Ok maybe that title was a bit more provocative than I intended but you're reading this now.
I started running to impress a boy, the boy would turn out to be my husband a few years later but that was how it started. There was a small loop in our neighborhood, I lived on one side, Todd on the other. It's only about 2 miles around but I would walk until I was about 20 yards from his house, run the 20 yards in front of his house, and then carry on walking home.
That is how my running career, if you will, started. Todd will say yet another thing I owe to him and I will admit to remembering how difficult it was to just run those 20 yards. In the postprandial glow of my last marathon I am struck by the impact that running a marathon has on my life.
26.2 miles is a long way, one only needs to get in their car and speed down the freeway for a half an hour to know how far that is, or go out for a mile walk and consider doing that 25 more times. It's far, it's really, really far. And in the course of 26 miles you will experience almost every emotion we have as humans.
It's 5am, I am impatiently waiting in the entry way for Todd, who as always is not ready when I am. I am like that, always want to be to the airport too early, always want to get to the party first. So it was not surprising that I sat, waiting again for him. He made it down and we quietly walked out into the darkness of early morning Rio to catch a cab. It took us only a few moments to grab one outside a nearby hotel and we drove the 10 minutes to the start. In the dimly lit park there was a line of busses and an even longer line of runners. Many bobbing up and down in excitement or maybe to express the nervous energy. There was a lot of smiles, laughs, and fear. It's underneath the smiles but it's there. We load the bus and drive, and drive, and drive, "man this is taking forever." The bus drove for about 45 minutes past slums, mountains, rainforest, ocean, and roads, but it drove and drove. Finally stopping at the end where the group of anxious runners, no longer in lines, stood again bouncing off their nervous energy.
2. The start- EXCITEMENT
Everything was in portuguese so I don't know what was said but every once in a while the crowd would cheer and the mob would surge forward. Like cattle to the slaughter the group moves forward into the corals and wait. Some people do last minute stretching, some chug down more water, some scurry for their last chance to use the ample supply of porta potties, but everyone waits, it is now too late to back out.
3. Mile 1- APPREHENSION
The gun fires and the surge you expect will not come. Anyone who has run a race knows that it can take 10 minutes after the official start of a race to even reach the start line, this would be no different. The rain is drizzling and at the moment the warmth of the sweater I am wearing is appreciated but I quickly realize it will be only a mile or so before it begins to suffocate me. Slowly we reach the start and the gentle shuffle of my feet give way to an all too familiar stride. I can feel the adrenaline and my body wants to run faster but I know it's far, it's really, really far and I remind myself to go slow, ok not really I AM slow, but at this point my apprehension about the distance is a good excuse for my pace.
4. Mile 6- CONFIDENCE
The first part of any long run is trying your best to distract yourself for as long as possible. It's a game, music, podcasts, day dreaming, whatever it is to keep your mind for realizing you are running. About mile 6 is where you start to do "marathon math." If I run that 4 more times(and I could do that...well at least 3 times), then I will be done. The views were nice there was a straight away along the coast, grey skies that blended into gentle waves crashing on the white sand beaches. I listened to the music on the ipad and wait for the pain...because really that's what I am doing.
5. Mile 13- RELIEF
Halfway... halfway there, I'm feeling pretty good for having run 13 miles, almost to the point where it is scary, something bad must be in my future. But every step I take I am closer, closer to the finish, I could walk the rest if I needed to. Reality is the race has just started.
6. Mile 15- COMRADERY
About here we meet the first small hill, the course turns and runs up an overpass and then through a tunnel to the other side of a small mountain. I've never understood it but whenever you come across a hill in a long race you find several people who seem to be unable to contain their desire to yell "yahoo" or "whoo" or whatever that was translated into portuguese. But in an effort I am sure to distract themselves from the rising lactic acid in their legs a verbal outburst is almost always present with hills.
Disco music and lights in a tunnel was a surreal moment, I couldn't help but turn off my music and listen to the blaring echoing music coming from a mass of speakers that have been placed in the tunnel that are accompanied by dizzying disco lights in a long tunnel. It then opened up to a raised highway overlooking the pounding sea. My body is still ok, I am in a bit of shock, I should really be in pain and the lack of it is notable. It is here that I decide to sponsor this part of the race with some ibuprofen, 2 pills or 3, 2 or 3....3 it is. I choke down some snickers bar(which we got as there were no granola bars in Brazil) but I highly recommend. I can tell that my stomach was not pleased with the ibuprofen but I choose to ignore the moment of nausea and instead focus on the fact I cannot seem to find a good song on my iphone.
