A Marathon Blog

Feb 2013-
Huntington Beach, Surf City Marathon.
Two words:  Brutally awesome.
It was a first time adventure.  Actually, it was my first time running 26.2 miles, ever.   I knew it was going to hurt, for my lil running legs were just far from ready.   But a new challenge was calling awhile ago…. 
Rewind to November 2012.  Did somebody say Surf City Marathon 2013 on Superbowl Runday?!  Count me in!  The thought of a marathon never appeased my appetite.  Always knew I could finish a marathon but never cared to know how fast.  This time around somehow I convinced myself it would be a fantastic idea to race a marathon!  It was more the thought of a new challenge I was so desperately seeking.  Something incredibly new, well for me anyways, churns up the days a bit more interesting, exciting, and rewarding…. And so, “CLICK” my race entry was confirmed.
I set a goal-a very reachable personal finish time and off into the days I ran.  I ran until an obstacle got in my way.  The obstacle came in the form of a hip flexor strain.  Three weeks out from marathon day, I had strained my hip flexor while pushing a couple (bike) workouts on muscles that just weren’t properly warmed up.  Oppsies!  From that point forward, I was left with no decent runs leading up to the marathon despite the hard work that was put in before I got hurt.  After a couple weeks of frustration from absolute lack of running and limping, I mentally took myself out of racing. Sadly, I decided it wouldn’t be the brightest idea to proceed to race.  BUT, my hip was healing nicely and my body was coming back into alignment about 4 days out.    A night or two before the race I was given the go ahead to do the marathon with caution.  To run the marathon it is!  Decided to attempt this first decent run in 3 weeks on race day!
Come marathon morning there was absolutely no expectations on the line.  A crispy clear morning was developing nicely for a long run along the beach with lots of other runners!  I knew there was just no possible way of getting to that finish line remotely close to my initial goal time with the lack of training.   I honestly had no idea if crossing the finish line would even be an option.  If I feel my hip flexor tightening up, I would have to stop running.  But, if by the chance I did cross the finish line, and it would be under Boston qualifying time, then it would victory!   
Felt just like a lovely sunny morning beach run.  No pain in my hip!  Felt so good to be out running again, well until mile 20 quickly changed my mind.  Right then and there, I stopped.  My legs wanted to fall off.  I felt like melting into the ground.  The pain from lack of training those 3 weeks before began to soak in and soak in deep.  My legs have never run so far in my life!  From that point forward, the mental battle to the finish line began.  I began to walk, and then push forward to jog, then walk again and jog onward to the finish line!  What a struggle!  But within that struggle, within that battle, and within that journey, just like that it happened; Victory!
I crossed nowhere near my goal time but did qualify to go to Boston by a substantial margin.  Incredibly sore for days, I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. 
Life is too short not to live it fully.