The Long Island Marathon–Our first marathon
May 1, 2010
Exhilarating. Humbling. Encouraging. Painful. Mental. Perseverance. Accomplished. Our first marathon.
So about 8,000 people on Long Island participated in this weekend’s ‘Festival of Races’. Between yesterday’s 1 mile and 5k races, and today’s half and full marathon, many of Long Islanders challenged their minds and bodies. The atmosphere was electric and anxious, with annual veterans and nervous newbies all partaking down the same road.
After 3 years of crafting our pace for the half, this was the year we graduated to the full. If you’ve followed us, you know we’ve essentially been training since January 1st and for the past month or so have been doing our long runs with a great group of friends. All in the same boat, no one really knew what to expect on race day.
I never thought it would be easy. I knew it would be a journey (hopefully about a 4 hour journey) that would take us through an rollercoaster of physical and mental obstacles.
My prediction was relatively accurate. We started smart with about a 10:30 pace, and progressively increased from there. At the split (mile 10), we were feeling strong averaging about a 9:15 pace. The thing is, there is so much time left, you absolutely can never assume you will feel that good for the entire 26.2. Our ‘good’ feeling started to wear thin around mile 20. Aches and pains escalated with each foot strike, our goal of 4 hours growing more and more elusive.
This is the point though that is the most revealing and the most addicting about sports. This the stuff that shows you what you are made of.
It was a 80 degree, sunny, humid day and all the Gatorade, water, and gels they had could not save us. Lance’s IT Band, my ankles, they hurt–they just plain hurt. Mile 20 seems like you’re close, just 6 to go, but if you’re dragging 6 miles could take an hour! For that last hour, we persevered (separately…we had no idea really how each other were doing). We finished not far off our goal time–4:13.04 for Lance and 4:14.14 for me. But what was our goal really? I suppose that our actual goal was to finish our first marathon. Well, we did that and the finish was made just little sweeter by the trials and tribulations we had to endure to get there. We’re pretty sore right now, but official finishers of a marathon. We know what its like to run for 26.2 miles and had an amazing experience doing it.
Up top I posted what was actually my Facebook status update after I got home and composed myself. It reads:
‘Exhilerating. Humbling. Encouraging. Painful. Mental. Perseverance. Accomplished. Our first marathon.’
I guess that sums it up. It was an experience that can never be replicated. Our first marathon.
