26.2 Marathon #2!

Woke up at 4am. After a Fantastic 6hr sleep! Oh Yes! SCORE!

1.5 CUPS OF MOJO
1 packet of instant oatmeal

showered, dressed, scurried out the door!

Arrive Early...Hang out in Car, text friends and chill out for about 45-50min. It was windy and cold outside....not going to stand out there SHIVER AND LOSE ENERGY!! HAHA!

Start line just minutes before!

According to splits now that I looked at the Runtastic app (I wore my droid...I could hear cheers through the shuffle playing so I heard my friends applaud my runs through Runtastic. application.-Thanks Friends for stalking me, for cheering for me! when I heard it through my shuffle I SMILED! OH YES! I HAD YOU WITH ME! Fast forward....droid died 16 miles in. which I didn't notice till about 18. truth be told I didn't look at the phone, I didn't pay attention to pace. I asked just one time from a worker at mile 25 what time it was...lmao. I had to. You'll understand why in a minute! But I'm telling you....you want freedom you should run from the hip and not pay attention to pace, mentally forcing you to maybe run a pace and not just what the body feels. I don't know. Maybe today it works for me. I'm not trying to qualify for anything. I knew If I could run comfy I would do Great!

Gu and Gatorade at mile 6

First hill at mile 8.5- that was for El~!

Hill continued till about mile 10.5....roll up and down - decent elevation gains!

Calves started the - WTF?! haha!

13.1 Oh I was feeling good. I was feeling Comfy! I knew I had a good half time. Ran it strong.
2:01 and some change for my first half (Pr for me is 154 hauling ass...so this shows I was comfy!)

THEN ANOTHER HILL. Not steep but none the less....my calves really started to say "Oh Connie- WHY?" and I was like "shut up legs, do your thing"
On this hill I ate Gu #2 and more gatorade

Just after those hills where done my calves were screaming so I thought "stretch?" so I stopped at water station at mile 16, threw back water, quick stretch for about a meaningless *likely* 30seconds, lol and started again.

Mile 18....droid is dead? Ok. Oh and by the way I'm intermittently listening to music. I would say it was 80% without the tunes and 20% with. My shuffle is new and apparently in the beginning it was telling me "battery low" and I knew I'd reserve the "boom tunes" for when I really needed some pick me ups after mile 6.
Mile 18, quick water stop and 30 second walk to throw it back.

Mile 20- Gu #3 and last of my gatorade

Mile 22- UH OH....I GOTS TO PEE...UH OH...I GOTS TO GO #2....YIKES! Oh Thank God I see a porty. Let the PORTY NIGHTMARE BEGIN! Ok, the only porty open and I get in and there is shiz ALL OVER THE SEAT....REALLY NASTY RUNNERS...REALLY? oK. Listen hear me out. Your ass is dirty...your ass is sweaty....but still...sit your ass on the porty and go. It totally looks like the runner squatted and missed the hole *insert puke* so what do I do (after taking off the glasses, breaking them realizing the shiz* suck it up and realize despite the quad ache I'd have to squat this one out too! Sure some pee whizzed down my leg but my #2 hit the hole...not hard people...JUST LINE IT UP!! HAHA! OMG!
The broken glasses, the poo, the squatting. The realizing that I friggin pinned my bib to my shirt AND running skirt so when I pulled down I had to unpin. I'm squatting and I say screw it Connie, just take your time. so I did. had to take off the fuel belt, put it all back on....ok...there goes 3-4minutes in da'shitter. ohz wellz. what could I do? lol. I had to go and that I did!

So mile 24 - these crazy calves of steel...are shot but I'm running through them. I can NOT open my stride. It's a shuffle. anything more and it's like knives being thrown into the middle of them. OMG. But here's whats worse. BOTH QUADS down by my knees *only*..start SPASM yes....SPASM and bulge and so painful that I actually stopped to look at the freaks of nature...BOP IN AND OUT IN ....I FELT LIKE I WAS BEING AMPUTATED. And why both, why at the same time? perhaps part of both ITB that wraps around the inner part of your knee and they were throbbing....WHAT? GAR! So there you have it. My energy...AMAZING...MY SPIRIT...STRONG...MY SOUL...STILL RUNNING and yet the LEGS...challenging me.

But guess what. so what I ran walked the last 2 miles and my frustration threw me into one simple mindset and I stopped my bitching moaning about it quickly. For all the shiz I've gone through the last several months...the hurt, the pain in my life and heart....ALL SO MUCH WORSE THAN BEING AMPUTATED ON A 26.2 RUN! Believe me!

Believe me when I say that I would not get out of this run what I needed to unless I was challenged. That each race I do somehow physically challenges my mental strength. That time and time again I have kick ass training runs without incident yet my races...there is some sort of epic finale. To me the journey is what's so amazing. I love the challenge. I say "Bring it" and it was "Brought" for this run made me stronger.

I set it free. I let it go. My heart is lighter. My soul is content. I'm ready to move on. It was Epic Day for me. I'm relieved, I wanted that. I got it.

Just as the last two miles DRAGGED ON and even though I cried tears to myself at mile 25.5 when this lady said "You are almost there...keep going" I wondered "did she see the pain in my face, did she see the pain leave my body as I started running again?" Does she know that when she said that to me...I was "setting it free" that I was getting rid of the weakness that has held me back.

