I'm awesome: I rocked The Cowtown

(be prepared, this is long) (and, no photos because my computer wouldn't connect to the internet all weekend)

Y'all. Y'all. Y'all! I don't even know where to begin. This weekend was a whole big bag of emotions.

Friday night was graduation and getting to spend the evening with my husband and my bestie made it that much more special.

We rushed home and I climbed right into bed.

Saturday morning was cold and Weather.com told me the high for the day was 45 but the people on Ch. 5 told me 65. Who to believe?! And it was very chilly at mi casa and cloudy. I grabbed my tech tee, capris and jacket and got ready.

We got to the race site and it was frrreeeezing. I had on my jacket plus my husband's sweatshirt and was still cold. It was cold. (even my husband was cold)

This race was laid out beautifully--the start areas and the expo/post race areas were great. It was very well planned. Even 20 minutes before the start I didn't have to wait to use the bathroom! Except for the whole pace leaders being all over the place in the start corrals, but, whatever.

I decided to run with my jacket and just tie it around my waist if I needed to. Which is totally lame, but, I didn't want to toss it (it's my favorite) and I was shivering at the start line. And I loathe being cold and couldn't imagine being cold for 26.2 miles. I knew that would put me in a foul mood and I wasn't ready to ruin my race because I was cold.

Of course I took that bad boy off at mile 3. LAME.

This course literally kicked my ass.

It was a big ol' loop so my husband wasn't able to meet me anywhere on course (this was the great thing about Tulsa--the loop was really tight and mile 6 for the runners was actually only 1/4 mile from the start, so, it was really easy for spectators to migrate around the course) which that kind of sucked, but, I knew it going in, so, that was OK. (but it still always helps to have your own personal cheering section)

0-3: I started off running with a group of 3 ladies who were shooting for the same time goal as I was and since we couldn't find that pacer (he was waaaay ahead of us) I figured I'd just hang with them for a while. We caught him around mile 3 and the three ladies I had been running with took off and I decided to just hang back with the pacer. According to my watch, I was on pace and while it felt "easy-ish" I knew this course had the ability to kick my ass and I didn't want a repeat of Tulsa where I went out too fast and burned out at mile 17.

3-8: I hung with the pacer and we chatted about the course, getting into running, etc. He had just finished up a 50 mile trail run, and we talked about people who do 100 mile trail runs and how intense that is. He's also run Pike's Peak and while I could have said I have no desire to do that, after running with him and another ultra trail runner for 5 miles and their encouragement, I do have a little bit of me that would someday like to do the ascent portion of it. But not this year! (sidenote: I'm learning that while I'd love to qualify for Boston at some point, a bigger part of me enjoys the challenging races and courses as opposed to being really fast if that makes sense. Although yes, I want to run super fast in OKC)

8-13: We got a few more runners in our group and just kept plodding along. The course was kind of strange because not all the roads were totally shut down, they were just shut down on one lane, and because I have this bad habit of running in the middle of the road (ITB issues) this meant I ended up like thisclose to cars a couple of times. My fault, I totally get it. Also, breathing in exhaust is weak.

13-15: My pacer stopped to tie his shoes at the water stop at 13 and I kept going but wasn't going all out because I knew there were hills ahead and I wanted to try and let him catch up with me. He had meds. I didn't not want to be far from the man with Advil. There were a few hills along this portion and this was also a portion that looped around when you're on like mile 20 so of course, there was some passing of the speedy finishers.... Bleh. After the hills it was a generally flat neighborhood area so I just tried to stay at a steady pace and enjoy my surroundings. So pretty!

16-18: At the mile 16 water stop I looked behind me and saw the pacer--he was hurting. (it was also super warm by this point). He told me there was no way he was going to make our goal time and I told him we could and that he needed to keep going. We were both a salty mess at this point. Not many of the water stops had Powerade, and they were kind stingy with the water, couple that with sun that no one expected and it was salty time! I had given him my Oreo stash at mile 12 because he was hungry and I was so sad to see him fading. I knew that in Tulsa I hit the wall at 17, so, mile 17 for me was going to be all mental. I had faith that he'd catch up with me, but, I wasn't sure. I decided I needed some pain meds if I was going to keep running on pace and feeling good, so I decided I'd stop at the next medic tent, but, if there wasn't a medic tent before mile 20, I'd wait for the pacer. Lo and behold, a medic tent at mile 17. I got 2 Advil and went on my way. Mile 17-18 was in a park and it was so pretty. Loved that mile!

