in.  Soon enough, the unruly curls of crepe myrtles will tumble down.

Race Report!

I went into this marathon with more positive energy because my knee wasn't injured.  It felt "different," but not painful.  That made me hopeful but cautious.  Hopeful because I hoped to be able to run faster without the knee problems, but cautious because I knew that really, once I started running, anything could happen.

I stressed about what to wear with the weird weather, but that worked out fine.  It was chilly outside when we first got there, but I ditched my newly purchased Goodwill jacket early on and my gloves not long after.  I was pretty comfortable until the last 5 miles or so, when I would have loved to be in a tank and shorts.  The sun was hot!

I have had so much support in running from J--support and understanding.  It probably gets old to always be hearing "I have to run in the morning" and "I'll be over after my run" and "ZOMG what am I going to do about my run??" so I can't thank her enough for all the support and understanding.  Especially this time.  Running the Little Rock Marathon meant that I could really flex my attention whoring muscles since so many friends and family were around, and J coordinated the Team Christi effort on marathon morning.  I had signs, flowers, and pictures and I saw them as I headed into the finish.  So cool!  I've got her sign, my cool sign from Tyler, and my German sign from Jason that I plan to hang on to.

I also had a send off from one of my dads.  That was cool--instead of standing around wondering what to do with my hands, we chatted before the start and he gave me a hug and a hankie just in case I had snot issues in the cold.  I ran with it the whole way and will be hanging on to it to remember--his hankies have been in my life for as long as he has.

I started out running with the 4:25 pace team.  Marie from Pittsburgh has run 225 marathons and said that she liked my annoying bar jokes.  Talking to people always helps and continuous conversation really makes it feel like the race is flying by, and I felt strong and relaxed through the first 13-14 miles.  Then we started heading uphill.

The pace team got quiet.  I started to pull ahead a little because I was looking forward to seeing Ashley McBryde at the top of the hill.  At first I thought maybe I would get ahead a little and then hang out where Ashley was singing for a minute until the pace team caught up with me and then I would move on with them.  What made me keep going?  I don't know.  I heard Ashley singing from about a block away, kicked up the speed a little, gave a little scream as I passed by, grabbed a banana, and kept going.  I was still feeling good and I knew that I would be going downhill soon.

And so I was.  But downhill after 16 miles isn't really fun.  Mostly it just means trying to keep your speed down so you don't hurt your knees or do a faceplant on the road.  I mean, if you're fast as hell it may not be like that, but for me it is.  I was happy to make it to the bottom and head on down toward the river.

I had read that the river trail portion of the race was long and boring but I had to run it to believe it.  I train down there.  I like it down there.   But it's long and boring.  I caught a tiny bit of runner's high going through the 20 mile mark and I tried to hang on to it and ride it for a while, but it didn't work.  It probably would have been better if I had stayed with the pace team.  By that point I was half in love with finishing before 4:25, but there was also part of me that was happy with the cushion I had built up.  I used it as a kind of fake incentive, like I could walk if I wanted until the 4:25 pace team caught me and then I could run with them.  I guess I never did do it partly because if they did catch me, what would be pushing me then?

It started to hurt.  My legs ached, my feet ached, and the sun was beating down.  There was a girl just in front of me.  I know her name was Mindy because it was on her bib and people called it out, and because she spoke to me at the finish line.  She had earphones in or else I would have talked to her on the course.  She and I kind of kept each other going even though we didn't talk.  It was kind of an awareness thing.  She would be in front for a while, then me for a bit, and then her again.  The familiar sight of someone running the same pace helps even if you don't know who they are and you don't talk.  She told me at the finish that she was thankful that I was there to pull her along, and I told her the same.

I walked through aid stations pretty slowly and wondered if I would be able to start running again.  I peeled off the path once to stretch my calves.  Some guy said something encouraging and I dragged myself back out there.  I saw a guy still heading upriver adjusting his artificial leg and did the whole AT LEAST YOU HAVE TWO LEGS THAT HURT thing.  I told someone around 24.5 miles that I wanted to walk it in.  We turned onto Cantrell and I cursed the hill, the first of two hills on Cantrell.  On the way up the second hill on Cantrell I chanted, "This sucks.  This sucks.  This sucks."

I guess at about 25.5 miles I decided I was going to make it.  There was a water stop around that time and I told the guy, "I think I'm going to run it in" and didn't stop for a drink.  I hurt but I could hear the finish.  As I came in to the crowd I watched the people, scanning for my family.  Finally I saw J holding my sign, "Run Christi Run," with her camera and I screamed and gave a big thumbs up.  I grinned hard as I crossed the finish in 4:22:04, three minutes faster than I had hoped and 26 minutes faster than my first marathon.

I don't have lots of experience with marathons (yet), but Little Rock is awesome.  So many different people walking and running, music, spectators.  I love it.  Last year when I was running the half and the marathoners split off, I was jealous.  This year I was one of those crazy people taking the whole trip, and I loved it.  I can't wait to do it again.

Having a gang of people there at the finish was wonderful and I felt so loved and blessed.  I know that the more I do this the less it will be a big deal, but that's ok.  I've had two amazing marathon experiences.  The first was special because it was just J, Tyler, and me in Tupelo.  I was grouchy and scared and that made the finish all the more exhilarating and overwhelming.  This time I was thrilled to feel stronger and finish faster and enjoy my friends and family and the feeling of having done it again.  I remember when the Little Rock Marathon first started.  I read about the training group in the newspaper and thought, "That would be cool, but I could never do it."  But I can and I have and other people can, too.

Last night I started planning my future marathons.  I can't wait to do it again.