PF Chang's 1/2 marathon

I finished my second 1/2 marathon for any one who doesn't follow running that is 13.2 miles and yes the .2 matters. I literally collapsed at the finish line and this is my second year in medic. Let's go back two years. My sister and I decided we had run a few 5K (3.2) miles (what's up with the .2 I don't know) and we needed a challenge so we talked ourselves into running this .5 marathon. That year I felt I trained pretty well for doing it on my own. If you know me I have trained my body it doesn't need water. I have trained my body to live on soda (You will know why this is important later on). So, while running the first .5 marathon I felt strong at the finish line. However, after about 10 mins. things starting going black. I finally just sat down in the middle of the crowd and my sister went and got a medic. Apparently, I just needed salt. After a bag of pretzels and a few minutes my blood sugar and salts were back to normal and I felt better. I also didn't carb overload I had a salad the night before I was using it as a weight loss regime. Bad idea.

So, I took a year off (had a baby). But, we cheered my sister on who did the full marathon. (After what happened in marathon '09- which I will tell you in a minute I have a much greater respect for my sister who did the full marathon I don't know how she did it).

So, we decided in October that we would run the '09 PF chang's. I didn't really start training until December. First mistake with many to follow. I had gotten up to running 5 miles on a pretty consecutive and consistent basis. However 5 miles is about 1/3 of what I needed to run. I had a baby in March and I still am carrying about 15 pounds of extra unneeded, unwanted weight. (mistake 2, should have dropped weight). I am also still feeding a baby (breast feeding if you needed it in black and white).

Learning from my first marathon, the night before I carb overloaded like I should have. Actually, I started a few days early which added to the extra poundage I was already carrying. And at every drinking station I drank water like a good girl (this was another mistake). Who would have thought drinking water was a mistake.

It was BEAUTIFUL weather to go for a run. We get there in plenty of time. Decided we had better use the restroom. I don't know about anyone else but running is kind of like a laxative for me. It loosens the bowels. So, we wait til the last minute and go. Well we didn't anticipate the lines being so long. So, after we still some TP, we head over to the corrals. There are about 1,000 people per corral. Learning from our first marathon, you lie and say you are faster than you really are. Less people in your way. So, we missed our corral's start so we jumped in the next one.

We were off. Doing really great. Muff and I had preplanned that about mile 5 or 6 we would walk 1 or 2 miles to conserve energy. Knowing we didn't really prep like we should have. So, mile 5 approaches, feeling okay but knowing I am going to need to walk. The first time I ran (when I say ran it is more like a jog), I only walked .5 mile. We decided to push it to mile 6. Of course we never actually talked we just kept running and we knew what the plan was.

Mile 6 started walking feeling good but legs started to get tight. Pushed through that and felt pretty good about mile 7. Started jogging again. It hurt when I started to jog, but pushed through it and the muscles loosened back up. Kept going until mile 8.5. I had to walk. Doing okay walked to nine and ran to 10. ( from mile 9-10 there is the slightest of incline. One would probably on any day not even realize there was an incline but after running that long, you noticed the slightest of inclines which to my legs at that moment felt like mount Everest. so, to conserve energy we walked up it).

My mind set at mile 10 was I was ready for this damn race to be over. It was no longer FUN! (Remebmer on the turn around trip to Disneyland and we hadn't slept in like 15 hours and we still had to do Disneyland. It was the happiest place on earth and I wanted nothing to do with it. I wanted to sell my ticket for a cot!)

An all to familiar feeling was coming back. I was getting nauseous and fighting dizziness and if I relaxed, my eyes started to fade in and out. i felt just like I did the first time I blacked out. I told my sister, I think I need salt. I was very aware of every muscle in my legs. I have never had shin splints or cramps in the shins, with every step each contrary muscle would cramp, shin, then calf, etc. At this point in time i decided my mind has to over power my body. Mind of body.