This song came on in mile 25. It's in my IPOD as one of my faves. If you follow me you have come to know I'm a highly emotional woman. A very spiritual creature. I tend to work toward greatness in all things in my life. Very often I fall short but I do try. What I want is to Live Free and this song reminds me of that. If you really want to listen then I want you to hear the beginning because it's beautiful extended version. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOe25IfD0GE

You know what sucks at mile 26 to be forced to walk because your legs won't let you run....then MAGICALLY you tell yourself "No! I'm running" and then You RUN! It's epic. It's why I run.

I fell into my husband arms when I saw him. Wow, So proud of him. We had the same journey. He ran solid nonstop till 24 and then his calves gave out and he ran/walked the last two but still a great time. Not a 3;40 like he wanted but still great in my Book for sure! 3:54 for 8:58 pace.

Here are my Stats

4:23:57 10:05

I could NEVER be upset with that time! What a progression from my first Marathon in May which was a 4:50! I took over 26minutes off my time! Boom!

Next Marathon- Even better....even stronger ♥ It all happens in stages! I can't get where I'm going over night. This is not an express train ;-p

Shout-outs!

Don- I love you Babe. To do this with you! UH-MAZING ♥ When my arms wrapped around you tightly, I was home. Thank You for being my ROCK! I'm so proud of your 3:54! YOU INSPIRE ME ALWAYS! XOXOXOX

Lori- Oh Wow, See how Facebook can connect such perfect strangers. I've ran 3 races with you and I look forward to many more. Well after your half marathon was done and your friends had gone home...you stayed. You watched me finish. Your hug...that too was so amazing. Your screeching and excitement over my time, your beaming glow over my efforts, so moving to me. I'm so happy that you are my friend, that we have met. That we can inspire each other and share in running together. I know you love it like I do! Thanks!

Kelly- an old high school acquaintance touched based me with me several weeks back, mentioning she notices I run and was running Empire and so was she! Lots of back and forth messaging, meeting up at the expo to talk about race excitement. Lining up with you, cheering you on, watching your amazing FIRST EVER MARATHON FINISH IN 3:49! OMG! WOW! second race ever....girl I'm going to try to get you addicted to racing with me! boom! I can't wait to run with you! You are going to push me girl! Let's Run Boston!

El~! Run like El! thought of you on my hills. Thanks for being there for me as a close friend lately. Sharing with you all things running and more, has meant so much to me. I think you can appreciate the emotional baggage I let go of today. Love you woman!

Lynne- had me at mile 25, dedicating that mile to you!

Mojo Jen- felt you the whole race! honest to God I thought about that penny on my ass the whole run! Wouldn't you know I found 2 cents on my race today! boom!
Your support, amazing...can't wait to carry on the boom penny tradition and keep passing it forward to all the running girls...going to be epic ...that little penny. and you know I've collected a couple dollars in pennys this year and it all really means something to me. CHANGE. You know. Running change. It changes us. it reminds me!

Eric- bastard the last .2 were terrible...I honest to God said "eric wanted the last .2 dedicated to him. Fuck this shit sucks! I had to fucking run it in then because can't walk the last .2!

Erica- saw a zombi sign at mile 2o and it said "run like the zombies are chasing you" hahaha! loved the text exchanges this morning!

I'm so sure I'm forgetting people. I just know that when I was weak, I looked around and soaked in the vibes floating my way. from all the way around the world. I love you all for the support !

here are some random pics! Yes I look like ass! the conditions were WINDY...which whatever...so sometimes it blew me in the right direction and sometimes it smacked me in the face for a great wake up call.


More Stats
421 out of 706
36/62 age group
160 out of 307 females


Distance
Pace
Elevation gain

1 mi
8:43 min/mi
173 ft

2 mi
8:38 min/mi
85 ft

3 mi
8:55 min/mi
154 ft

4 mi
8:46 min/mi
121 ft

5 mi
8:53 min/mi
118 ft

6 mi- Gu & drink
9:12 min/mi
229 ft

7 mi
9:02 min/mi
82 ft


8 mi- start the hill
9:20 min/mi
98 ft

9 mi-more hill
9:10 min/mi
141 ft

10 mi- dam you hill
9:56 min/mi
144 ft

11 mi- what hill? lmao
9:22 min/mi
72 ft

12 mi
9:05 min/mi
95 ft

13 mi
9:57 min/mi
88 ft

14 mi- another hill
10:23 min/mi
157 ft

15 mi flat, thanks!
9:27 min/mi
75 ft

16mi- oh I see another hill coming...calves start hurting badly!
9:31 min/mi
68 ft

Ok, that's the only stats I have for ya. Little did I know either till I looked back! Too bad the droid didnt make it all the way through. I'm curious most of my pace when I struggled most.

But if the first half was just over 2:01 (9:14 pace) and the second split was 2:22 then an average pace for the last half was 10:50 pace. Ok, so not bad for a 3-4 min porty break and the leg pains and run walking the last 2miles! :)

So guess what...enjoy my skank! 26.2 mile skank!

YORK BOOM WALL - NOT BAD FOR THIS YEAR!

PART OF MY RUNNING INSPIRATION

How Many Marathons Have We Run there RunnerBoy♥ yes! TWO! WE RUN MARATHON'S (GOTTA LOVE THAT S!!)