Marine Corps Marathon 36: My First Marathon Recap

I know it has been awhile since I've posted on this blog. Life has been busy and writing has been put on the back-burner. If it makes any of you feel better, I have another blog, www.living-wisely.org, which I have also neglected recently. One of the things that has occupied my time is my personal health. When I last posted on this blog, I was hovering near the 300 pound mark. I knew that if I didn't make changes, I would never make it to a ripe old age, and I probably wouldn't be as effective for Christ as I should be. so in January, 2010 I began to run. It was slow and painful at first, but as I changed my eating habits and shed the weight, I came to a point where I enjoyed it. Last week, I accomplished a goal I had set 10 years ago. I had kept to myself that at the age of 30, I decided to run a marathon before I turned 40. So with 54 days left, I ran my race. The following is my race recap:

The day before the marathon, the weather was horrible. Nearly every type of bad
weather occurred. It was cold, rainy, sleeting, snowing. In short, it was terrible. Even
still, I was resolute. I was going to run the Marine Corps Marathon in a blizzard if
necessary. But Sunday morning came and it was gorgeous. My family and I were
staying with my aunt and uncle in Mount Vernon. Uncle Stuart drove me down to the
starting area.

It was nice to have him there for encouragement as the butterflies made the rounds in
my stomach. I had invested a great deal of time in training, but I still had questions
about this distance - 26.2. I was so energized with anticipation, that I didn't need a
jacket on the cold morning. I dropped it off with my bag, and made my way to the
starting line. We were encouraged to cue with others at our anticipated pace, so I went
to the 4:30 to 5:00 group. I would be happy with under 6 hours, but really wanted to
break 5.

I watched with interest as three people skydived to the starting line. Two Osprey
airplanes flew over. I sang the National Anthem with fervor. And then the start! After two
years of training, I was finally running a marathon! I remembered the advice and
coaching of my running friends, run slow Jeff. Don't start out too fast. Be comfortable. I
remembered the advice, but I didn't heed it. I occasionally checked my Garmin and
would see a 9 or 10 minute pace. I would slow down for a bit, but then the speed would
creep back up.

The first 4 miles were fun. I talked with a guy from Charlottesville VA for awhile, then he
moved on. The first bridge I crossed was a bit slippery, but I managed without incident.
It was about this time (mile 4 to 5) that I learned marathoners lose their modesty fairly
quickly as dozens would duck into the bushes for what I assume to be the call of nature.
Entering Georgetown was awesome. There was a bluegrass band, and a little later, a
bagpiper and drummer encouraging us onward. About mile 6.75 to 7 miles, I started to
feel some pain in my calves. I decided it was probably from running too fast or from
running on asphalt (which I didn't do enough of in training), so I ignored it and pressed
on. I was looking forward to seeing my wife and kids at mile 10, but I missed them in the
crowd. I struck up a conversation with Dave, who was running his second marathon,
and we ran together for the next 5 miles. Dave was crucial to my success because he
kept me running at a better pace than I previously had been running.

Dave and I lost each other at the mile 16 water station, and shortly after that, I saw my
family! What a wonderful feeling to be cheered on by your loved ones so late in the
race. Paige, my youngest, was holding a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts so I grabbed
one of the three in the box. After eating half of it, Brooke told me that I had just eaten my
wife's doughnut. At that point, I didn't care, but later I apologized. It's amazing what
running a long distance race will do to you. I've avoided sweets and fatty food for so
long, and during this race, I didn't think twice about shoving that stuff down my throat!
The next 3 miles were uneventful, but I was starting to slow down a bit. I made it to the
14th Street Bridge in a little over three hours (mile 20). I was happy to "beat the bridge"
as the Marines stop runners by a certain time. When I reached 20.5 miles, my world
changed. I experienced pain and fatigue in a way I've never experienced before. I felt
like a popped balloon as all of my energy immediately left my body. My quads and
calves were so sore. I bent over and tried to stretch. I knew that if I didn't start moving, I
never would finish. So I walked. Each step was painful and full of effort. I prayed that
God would take the pain so that I could finish the race. I knew my family were waiting at
the finish line. I knew that my friends were cheering for me from around the U.S.  I didn't
want to let anyone down, especially myself.

At about mile 21, I started to run. Slowly at first, but in no time, I was back to about an
11:30 pace. I found the second wind to continue! It's true that you can go farther than
your body thinks it can. I was a bit slower around mile 23. At this point, the 5 hour pace
group caught up with me. I tried to keep up, but they steadily pulled away. I determined
to keep running and get to the finish as best I could. Between mile 25 and 26, a guy laid
down in the road and didn't get up. I said a prayer for him and kept moving. At mile 26, I
could hear the crowd at the finish line. I knew it was almost done. I made the turn and
started the uphill run to the finish. I was not going to walk up this hill!

With a tenth of a mile to go, I saw my aunt and uncle in the crowd. They were taking
pictures and waving excitedly. I picked up my pace. I saw the finish line. Legs pumping.
Legs screaming in pain. I kept moving forward. As I crossed the finish line, I thought,
"why in the world did I do this?" I felt horrible. After a couple of minutes, it sank in that I
had just completed a race that a third of those who entered did not finish. I realized that
I had completed a goal I had set for my self ten years ago. I completed something that
two years ago I knew was impossible. Waves of relief and joy washed over me (but I still
ached horribly).

A second lieutenant placed the finisher's medal around my neck, shook my hand, and
told be congratulations. I soon saw my mother and father on the other side of the fence.
I got their attention and told them I wanted to go home. Seeing my family at the finish
line was a source of great joy. My girls rushed up and hugged me. At that point I thought
about the time they granted me to be away on training runs. I appreciate their love and
support.

I want to say that the Marine Corps Marathon was incredibly well organized. I don't
know how many hundreds of marines provided assistance along the route, but I
appreciate them all. Semper fi, Devil Dogs. Semper fi!