8. Mile 18 GRATITUDE
Really we're here already?
The road suddenly starts to narrow and the mountains rise on both side of me, temporarily blocking the ocean view. It's here that one of the many instances of the flavela(slum) and the most expensive real estate in the world are divided by a mere two lane highway. The Flavela climbs the hill with it's colorful stacked homes that are woven together with graffiti and political advertisements(must be election season.) Directly across the street is the Sheraton Hotel and it's breathtaking views of Ipanema Beach. There are people out from the Flavela watching the race go by and I note they seem more interested, and subsequently supportive than the tourists who seem out of sorts that their taxi's can't cross the street to the hotel due to the race and they must drag their bags through runners to get to the hotel. An older man is on the side of the road hi-fiving people as they run by, I give him a hi five and can't help but be grateful for the small act of support. But what strikes me most is how I feel....I feel good. Everyone who runs a marathon approaches mile 20 with cautious optimism if you still feel ok at this point in the race. You still have over 6 miles to go....and you have already run 20. So if and when things go horribly wrong it normally begins here.
9. Mile 20 GUARDED OPTIMISM
I still feel good, running down Ipanema beach is fun, tourists are out watching the race in intent faces, I cannot tell if they are really enjoying the race or just paying close attention in order to find a gap in runners so that they can dart across the course to reach the beaches. Either way this is the first time there has really been any spectators out. I still feel good. I decide to eat the last of my snickers bar. This is actually a hard task, it has been in my back sweaty pocket for the last 2-3 hours, it's been pummeled, it's been hot, it looks gross and as I run I wonder how much of the melted chocolate is all over my face. My mouth is dry, too dry to chew it so I sip some Gatorade I have and the sugary combination is one of the better things I have eaten in my whole life(run 20 miles and eat anything it will be the best thing you ever had.) So I pat myself on the back again for making an awesome choice in the snickers bar and await the increased blood sugar rush that will follow.
10. Mile 23 SELF CONTROL
If I wanted to quit it would be convenient here. We are 2 blocks from our house...and shower...and bed...and dry clean clothes. But despite my fears I would be walking and dying at this point in the race I merely glance down the street as I run by and try to remind myself I still have a ways to go despite the fact that although I don't deserve it I feel pretty good. I start to see what everyone fears, runners sitting on the side of the course, some rubbing their legs, some trying to stretch. The wall. It's akin to running out of gas in your car but for a runner it means you can't go forward. I always thought it was like you run out of energy but it's more like having all the muscles in your legs seize up at once. With the thought of it I become aware that my legs are tired and I hope my snickers bar is enough to get me the next 3 miles.
11. Mile 25 ELATION
Most people who die running marathons drop dead at the finish line or very near it. My take away from that is that relief and excitement can kill you. It's also a known fact that no matter how hard or easy the race the last mile is the longest. I am thinking about all these things when the sky that had been so gracious to block the sun all morning had turned very dark and angry and suddenly opened up and it starts to rain, no pour as hard as I have seen the sky do. There is a wind accompanying the downpour and I am actually enjoying the added distraction from the long last mile, until I realize my feet are heavy. It seems funny that mere ounces of water would even be noticeable but after that long a run it felt like someone had strapped 10lb weights to my shoes. But it's also here I can see the finishing area.
12. Mile 26 PRIDE
There is no one along the finish line, one umbrella here or there of someones wife or husband but really, no one is there. I can see runners huddled under tents and a few people gather for shelter under trees but the course is empty of spectators. But that really doesn't matter because you could never run that far for anyone else. The last song ends on my iphone and I pray that whatever comes up next is good because it's raining way to hard to risk taking my phone out to change the song... Neil Diamond "Coming to America" At first I am disappointed but then I realize it's perfect(don't bother asking why it's on there in the first place.) I finish and find Todd under one of the tents. We have a brief laugh at the fact that both of us felt it was easier than we thought or deserved it to be.
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