I told my sister to go ahead without me I had a cell phone and there were people on bikes if I needed a medic. She stayed with me and we pushed on mile 10-11 we started jogging again. (Okay this time it was like shuffling our feet with a bounce up and down for the appearance of jogging). Ironically at mile 12 I read a sign that pain is temporary and pain is weakness leaving the body. I wanted to know if she had ever felt what my legs were screaming at me. It is amazing how much further your body can go, if you just push it. That is what I was there to do, push beyond my limits. I wasn't going to stop now. I had 1.2 miles (again the .2 was killing me)

We decided that we were going to walk mile 11-12.5 and run the last .7 miles. We did and with every step it was a fight to pick up the other foot. We crossed the finish line, got our pictures taken and headed over to the refreshment area. I tried to find anything with salt in it. I was fighting not to have a repeat of the first year. After many failed attempts to stand up. I finally tapped out. E0very time I stood up I got dizzy and started to lose sight. So, I sat down and asked (told) my sister I need help. She grabbed a medic. I felt like an idiot.

We moved out of the way she elevated my legs, couldn't find a pulse, apparently my face was white. I managed to get over to the medic area and got to lay on a cot. I just wanted to go home and sit in a hot bath. She told me to talk salt like doing shots of tequila. Muff said she doesn't know what that means. Any way I learned how to do tequila shots but using some form of power ade drink. After three shots of salt I started feeling better. (I lied and said I wasn't dizzy or nauseous I just wanted to go home). I don't know how long we were there but I wanted to go home. Every muscle was cramping. She said how much water did you drink? I was proud of myself so I answered with pride that I actually and honestly had water at every water station and whole bottle when we finished the race.She then replied that's your problem. You are far to over hydrated. She busted my bubble. Over Hydrated I thought I would never hear anyone tell me that with my soda addiction. Here's the ironic thing I was overhydtrated for someone who drank water on a regular basis. Remember earlier I said I have trained my body it doesn't need water. So, I was REALLY overhydrated. I wanted her to repeat that into a recorder or put it in writing. Note to self, you are only supposed to drink when you are thirst. My bad.

AFter a time with the medic, I convienced them that I was good. They allowed me to leave. I just watned to go home. I felt like Dorthy in the wizard of oz. Muff and I made it to the corner parking lot and I was so sick. My head was spinning, I was nauseous, getting dizzier by the min. I sat down and muffy gets the car and brings it to me. I am glad she was functioning. Then I get the in the and get a barf bag ready. I was dry heaving, I laid down as I was dizzy. I felt bad because there was a lot of traffic. I don't remember much but muff was irritated with traffic. I wasn't much help either.


See muffy had to work that night and was hoping to get home and take a shower, nap and rest up. She had to give up her nap to sit with me at the medic and then traffic. We had some insane woman almost hit about 3 cars while coming home.

I guess I moaned on the way back to my mom's. I was not feeling well. I got out and puked my guts out in my mom's front yard. Sorry mom. Then I felt a little better. I sat at my mom's for about 30 mins. I was starting to feel good enough to drive home. I thanked my mom, gathered the kids and headed for home.

My mom called later and asked if I would do this again. I said its kind of like some turn around trips we have been on. Right now heck no~ but if you ask me in a few months I will sign up again. I like pushing myself beyond what I think I can do. It gives me drive, focus, and a goal to work toward. I hope my sis, is up for it. Because of my drama just doing the half marathon, I now have even a greater respect for my sister doing the full marathon. And she NEVER GETS SICK!

I have learned a few things from this experience and will try again next year to do better not worse. But like my sister said, I got sick and went to medic two years in a row~ now it's TRADITION!

We finished in 3 hours 20ish minutes. ( my sister could have done way better but she wouldn't take off, she would make a good marine). To put this in perspective john went to church and got home before I completed it, The marathon runners (Kenyans, Ethopians) finsihed double what I did in about 1.5 hours. They had time to run a FULL marathon, shower, head out for a bite to eat, come back and still wait for me to cross the finish line.

I will post pictures as soon as I get word they are ready.

On a side note: Never once heard brown eyed girl (last year every time we passed a band stage they were somewhere in the song brown eyed girl. When you are dehydrated and beyond tired the littlest things are humorous)