Heather’s First Marathon

I think it’s beginning to sink in just how much I have to get done before I bid this job adieu at the the end of the week. *Commence freak out.* I have two more meetings and have been assigned the lovely task of documenting my daily tasks for the next person that takes my position (so far I have 6 pages and am no where near finish). Yikes!

Lunch was fast today, so I could have enough time to put this post up before my next meeting.

I had some of yesterday’s (cold) Cheesy Butternut Squash & Quinoa Casserole left overs.

I had every intention to actually heat the casserole up, but was enjoying the cold bites straight from the casserole dish so much, I decided not to mess with it.

Blue chips on the side for dipping.

And snap peas for a touch of green.

Heather’s First Marathon

The day before, there is a surreal realization that THE race is finally upon you. All the training is done, the manic-freakout-taperer is gone, the miles have been logged, the happy-hours have been missed, and the weekend mornings have been consumed with planning and executing Long Runs.  Now, seemingly all of a sudden, you’re DONE. You have one more thing to check of the list for this round; 26.2 miles. My other pre-race to-do’s: create the playlist, study the course, SLEEP, carb-load & stay hydrated!

We couldn’t have asked for better weather, though the 70* were slightly foreign to a winter-trained and dressed runner. The challenge for the day (besides, you know, running a marathon) was to pay close attention, avoid over-heating, and stay hydrated! I used the first 10 miles to go “easy”, and soak in the sights of DC that I loved, and that felt familiar. When the half-marathoners split from us, I worried it’d be the first point to mentally break through and remind myself I had another 13.1 to go. Instead, I knew that stopping now would leave my well-trained muscles unsatisfied. They had something to prove!

Mile 18 brought with it mental and physical fatigue; we headed over a bridge into uncharted grounds. The last 10K would be touch on every level; I finally gave in to walking breaks, and tried every mind trick in the book to keep myself going. Passing through the last water stop – mile 25 – I didn’t “need” anything. My handheld bottle was filled, and I didn’t want to pause for anything, knowing the more I ran, the quicker I’d cross the Finish Line. A volunteer singled me out – “Go, girl! Give me everything you’ve got for 10 more minutes!” – telling me exactly what I needed to hear.

I DID IT!

I was completely Exhausted when I crossed the Finish line. I saw D, put my hands on my head and motioned for him to meet me around at the end of the Food Tent. Water, apple, pretzel & powerade in hand – I leaned into him and fought a Very strong urge to just Cry. I could not believe this race was actually behind me and that I actually RAN for 26.2 miles. I couldn’t believe that 4 months of training had brought me to this day, and I could finally say…

“I’m a Marathoner.”

*Read more about Heather’s adventures on her blog Dietitian On the Run*