Rock n Roll San Diego 2011

I finished my first marathon!!!!! 

It is seriously one of the best feelings I have ever experienced. It's been a day and a half, and I am still overwhelmingly elated. It's incredible.

Saturday I went with Jeff to the expo for the marathon, and it was awesome. We took the trolley down there, which ended up being a great choice. I hate driving down there in the first place, but traffic was even worse than usual. We went early and good thing we did- it was already packed. It was a huge expo, but very well-organized. According to the announcer, SD's Rock n Roll was the first one so I guess they've figured it out by now. I got my bib, my tracking chip, and my shirt, plus some Clif Shots (I have always used Gu chomps, but Clif shots taste a lot better!), and we were out of there. 

I decided that since I needed to be carb-loading, we needed to have brunch at Pappalecho. They have the BEST cappuccinos I have ever had- tied with Twiggs, which is conveniently right across the street from our new apartment. I ate my entire plate plus a side of potatoes. But it's okay, because I needed the carbs... yeah... this was followed by pasta, mushrooms, and asparagus for dinner. The perfect pre-run meal nom nom nom! 


The morning of the race went really smoothly, better than I could have asked for. I woke up at 4:30 to give myself time to make a little coffee and eat breakfast (Honey Bunches of Oats with soy milk- not really common pre-race fare but it's what I had been eating before my long runs, so I figured it was probably a good choice), and make sure I had everything ready. Oh yeah and the most important thing- I foam rolled. I think it saved me during the race. Jeff drove me to the start line, and it was already light outside which amped me up to run. Right before the race, I got my fill of my trashy tv stars- Ali and Roberto from the Bachelorette were there, and so was Tamra from the Real Housewives of the OC (with her boyfriend, Eddie). Um- awesome. If I had to pick anyone to see, it would have been them anyway. Jeff's mom can confirm this. I am a little obsessed with my shows...


Before the race, I got to my corral and just wanted to get going. Unfortunately, the race started by corral, which was dependent on your estimated finish time. Mine was 4:20 so I was in the middle. Instead of starting at 6:15, I ended up starting closer to 6:35. But by then I was excited and just wanted to get going! It was a beautiful day in Balboa Park, perfect for running. Finally, after bouncing around to warm up, our corral (number 17) got started.


The first part of the run was actually the same as a 10K Jeff and I did last year, the AIDS walk San Diego. We are doing it again this year. It goes around Balboa Park and then through some of the museum area. I was fully focused on my run except for one thing- even though I had used a port o potty before the race started, 1 mile in I REALLY had to pee. Like, badly. I kept waiting to see which port o potties were least crowded, and somehow they were all really crowded. Ugh. Finally at around mile 3 there were 3 people in line for 3 bathrooms and I decided now was my chance. Even though it added 5 minutes to my time, it was worth it. Better then than that mile 18 when I wouldn't be able to start back up again. 


After that I felt refreshed. I ran the next 10 miles nonstop. It was an awesome run. I got to run on the 163 freeway, a road I have to drive all the time. I have never seen it without cars; it was a little creepy but really cool at the same time. It was hilly but so fun that I barely noticed. Plus a group of guys carrying a flag that said "England" ran by in their tighty whities- interesting things like that help keep the focus off the actual running part of the race.


After mile 14, things got a little more difficult. The run was just as pretty, through mission valley past the mall and to the ocean. But since I am used to half marathons, anything beyond 13.1 miles got immediately difficult. I was okay until about mile 18 and then I realized, WOW this is tough. I slowed down a lot. I walked and ran off and on, luckily more running than walking. Getting to mile 20 was hard but once I got there, I realized that it was the furthest I have ever gone at one time. That made me feel awesome. After that it got even tougher, but the race organizers planned the race well. The last 6.2 miles were right on the ocean, through mission bay and then around fiesta island. The temperature was warmer but not too warm. 


I really started to struggle during the last 5 miles. I was surprised that I ended up hurting where I did- my feet, my lower back, and my knees. My knees didn't surprise me, but I figured it would be my hamstrings and quads hurting. I had brought my phone with me knowing Jeff was going to meet me at the end, and I texted him that I would probably be another hour. The response I got back seriously almost put me to tears. Let me explain. I was already emotional. I have this thing that I get emotional when I work out. It's really weird, I admit it. I remember one time I was on the treadmill and "Hoarders" was on. It was an episode in which this lady owned a barn and kept all these animals in horrible conditions. There was a goat that was pregnant and had gotten hurt months before and it wasn't treated. It's leg was torn up and probably broken. It made me tear up. I think strong feelings + crazy adrenaline pumping through my system= Amanda crying. Awesome. Anyway, Jeff texted me that I was great and he couldn't wait to see me at the finish. And it was the encouragement I needed to finish the race. So even though I walked a lot in the last few miles, I ran the full last mile and felt strong. I was soooo happy to be done, not only because I was physically exhausted, but because 16 months of training had amounted to this. I had definitely not trained as much as I should have, but I was still able to finish. It was such a great feeling of accomplishment. Yayyyyy!!!


Jeff just barely missed me cross the finish line. Not his fault- the way the spectators had to get the finish line was ridiculous. There was no parking and instead they were encouraged to take the trolley to the nearest stop- over a mile away. But he was there at the finish line and I found him, and seeing him there made my day. I walked with him back to the trolley stop (after 26.2 miles, what's another mile?), and went home to soak in the bath tub before my beer consumption began.


A bunch of friends and I went to Small Bar for some beers and food, and it was just what I needed. Having my friends there to celebrate my accomplishment made me so happy. I spent the rest of the day eating (I earned that Cold Stone ice cream!) and resting, and just feeling great. That feeling lasted through today, and I hope it will last a while longer. I had a cappuccino with Ashley and Twigg's this morning and we hung out with our dogs in the sunshine, and this afternoon I had a 90 minute hot stone massage and pedicure to complete my post-run pampering. And now I am watching the Bachelorette with Jeff and Toby (yes, Jeff puts up with it- one reason I am marrying him). The perfect ending to a perfect day. This has been a perfect weekend. I am happier than I have been in a long time and I am excited about it. I want this feeling to last, and I am confident that it will. I am going to savor this feeling for as long as I can :-)