Marine Corps Marathon #2

It hurts so good!

Man I love marathons!

This one kicked my BUTT, but it was awesome!!! A perfect day for a race. The morning was hectic - I was going to metro from a nearby station to the Pentagon stop (Arlington was closed, meaning that once I got to the Pentagon station, I had to walk over a mile to the start line!) but I ended up taking a bus down to another metro stop and riding from there. While waiting for the bus, I managed to meet a woman who had travelled from the Dominican Republic to DC for the race and we rode together. We picked up another marathoner on the bus and it was actually pretty fun!

I managed to find my parents right away at the metro stop and we worked our way out and to the race start. It was chaotic. We ended up waiting in line for about 25 minutes so that I could use a port-a-potty and then I had to run to the start line (about another quarter mile from the portapotties!). So in general - lots of walking/running before the race even started. Not very cool.

So the race started but I didn't even cross the starting line until about 10 minutes after the gun went off. The Marine Corps Marathon is wonderfully crowded with runners and spectators. It's amazing - you really feel like people are there just for YOU. Even if you don't know them! If you ever want an ego boost, sign up for a race. People will tell you how awesome you are!

I feel like I didn't train well enough for this one. By mile 5, I was wishing I had eaten more breakfast. By mile 15, I was exhausted. By mile 18, my knees were aching. I felt out of it. I couldn't find my family and was doing this kind of hyper-heaving thing that was kind of uncontrollable for a few minutes around mile 20. I swore so loudly during the Crystal City part that I jolted another woman into running faster just to get away from me. I was hurting.

But I still managed to finish in 4:15:40 - almost 10 minutes off my previous MCM time! And by the time I saw my family, I was just so happy to see them that nothing else mattered!

During the race, I saw a man pushing his disabled son. His son couldn't move and his dad was pushing him up a hill when I saw them. Everyone was cheering for them and it was so touching. That kind of determination really reminds you of what love really is. You bare your whole soul in a marathon even when you're not pushing someone else. I can't even imagine how tough you have to be physically and mentally to do that. Needless to say, I was impressed.

At the end of the race, they really corral the runners. After I got my medal I managed to trip on the sidewalk and almost fell into a Marine, who grabbed my hand and asked, "Ma'am, are you ok?" (they called me ma'am all weekend but it somehow didn't make me feel old. When a Marine calls you ma'am, you feel sexy!). I somehow grunted, "where is the water??" and he pointed me in the right direction and asked if I needed help. I'm pretty sure he would have carried me if I had said yes, but I said I was ok and stumbled on. I managed to find my parents right away, which was sooo lucky. No begging strangers to let me use their cell phones!

Today, I'm pretty sore and sleepy. But I'm so excited to do another one! When I was going across the bridge at mile 20 (complete agony, I hate that bridge!), I thought to myself - I should only be allowed to sign up for these stupid things within days of completing one so that I remember how agonizing they are! But I'm completely ready to sign up for one, even though less than 24 hours ago I was wheezing and ready to break down and beg for mercy (from whom I don't know, but I was ready).

Now the only question is: which one?

I am RUNNER, hear me....roar?

One of the things that's been on my mind lately: I've taken to calling myself a "runner." I don't know when that happened. For a long time, anytime anyone called me a runner, I'd say, oh no, I wouldn't go that far, it's just a hobby. But somewhere in between the 3rd and 4th marathon, I've started to adopt the title. Someone asks "oh, you're a runner?" and my response will be, "yes."

But am I?

what IS a runner anyway? I am and always will be a human being. And a girl. But will I always be a runner? Am I runner if I stop doing marathons? Am I a runner if I never compete in any races? Am I a runner if I never qualify for any race? Am I a runner if I don't like to run in the rain (I don't)? Am I a runner if I wear Nikes? What about if I run barefoot? What about if I run really slow?

What makes someone a runner? I can't figure it out and I can't figure out why I'm suddenly comfortable calling myself one. It seems cocky and a bit insulting to all the real runners out there to give myself a title like this. But then again...what distinguishes a "real runner" from me? I can only think of 2 things:

1. speed
2. endorsements

And perhaps real runners don't even consider things like this. Maybe they just know.

Can I ever overcome the hurdles I've set up for myself and finally allow myself to just be "runner?"

Why are you running a marathon?

As marathon season really kicks in, I do more reading on the subject. I was reading something (I don't remember what) and it asked the very annoying question: why are you running a marathon?

Well geez. That's actually kind of tough to answer.

I mean...why 26.2 miles? We all know WHY that's a marathon distance but why is that the distance that I personally am choosing to run? Is it because I want to compete? No...I'm actually not an incredibly competitive person (although research DOES indicate that I can run a marathon faster than Ted Koppel, Al Gore, AND Oprah and this makes me feel ridiculously proud...I don't think this necessarily counts as competitive. It's more bratty than anything). Is it because after 26.2 miles my body just gives up? Well no, obviously it doesn't since I managed 43 miles earlier this year.

Is it because I love torturing my friends and family by making them sit out in the sun/rain/heat/cold for hours just to glimpse me for 30 seconds? No, I really do feel guilty about that sometimes.

