(Prime, shorts, footwear, socks)

Okay, Saturday was particular.

Actually particular.  

It has been a really emotional few weeks, and the race had been the very last thing on my mind main as much as it.

Someway, the marathon gods gave me the day I wanted.  I had an absolute blast for almost all of the race and felt an amazing quantity of affection alongside the best way.  

From seeing Andrew and my children just a few instances, seeing my brother and his household, the handfuls of instances I regarded down and noticed Mer’s ring on my finger and felt the most important increase from her (questioning if she was there cheering me on), chatting with a few of my favourite mates alongside the best way, cheers from folks there to observe the race, texts/messages/feedback from the most effective people earlier than the race, and implausible race volunteers doing what they do for full strangers like me… I really felt like I used to be being hugged time and again all through the 26.2.

This was my 18th marathon, however now certainly one of my most memorable working reminiscences as a result of it was like a blanket of peace and luxury that I wanted.  I don’t ever wish to overlook how that felt.

I slept amazingly and awakened naturally at 4 a.m.  I bought up at 4:30 and began consuming a Belvita bar (230 energy then after which one other 230 energy of the bars + a banana at 5:30 am).  I took a bathe and bought prepared.  We bought the youngsters prepared, and we had been out the door at 5:20 to drive to the beginning; they let Andrew drive me to the beginning as a result of I get carsick in busses.

I left my telephone with Andrew and walked over to the begin to discover some mates.  I used to be thrilled to really feel chilly (I introduced a blanket to the beginning!) and to see an enormous tailwind occurring (they all the time have a ton of flags out alongside the beginning line so you possibly can see clearly which approach the wind goes). 

I sat subsequent to the fires with some mates and took a Maurten caffeine gel at 6:40 (the race began at 7) earlier than utilizing the restroom and moving into the corral.  I didn’t do any sort of warm-up (oops).

This was the primary yr this marathon did a lightweight present with drones earlier than it began. I want I might have had my digital camera. It was darkish out, and the drone lights fashioned unbelievable footage within the sky, together with a countdown for the race begin.  Everybody’s jaws dropped.  Now, I actually need you guys to do that race!

I began with these mates for the primary 10 miles.  It was a lot enjoyable.  We chatted, caught up on life, laughed, and constructed one another up.  

We now have 19 children between the 4 of us:)

I took a Maurten gel at miles 4 & 8 and bought my first bottle of liquid IV at mile 7.  I really feel like Gatorade doesn’t work nice for me, and the liquid IV was glorious for getting within the electrolytes I wanted as a result of Maurtens don’t have sufficient in them for a marathon.

At mile 8, we misplaced 2 of my mates, and at mile 11, my pal Kassi pulled forward.  At mile 13, my pal Amy caught up, and we chatted for about 2 miles.  

Attending to do one thing arduous with mates is my favourite high 10 life actions. 

Are you able to deal with these views?  

As soon as Amy went forward, I turned on my music (it connects to my watch) in a single ear, and I’ll have sung a bit too…

I saved up with my gels each 4 miles till mile 20ish after I totally puked (TMI?) the gel I took as I ran (I made certain nobody was close to me).  Perhaps I used to be over-fueled or over-hydrated (I used to be downing my bottles), however I couldn’t get one other calorie.  I felt depleted in these final two miles of the marathon.  I like to attempt to analyze why issues occur the best way they do through the marathon, however typically, I have to keep in mind that I’m asking my physique to do one thing ridiculous (run 26.2 miles), and the opportunity of it revolting with a selected purpose is excessive.

The final two miles had been robust, however as you flip to the ultimate stretch, I heard my brother’s voice booming.  By no means has there been a human that may undertaking extra quantity than him. It was simply what I wanted to complete sturdy.

I really like all of them a lot.  Seeing this crew at mile 26 was every part.

I hit 13.1 miles at 1:24:15ish and completed at 2:48:11, so the halves had been fairly even splits.   Contemplating each halves had been sooner than my half in August made me fairly completely happy! 

The primary half of St George is way more difficult with the climbing (miles 7-11), however on a number of the steep downhills within the second half, I felt my hamstring appearing up.  I took it again a notch on these downhills as a result of I didn’t wish to trigger an damage and miss out on working the Budapest Marathon with Andrew.  However I additionally felt utterly carried out within the final two miles, so I believe I used to be proper the place my health was for the day.

