Where Are My Endorphins?

Earlier this month, I did my first marathon.  I've always wanted to do one, but had never gotten around to doing one before.  In fact, I had never even gotten close.  Now, after doing one, I may never do one again.

There are lots of reasons for runnning a marathon.  The cynics among us claim that some only do it so that they can brag about it.  Others claim they do it for the "runner's high" they experience.  Luckily, I didn't do it for either reason.  I don't feel like bragging about the experience and I'm still waiting for my endorphins to kick in!

So, in what was a not-so-closely guarded secret, I did the St. George Marathon on October 1, 2011.  Before I begin my race report, I just want to show a quick picture of what one of the winners looked like as she triumphantly crossed the finish line of our race:

It's Not Often That a Picture Captures Both the Thrill of Victory and the Agony of "The Feet!"

Honestly, it's a good thing that I didn't see this picture until after I finished.  When this was taken, I was actually probably at about Mile 18.  But more about that later.  Do people really think that this is fun?  I mean this woman actually won--the fastest female--and she looks like she is going to be "Medevac-ed" to the nearest hospital the minute she trips over the finish line!

So here's a quick summary of my first marathon:

I raced out of Salt Lake in a beater of a rental car on Friday afternoon.  With nothing but the open road and the radio to keep me company, I was looking forward to listening to the BYU-Utah State game on the radio as I traveled south.  Unfortunately, I missed all of the first half on a business call I had to make, and then I pulled into St. George on fumes as the race organizers were locking the doors to packet pick-up.  Fortunately for me, I was able to get my race packet, but sadly I managed to miss the exciting come-from-behind BYU football win!

By the time I got my "carbo-load" on and then managed to find my in-laws house where I was staying for the night it was late.  Very late.  I set about five alarm clocks before I went to bed and I needed every single one of them, as I had to get up at 3:30 a.m. West Coast time to make it to the buses for the race.

3:30 a.m. (at least in California)...It's "Go" Time...

That's not a gang sign--it's actually a secret signal I flash to my kids (a la Jeff Hornacek).  It's so secret that they may not even know about it yet.  But they will someday and when they go back and look at these race photos, they'll know that I was thinking about them.

Somehow I managed to drive to downtown St. George in the early morning and followed the masses to the buses.  While waiting for the bus, I made a few friends (most of whom were talking about the details of their last "Long Run" or marathon experience and then asked me about mine; wisely, I didn't bother to open my mouth to demonstrate my ignorance!).  Then we got to the start line and I tried to figure out how to beat the cold and kill about an hour until the race started.

Fortunately, there were lots of mylar blankets and I even managed to get some stretching in.  Then before I knew it, the gun went off.  As I made my way forward to the start line, I had my first (and only) celebrity sighting.  I looked up and there this massive presence next to me.  I was totally excited when I realized that it was former BYU football player and NFL All-Pro tight end Chad Lewis, one of my personal heroes!

I was so surprised that I said "Chad Lewis" out loud and he looked over at me.  I told him that my sister worked with him and he reminded me that I had two sisters that did.  Yay!  Chad is one of the class acts out there.

Then we hit the start line and there was no more time to worry about anything other than running.  It was still dark out and the road was packed!  I actually settled in and made really good time (for me).  I was on a solid 9:00 minute mile pace through the first 17 miles.  I felt great about that because the most I had ever run in my life before St. George had been 13.1 miles (and only 3 times).  I had visions of posting a sub-4 hour marathon time in my first time out, even though I had really done nowhere close to the amount of preparation that I should have done.

Then at Mile 17, the wheels started to come off.  I had to start walking a little, but I just kept moving.  I think my mind has blocked out how bad Miles 17-23 were.  But they were not easy.  At this point, the heat from the road was coming through my shoes and really bothering my feet.  There was also some accumulated pounding to my joints, but that was bearable by comparison.

Then I hit the last three miles.  There were definitely no endorphins to push me over this "Wall"!  It was really, really hard.  Those last three miles may have been the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.  The temperature was hot (unseasonably hot according to anecdotal accounts from some race veterans) and it seemed like people were dropping like flies along the course.  I got to the last 300 yards and was in the finishing stretch when I actually started hyperventilating.  I could not get oxygen and I felt like things were starting to spin.

All I could think about was: "Don't Bonk!"  I remembered that the first marathon was so named because a Greek messenger ran from the battle on the plains of Marathon to report to the Athenian assembly of the Greek victory.  He blurted out: "We have won!" Then he collapsed and died.  I was determined to not pass out within sight of the finish line and somehow managed to get my breathing under control.