18-20: Mile 18 started off with a hill climb which I knew was coming but it was pretty steep and it was hard. I texted the husband to let him know where I was kept looking for the pb sandwiches I was told existed at mile 17 (they didn't really exist, it was like a mirage of running). These miles where through neighborhoods and along the college campus and were pretty OK. Rolling hills but not bad. I passed one of the ladies I'd started out with at mile 20 and it was her first marathon and she was run walking at this point but doing great. I got a few pieces of a banana at mile 20 and then we looped back along the course where we had passed the speedy finishers earlier. That was really exciting because I knew it was the home stretch.

20-22: I tried to keep powering through and thought I could still reach my goal time at this point. I only had a 10k left and I run 8 milers in my sleep, so this was eassssy. Bwhahahah, how the Universe knows. I don't remember much of these miles other than the hilly ass kicking I got.

23-25: Mile 23 for the most part was straight along the river and I kept looking for a water stop but there wasn't one. It climbed up a hill towards the end of the mile and along that descent was where I lost it. We rounded a corner (and a downhill) along mile 24 and I just totally lost it. I could not stop crying. I didn't have it in me. I could not do this. It was all hills to the finish and I was hot, tired, thirsty and done. I ran as hard as I could powered up the hills, constantly consulting my watch thinking "I just might be able to do it if I don't wuss out" (I wussed out).

25-26.2: I got water at mile 25 and because the race finishes through downtown it's all sorts of twisty and turny and although I knew I was close, I couldn't really "feel it" if that makes any sense at all. Longest.1.25(37) mile(s) of my life. F. F. F. F! I hated this mile. Another small hill! Yay! Luckily it got real straight, real fast right before you hit 26 but the killer is, is that it's a straight finish, so, you can see the arch and everything in the distances but it's so damn far away. I found a kick at mile 26 and was full on bawling my eyes out. I was grunting and crying and so upset because I had taken too many walk breaks there at the end (seriously, 3 miles at the end are hilly--not cool) and I wasn't going to make my goal time and I was defeated. The good thing about that last .25 mile of death? Totally lined with spectators. So, although I'm crying my eyes out and forcing my legs to turn over they were still cheering for me. I crossed the finish line (and didn't even bother smiling for the finish line photo!) and pretty much collapsed.

Got my medal (which, like That Pink Girl said, were actually pretty cool), some water and found the husband. I was still crying at this point and I showed him my finishing time and we went to go get my finishers shirt and go home.

I only missed my goal time by 61 seconds (I came in exactly 1 minute over my goal time), but, still managed to shave 13 minutes off my Tulsa time. So, yes, I'm disappointed in that, so, still came so close and with as hard as those last few miles were (at least for me) I know that I left it all out there and that's what matters. Although I was really upset about it, my husband was so proud of my huge PR that it was hard to sulk.

I don't think I underestimated the course, but, I kind of overestimated the race itself. I tend to think of it as one of the flagship Texas races and it's a big race so, I assumed there were be a lot of support along the course and that wasn't the case except in small pockets. At White Rock, and even Tulsa, all the neighborhoods are outside cheering you on and having a party for you--that wasn't' the case here and was kind of disappointing. I'm still glad I did it.

This was definitely a great race. Even though I kind of fell apart around 23, I didn't really hit the wall like I did in Tulsa and felt great really the entire time (thanks I'm sure to the Advil). I don't want to sound arrogant, but, I really am proud of myself for this race. I kept my confidence up and ran hard to the finish. To that end, over the final 7.6 miles, I passed 126 runners and only 1 passed me. That's pretty badass if I do say so myself.

Pictures to come, I promise!

I'm sunburned with a sweet farmers tan (what I get for wearing a shirt with SPF in it) but am considering that my post marathon glow.

I'm still nervous about Catalina, but, am approaching it with a new perspective: experience. Yes, it's an intense course, it's going to kick my ass on more levels than I care to think about, but, hello, it's a marathon on Catalina Island. How cool is that?? There's an 8 hour cut off and if I can hit 13.1 in 4 hours, I'll be happy.

Ahhhh..... And I'm done.

Maniac Status: 1 down, 2 to go!