26.2

I was beginning to think that I would never be able to give anything that title...but I finally did it! I completed the St. George Marathon on Saturday, October 4, 2008. Exactly 1 week after I turned 29 (for the 8th time).
It's so funny. I've had non-runners ask, "So how long was your marathon?" I ask, "You mean, how long did it take me?" No...they want to know the distance. I don't want to sound rude but the definition of a marathon (running race) is 26.2 miles
Anyway, the marathon...it was an amazing, emotional experience. I have been wanting to run one forever but finding the time to train and getting in the proper mental state took awhile.
But I did it!!! And I qualified for Boston! My official chip time was 3:36:18. I finished with more than 9 minutes to spare.
In the 32 year history of the St. George Marathon it has only rained twice....and wouldn't you know it, Saturday was one of those days. We boarded buses in St. George at 5 in the morning and were driven 26 miles up the canyon. Port-o-potties lined one side of the road at the starting line and camp fires were on the other. They handed out big, black trash bags so I fashioned one into a rain poncho and then found a plastic grocery sack to use as a do-rag.....a site for sore eyes I'm sure. Luckily there were no mirrors and it was dark. I ran the first 3 miles dressed as a human waste receptical. The rain seemed to slow a little so I threw my threads to the side of the road and settled in for the long hall. Aid-stations were set up beginning at mile 3 and then every 2 miles after that. I took some advice from a friend and broke the race into small runs between aid stations. I grabbed a cup of water at each station and pinched the top so that it wouldn't spill and I could drink it slowly. Just a few miles later, I passed the 3:40 Cliff Bar pacer. I was excited but I also started to question whether I was running too fast. My goal was to run each mile as smart as possible and have a negative split.....that means, run the second half of the race faster than the first half. At mile 13, I looked down at my watch and it had stopped. My dependable, water resistant, Ironman watch had gotten water logged. I had nothing to go off of (for time) other than the pacer that seemed to be breathing down my neck. It was at that point that I decided that I really don't like those pacing groups. They sounded like a herd of elephants and someone was always talking. I like it quiet. One of my big running pet peeves is noisy foot falls....when people's feet slap the pavement as they run.....wasted energy.
At mile 20, when I was expecting the wall (when your brain tells you you can't go on), it never came. I spent the last 6 miles or so singing a little chant in my head.....go Amie, you can do it...or something like that. I was determined to beat that wall! I was still ahead of the pacer and started thinking about my family meeting me at the finish line, about my finish time, about the very good possibility of qualifying, and I started to get emotional. I quickly learned that it is very difficult to cry while you're running and still expect to breathe. I sucked it up and focused on the final leg. The streets were lined with people cheering....a nice motivator. As I was coming to the finish I saw my family. They were all yelling....go mom....faster! As I came across the finish line....I cried. After putting so much time into training and wanting to qualify so bad...it all just seemed so overwhelming. I really didn't know if my goal was realistic and I hadn't talked about it much. I felt great the whole race, never hit the wall, and know that I could have done even better if I had pushed myself.
The morning of the race, Dean sent me a text message that said, "I am soooo proud of you. I know you can do it" It really meant a lot. I think the thing that made me so emotional about finishing so well is that I didn't really know what to expect from myself. I had never run this distance before and I didn't know if trying to qualify for Boston was a realistic goal. I'm so excited to run my second marathon in April 2009 in Massachusetts!
I'll post pictures of the race when I get them. Just keep in mind it was not a beauty contest, it was running (not jogging) for 26.2 miles.