My gun time was 4:26, and I couldn't have been happier to get there!

I'm still not sure where I found the strength to raise my arms, but I felt like I should do something dramatic

Once I crossed the finish line, I collapsed on the first patch of bare, shaded grass that I could find.  I couldn't get up, despite trying a few times.  Once I did stand up, I thought maybe it would be nice to lie down on a nice bench in the medical tent.  No dice.  Apparently, having symptoms like severe nausea and having the room spinning around isn't enough to get medical attention at the St. George Marathon.  Luckily I didn't need it.

Somehow I got home and put some food on the counter to heat up in the microwave.  I thought I should sit down for a minute before heating it up.  Two hours later, I woke up--still on the couch; food still on the counter.  I guess I was a little more tired than I thought I would be!

Here are some random thoughts and insights about running the race:

• Next time I think I'll try to get more than 3 hours of sleep the night before the race.  Even worse was that I got about 4 hours the night before that.  No wonder I look so tired in all these photos!  I look like I have my eyes closed in all of them!
• My race "mentor" told me I was really dumb to get so little sleep the night before the race and even more dumb to get so little sleep two nights before.  Much as it pains me to say this, I think they were right.

• Bless the race volunteers who manned the aid stations along the way.  They were awesome!
• Bless the spectators who came out to cheer for us, ring cow bells, and encourage us.  I actually turned off my iPod a few times so that I could be inspired by their cheering.  I felt energized to give high fives to the kids along the route.  It was such a huge boost.

• There were some great, very creative signs.  On of my favorite was a series that was held up by a dad and some young kids.  I saw them at least three times in the race.  No, I was not delirious, I think that they would drive ahead, set up camp, cheer for their wife/mom, and then repeat the process.  The last time I saw them was at about Mile 22.  The husband/dad was holding a sign that said: "Now that you've done 26.2, can we work on our marriage?"  I just thought that was funny!
• Another great sign that I saw was: "Worst Parade Ever."
• No one was creative enough to come up with a sign that said: "Get the Piano Off Your Back!"

• I also learned what a "long run" is.  It's a run of about 20 miles that you are supposed to do to prepare for a marathon.  Most runners have done several of these to prepare for the actual marathon.  My longest run was 13.1 miles.  Not exactly textbook nor optimal!
• I learned that the aid stations have both vaseline (for anti-chafing) and Bengay (to help loosen up muscles).  It's good to know which is which because using the Bengay to help lube up is not a good idea!  ;)  

I believe that running a marathon can even be a spiritual experience.  It was humbling to have so many people willing to volunteer and to cheer us on.  I felt a strong sense of gratitude for their efforts.

Running a marathon can also be considered like an analogy of our time on earth.  As we dropped down into the town of St. George with about 4 miles to go, it seemed like most of the town came out to see us and cheer on friends and loved ones. As I was running, I remember hearing someone in the crowd gasp excitedly: "Oh, there he is!"  It was so spontaneous and so joyful that I got chills when I heard it.  It was also special because the voice sounded (to me) just like my Grandma D. who passed away while I was on my mission.

When I heard that woman's exclamation, I felt like I was getting a glimpse of what it will be like for us to finish our race here on this earth.  I can imagine that we will have friends and loved ones waiting to cheer us on as we near life's finish line.  They will be excited to see us returning to our heavenly home.  Just as excited as this spectator was.  I still get emotional to remember this experience and I hope that I can always finish strong--whether it be a real race or a figurative one.

At another point near the end, I saw a minivan that looked just like our minivan right along the course.  This was probably about a mile or two before the finish.  I got excited for a second thinking that maybe J. and the kids had come down to surprise me and I was looking around hoping to see or hear them.  As I got closer, I realized that the minivan looked exactly like ours, but it wasn't ours.  I was bummed.

In hindsight, I think the race went about how I expected.  Except that I couldn't anticipate the toll that running 26 miles takes on your body.  (I would definitely recommend a good post-race massage.  That helped a lot!)  The race was hard--harder than I expected, but I kept pushing forward and didn't stop.  While I may not have finished first and may have had to walk more than I liked, I'm proud that I didn't quit.  

And yes, I actually think I'll try it again next year.  I know I have plenty of room to improve!  :)

Totally Exhausted...

  (If you stayed through this "marathon" of a post to the end, you too probably deserve a medal!)