My first Marathon
My first official Marathon was the Rock n Roll San Diego 2008. But that wasn't really my first marathon. My first marathon was a few months earlier. When I started running, the lesson I learned right away was to slow down and find a "comfortable" pace. If I ran comfortably, I could run further. I could run 2 miles pretty easily and then 3, 4 and 5. Then the big test was 10 miles. Once I completed 10 miles, I thought what could keep me from finishing 26.2? Just put one foot in front of the other.
I calculated it would take me between 4 and 6 hours to run 26.2 miles. So I decided to leave Early in the morning. At 6 am in February I put on my cotton sweatpants, cotton sweatshirt, cotton t-shirt, and cotton socks. At 6 am, it's cold outside. I own a camel back, but I did not want to "bother" with it, so I used the backpack without the bladder to carry (2) 16 oz bottles of water and a banana. Since I ran 10 miles with nothing, 2 bottles of water and banana should be plenty for the measly 16 extra miles.
The first 10 miles was a breeze (just like training), but the temperature was rising. As I hit the beach the next 5 miles felt like I was in the Sahara. My water was suddenly gone. I was almost to the pier that was my turnaround point, but the effects of no water and heat of the sun began to hit me hard. I shed my sweatshirt, but I was stuck in the sweat pants which were drenched.
I made it back to the ranger station in the state park that had a water fountain. I drank my fill and refilled my two meager bottles and headed for home. I really wanted to call my wife for a ride, but my cell phone was dead (left it on in my backpack). I could have probably borrowed a phone (or found a payphone), but I thought I'll just take it slow. Having to call for a ride should be for an ambulance only (my opinion).
The last couple of miles were pure hell. I was dizzy and delirious, but strangely able to feel pain. My body felt like it was made of glass and every step was shattering me into tiny pieces. My entire outing was about 6.5 hours and the last mile was probably 20 minutes. I learned a lot from the experience.
#1 You can anything you put you mind to - unless you are dead - and it is a fine line.
#2 If you can run a marathon in sweatpants with two bottles of water and a banana, then you can easily do it with proper runner's attire and aid stations.
Discussing my experience around the office introduced me to a lot of other runners. They all had good advice and tips. I was give a copy of Marathons for Mortals (great book for beginners). I learned a lot. By the time I made RnR San Diego I was ready. I finished in 4:56 which was about 1 hr quicker than I thought I would finish.
I calculated it would take me between 4 and 6 hours to run 26.2 miles. So I decided to leave Early in the morning. At 6 am in February I put on my cotton sweatpants, cotton sweatshirt, cotton t-shirt, and cotton socks. At 6 am, it's cold outside. I own a camel back, but I did not want to "bother" with it, so I used the backpack without the bladder to carry (2) 16 oz bottles of water and a banana. Since I ran 10 miles with nothing, 2 bottles of water and banana should be plenty for the measly 16 extra miles.
The first 10 miles was a breeze (just like training), but the temperature was rising. As I hit the beach the next 5 miles felt like I was in the Sahara. My water was suddenly gone. I was almost to the pier that was my turnaround point, but the effects of no water and heat of the sun began to hit me hard. I shed my sweatshirt, but I was stuck in the sweat pants which were drenched.
I made it back to the ranger station in the state park that had a water fountain. I drank my fill and refilled my two meager bottles and headed for home. I really wanted to call my wife for a ride, but my cell phone was dead (left it on in my backpack). I could have probably borrowed a phone (or found a payphone), but I thought I'll just take it slow. Having to call for a ride should be for an ambulance only (my opinion).
The last couple of miles were pure hell. I was dizzy and delirious, but strangely able to feel pain. My body felt like it was made of glass and every step was shattering me into tiny pieces. My entire outing was about 6.5 hours and the last mile was probably 20 minutes. I learned a lot from the experience.
#1 You can anything you put you mind to - unless you are dead - and it is a fine line.
#2 If you can run a marathon in sweatpants with two bottles of water and a banana, then you can easily do it with proper runner's attire and aid stations.
Discussing my experience around the office introduced me to a lot of other runners. They all had good advice and tips. I was give a copy of Marathons for Mortals (great book for beginners). I learned a lot. By the time I made RnR San Diego I was ready. I finished in 4:56 which was about 1 hr quicker than I thought I would finish.
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