I really can't put my finger on "why" I decided it would be a good idea to do this. It's just a part of me now. It's what I do. I run marathons and they pull me in, time after time. Even when it hurts. Even when training is inconvenient. I just can't resist the thought of a marathon.

Napa Valley or Edinburgh?

So I'm slowly getting over the crushing depression caused by the Boston Marathon already being full. I mean, am I really even ready to run a marathon in 3:40? Could I even do it? Did I train well enough? Will I ever be able to conquer this goal wearing the restrictive shoes of our generation? Surely I will be able to do this after I switch to barefoot running?

Originally, I assumed that I'd sign up for the DC marathon in March. I like it, I know it, it's where I PRed. But I'm kind of curious to do other marathons. There are a lot of spring and fall marathons, but you have to pick and choose them because it's not like I'm able to do them every other week (physical toll too high, finances too low). So I did some investigating and here are the two frontrunners:

Napa Valley Marathon
Edinburgh Marathon

Thoughts? Opinions? Please vote, which one is best?!?

(Oh by the way...London in out since I didn't get in the international ballot :( I'm striking out with the ones I originally thought I wanted)

FAIL

I have failed my stated marathon goal ALREADY and I haven't even run the race!!!

Boston is full!

No one new can register for Boston 2011!

Even if I qualify, I can't go!

Feeling pretty bummed out right now...

Common Sense

It is, unfortunately, starting to become fall and then winter. When I get up in the morning, it is dark. When I leave the office at the end of the day, it is dark. When I go out at lunchtime, I have to wear a coat. I am sad.

My training is currently in "taper" mode so that I don't overtrain before the marathon (10 days away!!!!!!!!!!!!), so I'm not doing a ton of extremely long runs. But whenever I leave my house on weekdays now, I have to wear bright clothing and my reflective vest. Because it's DARK outside, this seems like common sense to me. Cars + cyclists = danger. Even in daylight these are two categories of transportation that inspire the least amount of caution. No one can drive in DC (it's proven, google it, we have the worst drivers) and the cyclists are all...well...assholes. Let's face it. They kind of have to be to survive the horrible drivers, but it irritates the heck out of me when I'm running because they decide that no matter where they are riding, on the street, on the sidewalk, on the grass, on your treadmill, that they are the ones who get the right of way. My dream is to flip off a cyclist one day when they ding their stupid bell at me, but I'm afraid that they will grab my middle finger and drag me to the ground so I restrain myself.

I'm sorry, this is really not a post about how much I hate people on bicycles...

This is a post about how stupid runners can be.

So I'm out in my reflective vest, sometimes I even throw a little light on just to be extra safe, and I see runners wearing ALL BLACK. Black leggings, black shirt. And headphones. Scampering around the city like they own it and it just blows my mind. How would that EVER seem like a good idea? Black is slimming yes. Getting run over by a truck is also slimming in that you're squashed against the pavement.

I can't decide if there needs to be more awareness efforts (Lululemon, do you sell stylish reflective vests yet?) or what, but it's really amazing to me how many people are out there in their headphones and black spandex thinking that the DC cab drivers are going to be paying enough attention to stop in time. It just gives runners everywhere a bad name and is dangerous to boot.

Can anyone offer some insight into what these people are thinking?

Musings

I know that I promised an exciting article about the book "Born to Run" but since I bought it on Barnes & Noble.com, somehow downloaded it to my ipod, and now lost it, I have not been able to finish listening to it. Technology and me, grr. We do not get along.

Besides, I have so many other insights that come from ME and not from someone else's book, so if you really want to know what is so great about "Born to Run" go buy yourself a copy for goodness sake. (Or just wait until I get around to posting my thoughts on it...)

On Sunday, I went to a Yoga for Runners workshop. It was with my favorite yoga instructor and was fun for several reasons:

1. the actual amount of yoga done was extremely limited
2. everyone in the room was a runner and not a yogi, so it was noisy, fun, and no one was really able to do anything correctly the first time.
3. because the room was full of people who had probably never done yoga before, I felt very accomplished in my own yoga history.

The stretches were runner-centric and made us all feel like it was okay to have tight hamstrings.

But...OK. I'm totally going to bring it some anecdotes from the book. In "Born to Run," there is a line that sticks in my brain - you don't need to do yoga. You don't even need to STRETCH AT ALL to become a better, faster runner.

CAN WE ALL JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS ALL ALONG?????

Now, let's try to decide who is right. My favorite yoga instructor, who I really like and respect, kept talking about the benefits of stretching and even brought out a skeleton to illustrate her points on why muscles that are connected can cause great injury if you treat them badly. And I totally get that. I totally understand the explanation but my body does not respond well to stretching. Yesterday I went running less than 24 hours after the yoga class and felt MORE TIGHT than I had in weeks.

I mean, maybe there is something to be said for constant yoga and stretching, but I still just can't get behind it. I can't find the drive to do that. The whole time, it's just a constant hum in my brain: "I'd rather be running."