This was my first marathon, and my biggest fear was going out too hard and blowing up and having a miserable second half. I knew I needed to take it very conservatively for the first half. I knew I shouldn't get caught up in trying to keep a particular pace, but I would have loved to run a 4:15. Yeah, that didn't happen. Nor did a 4:30, but I quickly realized that I just needed to worry about finishing than worry about pacing. I stayed with the 4:30 pace group for a while, but then I just did my own thing.

The first thing I noticed right from the start was that my heartrate was NOT cooperating. I get race anxiety that majorly affects my heartrate, so today was no different. It was a lot higher than it should have been, and it played a part for the rest of the race. All I could do was watch it and back off if things got too high. At the start line, I realized that I should have used the porta-potty one last time, so I knew I'd have to go out on the course somewhere. The lines were too long during the first few miles, and it seemed like every time I got to an aid station, I was so distracted by getting water that I would forget to look for the bathrooms! I finally peed at mile 11!! I couldn't believe I ran that long with that much pee in me :)

The race was pretty uneventful for me. I definitely ran the gamut of emotions. I was so thankful that I was ABLE to be there running a marathon. I thought about my family and the fact that I'm the first person in my family to ever do anything like this. I got really depressed a few times when I saw big groups of spectators cheering for thier family member or friend and I had no one there for me and felt really alone. I focused on taking sips of gel from my flask every now and then and drinking water to stay hydrated. Mostly, I just ticked off milestones - 10K, 1/2 mary, 16 miles (10 miles to go!), then 20 miles, then I got beyond the farthest I've ever run in a training run and just wondered how my body would feel. The legs were sore and starting to get heavy. My lower back was starting to tighten up. But other than that, everything was about as ok as I could expect. I was just dreading those last 6 miles everyone talks about! I thoguht I had prepared myself for how bad the last miles would be, but I had no idea! Talk about being so close yet so far away! But for me, it was really the last 3 miles that were so horrible. There were SO many people walking and man, it was tempting to walk too. My legs hurt so badly - I reached a realm of pain I'd never felt before. But every time I'd see someone walking, I'd say "uh uh - not me. I'm NOT walking in the last 3 miles of a marathon. I've made it this far, and I have basically nothing left to run compared to how far I've already come." Plus, I just didn't want the memory hanging over me of having to walk in my first marathon. So, the last 3 miles were excruciating, but it's during those moments that I learn the most about myself and how I can steel myself against the pain and just push through it. The lsst 3 miles were slow, but I kept going. I'm proud of myself.

Mile 1: 10:24 / Avg HR 139
Mile 2: 10:11 / Avg HR 151
Mile 3: 10:14 / Avg HR 153
Mile 4: 10:16 / Avg HR 154
Mile 5: 10:18 / Avg HR 155
Mile 6: 10:18 / Avg HR 156
Mile 7: 10:17 / Avg HR 156
Mile 8: 10:18 / Avg HR 158
Mile 9: 10:18 / Avg HR 157
Mile 10: 10:25 / Avg HR 159
Mile 11: 10:34 / Avg HR 157 (Bathroom break!)
Mile 12: 10:07 / Avg HR 159
Mile 13: 10:13 / Avg HR 161
Mile 14: 10:21 / Avg HR 163
Mile 15: 10:32 / Avg HR 163
Mile 16: 10:41 / Avg HR 164
Mile 17: 10:43 / Avg HR 164
Mile 18: 10:39 / Avg HR 163
Mile 19: 10:22 / Avg HR 163
Mile 20: 10:24 / Avg HR 163
Mile 21: 10:35 / Avg HR 164
Mile 22: 11:08 / Avg HR 161
Mile 23: 10:52 / Avg HR 161
Mile 24: 11:24 / Avg HR 160
Mile 25: 11:06 / Avg HR 161
MIle 26: 10:40 / Avg HR 162

Pee closer to the start. Other than that, I think the race went pretty well and was about what I expected.

It actually hurt worse to walk! I had a medical volunteer approach me at the end because I must have looked horrible. She kept on asking me if I was dizzy. I just told her my legs didn't want to work anymore. I kept looking for those Spenco sandals that I heard they gave away last year. Those would have felt so good to change into. Nope. No Spencos. I got my chip removed, grabbed a popsicle and an emergency blanket, went to bag check to get my stuff and drove back to my hotel where I basically just laid in a coma for the rest of the day.

I did go to the convenience store and get 2 bags of ice for an ice bath. I tried THREE TIMES to get in that ice bath and I couldn't take it. I'd get my feet in and start lowering my body into it, and my calves would immediately cramp so badly I was in tears and close to screaming. I figured that I put myself through enough pain that day, I couldn't take anymore! I sacrificed a couple of days of better recovery for sparing myself the icy hell of that bathtub. Plus, when you start screaming in a hotel, people tend to call the police.


Genetics. I'm just a slow runner, so I knew I wouldn't have a blazing fast marathon! I need to work on that whole race anxiety thing because it really does affect my HR.


Great race, lots of volunteers, nice flat course. I just don't know if I'd do another January marathon because of Colorado weather and training in the snow. I would suggest they not have the packet pickup/expo in downtown Phoenix. The $30 parking fees close to the expo were beyond ridiculous, and I felt like I was driving in NYC with the gridlocked traffic.