Running to Help, Chapter one…

Date: 08.23.2010 | Category: foster, Saturdays | Tags: foster,marathon,run,Utah

Hey did you hear? I am a marathon runner! Yes that is right, I have finished my first marathon. I can say that I have gone the distance and 26.2 miles was defeated. Slowly, but still defeated.

Marathon day was an interesting experience from start to finish. The night before, as was predicted, the sleep was not very good. I woke up continually on the hour, every hour. I guess I was thinking I was going to miss the alarm or something. Wasn’t like there was something big about to happen anyway. My little man woke up around 4:30 AM and was not at all ready to go back to sleep. That was OK, because daddy had already been awake for a while.

We all got up and start getting ready. It felt like I was in slow motion and apparently my nerves were heightened. About 20 minutes before the race, right before we headed down to the starting line, my nerves couldn’t take it anymore and I experienced my first vomit attack before a major event. Lets just say if you need to throw up something, banana muffins and cold water, not so bad. The good thing about me vomiting, if you can consider that a good thing, was afterward I felt energized and pumped. I was ready to go. I was ready to get started.

2010 Park City Marathon Pre-Race

2010 Park City Marathon (Kevin's 100th)

We headed down to the starting line. Found my Uncle and his son-in-law. Chatted a bit and snapped a few pictures. Then game time was on. The Star-Spangled Banner filled the quiet mountain air as the sun started to rise over the mountains. Very beautiful and peaceful, despite the energy of race anticipation circling about. 30 seconds to go, my Uncle tugs on my shirt and said these final words of encouragement, “We are in the front of the pack, a lot of people are going to pass us. Don’t worry, just keep running, it is OK.” The air horn blasted and the herd of people began what was my first marathon and my Uncle Kevin’s 100th. Yahoo, bring on the miles.

2010 Park City Marathon - Race Start

When I signed up for this marathon, on the first day of registration as early as I could, I really hoped I would get the bib number 1, to commemorate my first marathon. Well that didn’t happen. Kevin got 100 which was cool, but then my wife pointed out I got 262 which is exactly the miles of a marathon 26.2. So still a really cool way to honor my first marathon.

The herd and I started heading down the pathway onto the first mile. We looked like a huge pack of cows or sheep running towards the corral. Mile one came and went and many people passed me. I ran about .1 mile of the first mile with my Uncle, from there we were on our own pace and would meet up at the finish line. Around mile 2, I had started the first hill climb. I was prepared and it ended up not being an issue at all. The trail twisted and turned its way up the hill and around the neighborhood just east of the starting line. It met up with highway I-40 and I ran through a hidden tunnel that went under the freeway that connected with a paved frontage road. I ran along this rolling road for a bit and then turned south onto a dirt path, “The Rail Trail”, it was a straight shot for several miles.

One by one mile markers would pass, 7 miles, 8 miles, 9 miles. I am really doing this and I feel great. Then, I believe, I hit the wall that many people talk about hitting around the 20 mile marker. I don’t think it was the same kind of wall, but definitely a wall. My knee problem had returned and boy had it returned. Discouraged, I had to stop running and walked the next few miles, just to continue forward. At this point I realized I was making great time because when I stopped running and started the hobble-walking a lot of people passed me by. I must have been in the middle of the pack by this time. I was disappointed, frustrated and sad that I didn’t make it to the half way point before having to stop and walk. Nevertheless, I pushed on and slowly hobbled through it, after stopping to empty my shoes of tiny rocks of course.

Luckily, two EMT’s on bikes peddled by me and I asked if they had some Ibuprofen. Yes, Excellent! Just in time, I had finally reached the half way point. I was thinking to myself do I bail out now or keep going. Either way I still have a long way to go back. I either do the walk of shame back, or move forward through the pain. I set my eyes forward and pressed on. I am in this for the long haul. Mentally I was in it, my knee just wasn’t letting me have it.

The drugs kicked in right before the 2 mile hill climb through old Park City into the Deer Valley loop. I was able to run the entire 2 miles up. Yes, I was back in this, no turning back now. Once I was at the top, I walked a bit around the loop and starting running back down the hill towards the finish line. At this point in the race, I found myself wondering if I was the last guy. I felt alone, dang knee. But as I would turn corners I would see people in front of me which meant I wasn’t that far off. Right around mile 18 or 19, I forget which one now, there was this very steep incline. I found this to be the hardest part of the race, in regards to hills. What the heck was this too, I thought all the hills were done. This steep incline was probably about .1 mile and it sucked. I tried to run it, but only made it about 20 steps up and resorted to walking the rest.

I had turned north at this point, ran/walked/hobbled through the streets of old Park City. Passed the hotels and shopping centers near the Alpine Slide area. Wound down the neighborhood near the golf course, turned east again and looky, looky what do we have here? Mile marker 20. YES! Finish line is a mere 6.2 miles away. Estimation 1 hour.

Slowly, I worked my way down. Passed the barn, ran/walked/hobbled through another hidden tunnel and around the last mountain into the Swaner Nature Preserve. Mile 21, 22, 23, 24. I think I could start to see the finish line area around this point. My new race buddies, helped me along the way as we played leap frog with one another. Mile marker 25 and another small hill, WHAT!

I made it to the top and thought to myself I can push through to the end. Jen, one of my new race buddies, suggested “Eye of the Tiger” for the iPod song. Funny and great suggestion. I turned up the music and started running. Was just about to turn a corner and who do I see? “This is Bill”, a.k.a. “Coach Bill”, my brother-in-law. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, because the music was up loud and I was focused. I turned the corner and worked my way closer and closer to the finish line. Eye of the Tiger ended, and U2′s “With or Without You” shuffled through. Not really a fast paced song. So I went back to “Eye of the Tiger” for one last time. Started running hard again, passed a few people, dropped the iPod, turned around picked it up, started the music again, turned the corner, 26 mile marker, .2 to go! Turned another corner and could hear the finish line. I came around the final turn and could see my support group smiling and cheering me on. I crossed the finish line in a run with a smile on my face. TIME: 5:46:49.0 Yes nearly 6 hours later, I made it across the finish line and I felt great. I finished 393 overall and 29 in my age group.

Certainly not the fastest marathon, but a marathon all in all. I completed it running, walking and hobbling with my head held high.

2010 Park City Marathon - Race Finish (Almost There)

2010 Park City Marathon - Race Finish (Last Turn)

2010 Park City Marathon - Race Finish (Just a bit more)

2010 Park City Marathon - Race Finish (All Done - Medal in Hand)

2010 Park City Marathon - Race Finish (The support group)

2010 Park City Marathon - Race Finish (My first, Kevin's 100th)

Thanks Jen from Wyoming and Nadine from St. George for being my race buddies. You gave me encouragement and goals to meet as we worked together to push and pull each other to the finish line. It was nice to get to know both of you and share in this accomplishment together. Congratulations to Jen on completing her first marathon and Nadine for completing her third marathon this year.

Thanks to Dan Webster and the Utah Foster Care Foundation. Thanks to all my supporters, friends and family. Thanks to all those that donated on my behalf. The story is not over. The marathon was just the first chapter. Running to help… continues. After I recuperate that is. =)

2010 Park City Marathon - Race Finish (Bonus Blisters)