My First Marathon: What it taught me

In January, ten runners from Kennebec Valley Coaching embarked on a journey to complete a marathon. For most of us, this was to be our first full marathon. I was just coming off major surgery in December, so in many ways my training was starting from scratch. We ran as a group through the winter with the Winter Warriors group, then we transitioned into the Mystery Run group (which could have been named "The Hill Running Group). On June 23rd, all ten of us completed the Inaugural Bay of Fundy International Marathon in Lubec, Maine (yep... that's right, we're INTERNATIONAL marathoners)! The course was very challenging and hilly and we CRUSHED it! I could bore you with a mile-by-mile recap of the race, instead I'll give you the highlights:

Pre-race stretching class courtesy of Fab at Absolute Balance Massage Therapy (yes, we travel with our own massage therapist). Folks were sitting on their porches with their morning coffee at 6am to send the early starters off with cheers (I opted for the early start not knowing how long it might take me), FRIENDLY border patrol agents, amazing scenery along the entire route (lupines everywhere, rocky coastline, quaint harbors and fishing villages), BEST CROWD SUPPORT EVER (the boys at the half way waving US and Canadian flags, the girls cheerleading at the church, SANTA!, the house with a ZILLION signs of encouragement, the family offering chocolate chip cookies at mile 18ish, the huge crowd at the finish),the smelly dead fish just before the mile 12 marker (which was sponsored by Family Fisheries) totally made me laugh,  the folks driving along the route ringing cowbells and waving and beeping, the other runners cheering each other on, the photographers (I actually have several REALLY good race photos), the volunteers (water stops every 2 miles was PERFECT), the police on both sides of the border, the race organizers. Post-race massages (thanks to Fab) and stretching courtesy of Jared Lawson of Kennebec Valley Chiropractic (yep... we brought our own chiropractor too). 

It may sound melodramatic, but training for, and completing, the marathon has changed my life. The lessons I've learned along the way extend far beyond running and fitness. Here are some of those lessons:

1. Slow and steady really DOES win the race (or in my case, FINISH). I ran my marathon in 5:45:35, which is exactly what I was hoping for. I ran my own race, at my pace, and I truly enjoyed every step of every hilly mile.
2. I am capable of so much more than I'd ever imagined. I started running in September of 2010 hoping to finish a 5K. Each time I attained a goal I set a new goal. I never imagined I'd be running a full marathon in less than 3 years.
3. Don't judge a book by its cover. Fit doesn't always look the way you think it does. Marathoners often masquerade as "ordinary" folks. Sure, there are runners out there with the long legs, sinewy muscles, and 10% body fat. But there are many more with soft squishy bits, things that giggle a bit when you run, and enough body fat to keep the chill away.
4. For the first time ever I see myself as an athlete. I've struggled with my body image and self-confidence since I was tweenager. We stopped for lunch on the way home. As I walked down the street looking for a sandwich shop I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a store window; I had to take a second look. For quite possibly the first time ever I liked what I saw; I saw myself as fit, and healthy, and happy. I saw an athlete.
5. Over the past few months I've noticed less negative self-talk. I've all but abandoned my bathroom scale. When I think about my body, I think about what it CAN do, not about a number on a scale, not about the flaws. Are they really flaws?
6. Anything is possible with persistence, patience, and support. Never quit, shit happens, and when it does you just have to roll with in (not in it)! Just because you put something on a list, or set a deadline, doesn't mean that is when it will happen, it will happen when it's MEANT to be, enjoy the journey. It takes a village to raise a marathoner. My village includes my husband Andy who always encouraged and pushed me to do my training (even when I didn't want to), my running family at KVC (coach Amy, Lynn O, Lynn F, Pat, Kim, Karen, Brenda, Amber, Aimee, Trisha, Ellen, Beth... just to name a few), my parents (they've always said I can do anything I want... and meant it!), and my friends.

Sugarloaf Recap

Better late than never, right? It's hard to believe just a week ago I was up at Sugarloaf with my KVC girls running the 15K... in 86 degree weather! To say the weekend was fabulous is an understatement and fails to show the event in its proper light.

Karen, Aimee, Tara, Lynn, Amy

I'll start with the team... Team KVC- Amy Lawson (aka Coach), Lynn Ouellette, Aimee Ellis, Karen Longfellow, Heather Perrault, and myself. We were fortunate enough to score a sweet condo for the weekend AND a team Chef and Caretaker!! Heather is new to KVC (and will no doubt be running this next year with us) so even though she wasn't running she volunteered to cook for us! And OH BOY did she cook. When we arrived at the condo (she'd arrived earlier) the whole place smelled delicious! Chicken Marsala, a HUGE salad, guacamole and chips, and CUPCAKES (for after the race... because at KVC we really DO run for cake)!
 