DOWNHILL course, however some burning uphills happen all through the course at factors, too:

6:14, 6:28, 6:10, 6:09, 6:12, 6:01, 5:59, 7:07, 6:44, 6:31, 6:56, 6:29, 6:16, 6:13, 6:03, 6:04, 6:12, 6:18, 6:49, 6:31, 6:11, 6:36, 6:24, 6:18, 6:37, 6:40, 6:29 tempo for final .2.

1st in my age group and ninth lady total! $275 money prize🤍

Now for approach too many further ideas:

*I’m studying increasingly that life isn’t nearly outcomes.  Certain, outcomes are actually enjoyable, but when I lose the enjoyment working brings me within the course of, I’m doing issues flawed.  I thought of this loads on the beginning line.  I used to be there to search out pleasure alongside the 26.2 miles; the rest was simply further credit score.

*I wished to complete desirous to do it once more, not retire (like how I completed in 2022) and on the bottom. Mission achieved.

*I’m so grateful for an additional superior coaching block from my coach!

*One among my favourite marathon ideas.  Run the place you’re–> Not in 10 miles, the following hill, or half-hour… Concentrate on working the place you’re at that very second.

*For the final eternally, I’ve actually thought of my time targets for the marathon.  A course PR sounded fabulous going into the race, however I felt strongly this time that I wished to deal with working by really feel and with mates as a lot as attainable with out a precise quantity in my head.  A time objective is so enjoyable, however I’ve discovered that my marathoning relies on the day.  I wished to present my greatest I had for the day and be happy with that.  Throughout Boston, just a few months earlier, it was arduous to observe my time objective slip farther and farther away all through the race although I used to be doing my greatest… I wish to be happy with my efforts on days like that, not upset that I didn’t hit a precise quantity.  These magic marathon days are uncommon and few, so I assumed both I might get a kind of magical days (hallelujah) or I might focus (and be proud) on doing my very best if it wasn’t my day.  Going into the race with zero stress on myself and little or no nerves was SO good.  It allowed me to let go of what I couldn’t management and deal with what I might management.

*Andrew. He’s so good to us all.

*I flipped my watch round and didn’t look a lot at it.  It was liberating to not be checking it the entire time.  My pal informed me earlier than the race to get to the end line as quick as I might with out watching my watch… I really like simplicity, and that made it so enjoyable.

*My different two targets for the day had been to strive to not really feel and to search for the great.  The much less I deal with each little factor that’s hurting or going flawed, the higher I run.  I discover myself getting caught up in losing vitality serious about how my respiration is feeling or my hamstring or how drained my muscular tissues are, and when these ideas pop up, I informed myself to consider something apart from how I used to be feeling (which sort of contradicts my objective of working by really feel haha however it in some way labored). 

*In search of the great all the time makes my runs/races go higher.  Whether or not it’s a purple mountain alongside the course, the cutest little children cheering on the perimeters who’re so excited to see their mother and father run by, or how grateful I’m to have discovered a gel that makes my abdomen very completely happy (more often than not;)… discovering the small (however vital) good alongside the best way makes the most important distinction for me mentally.  

*Additionally, wanting OUTWARD helped me a lot. I centered on how good the volunteers had been, how my mates felt, tips on how to cheer on a runner subsequent to me, and so on.  It’s all the time wonderful to me how a lot specializing in others helps us when experiencing ache in a race or in life.

*Stuffing ice in my sports activities bra is a straightforward factor that brings a lot pleasure throughout a marathon.

*I used my inhalers earlier than the race and was so grateful for them! My lips had been blue on the finish of the race, however I didn’t have my regular coughing assault, the place I really feel like my airways are closing off.  These coughing assaults scare me, and I used to be so grateful to not have one once more.

*I pressured the carb load this yr (I didn’t have a lot urge for food final week attributable to feelings), and I actually can’t imagine how a lot of a distinction it makes. An efficient carb load makes essentially the most vital distinction on race day.

*I really like the marathon expertise after I really feel like I present up a bit of undercooked than even a millimeter overcooked. This was a brief coaching block (9-10 weeks), and I felt so springy for many of the race, which is simply how I wish to really feel.

Thanks for studying my novel! Now, onto BUDAPEST!

Who raced over the weekend? Inform me every part!

What was certainly one of your happiest races?

What’s your favourite sort of electrolyte hydration throughout an extended race?

Does anybody else get movement illness? Any recommendations on tips on how to assist it?