We went to pick up our packets early so we'd have the rest of the night to relax and encourage each other. Packet pick up was rather uneventful (if you don't include the atrociousness of this year's tech tees (mens-cut in baby puke tan with a moose on the front). I've never been to Sugarloaf without snow on the ground, it's quite beautiful.

The night was spent eating and laughing. There was a lot of discussion about what shoes to wear, what time to wake up, what to eat for breakfast, and a book called Fifty Shades of Grey (need I say more)? To say it had the feel of a teenage girls slumber party should conjure up the proper image.

After deciding where everyone would sleep for the night (and a LOT more laughing) we finally settled down. I'll be honest, I didn't sleep more than an hour or two. I don't sleep well in general, and I sleep even worse in strange places. I can still rest though, even if I'm not really sleeping. And I'm happy to report, there were no snorers:)

We woke up early, 5:15, on race day morning. Bagels and peanut butter were eaten, water was consumed (but not too much) and a LOT of trips to the bathroom. We either have very small bladders or we all get nervous pees before a big race! After much debate, I decided to wear my new (just out of the box) Nike Vomero 6 over my Nike Vomero 5. This isn't as crazy as it sounds, since I'd already retired an identical pair of Vomero 6s earlier this winter. I also decided to go "tech naked" (i.e. no Garmin or watch) as I did at Race the Runways. Instead, I lent my Garmin (aka "Miles", 'cuz I really do name EVERYTHING) to Amy.

We arrived at the start in plenty of time to work out some nervous energy, and yes... another trip (or two) to the porta-potty. We checked out the competition and decided that if you wear brightly colored shoes you MUST be fast. My shoes are mostly white, with a little yellow, this appears to support our hypothesis. To the race organizers credit, the race started on time (much to the disappointment of the 20+ people still standing in line for the porta-potty).

This was my first time racing this distance, even though it's not my furthest. I remembered from my half marathon experience that starting out slower than you think you should will benefit you in the end. Thus, I set out at a comfortable pace. I was a little tempted to step it up as I saw wave after wave of people pass me, but then I just reminded myself that we lined up in the first half of the crowd, and let's face it, I'm not fast. So I let them pass and focused on how I was feeling to gauge my pace. I thought of my teammates and silently wished them a good race. We all had our own goals and definitions of success for this race. For some it was a time, for others a pace, and others were running the furthest they'd ever run. I knew we would all be successful, we'd all been training diligently, we were prepared.

I have to admit, I like racing the longer distances and I like going tech naked. I find myself really responding to my body's cues and by the end of the race I feel like I put everything I had out there.

Once I got to the first water station at mile 2 I'd loosened up enough to really feel like I was racing. This is one of the reasons I like the longer distances, because often times it takes me a mile or two to really start enjoying a run. I'm not a big water drinker when I race (which is something I'll have to address before the marathon and the half marathons this summer), so I ran through all the water stops without taking any water except the last one. I grabbed a cup and rinsed out my mouth which was quite parched by mile 8.
As the lumber store sign became visible up ahead (aka the turn off for the finish line) I began to get excited. The last mile was a bear as the temperature hit the 80s and the sun beat down on me without any shade. I was tempted a couple times to take a walk break, but resisted remembering how I started to fall apart after taking a walk break at Race the Runways. As I approached the turn off to the finish Amy was there, with a BAND, cheering me on. Conch shells, cow bells, and bongo drums! That was enough to lift me up and release what little energy I had left to pick up the pace and cross the finish line. My official time was 1:42:24, my goal was 1:45. My average pace was exactly 11:00 which I was thrilled with (my pace at the 10 mile mark at RTR was 11:16).

The rest of the afternoon was spent cheering on our teammates and eating cupcakes. Amy won 3rd place for her age group (way to go Coach)! We stuck around for a reason. Deborah, an online client of Amy's, was running the marathon, it was her 13th marathon. She's run Sugarloaf last year in about 6:15, she finished in about 5:45, a full 30 minutes better than last year! I also was looking for my cousin, Tony. He was running the marathon too, his first! I didn't find him on race day, but looked him up and saw he finished in 4:24, not too shabby:)

We stopped for ice cream on our way home, still beaming from the triumph of the race and the fun of the weekend. When I got home I showed my husband the cool medal I'd earned ('cuz I run for cake AND MEDALS) and gave him the baby puke tan race tee. I can't wait for the rest of the races this season and for Sugarloaf next year! I bet we'll have 20 runners!

I'm sure I sound like a broken record, but I feel so lucky to be a part of Kennebec Valley Coaching. Not only have I made great new friends, but I'm continually pushing the envelope and doing things I never would have imaged... AND HAVING FUN!!! If you want to join us (and you KNOW you do) click here.