EMILY FINISHED!!!!

[kwormann]

Her time was 3:34:51!!!

YEA EMILY!!!

Kim

[SusieO]

Hooray for Emily! What an inspiration for all of us!

[BeckyM]

That is so great! Of course we all knew she could do it! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Thanks for updating us, Kim. I wonder if Emily has decided which dessert she's going to make herself as a reward? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[emilycat]

Thanks so much! I'm quite proud of myself --this was by far the toughest race I've ever run. I don't think it was that the course was that difficult, but I did not like starting at 12:00 in the afternoon, nor did I taper very well in the last weeks before the race (and I weighed about 4 pounds less this time than last, so I think I had a little fewer reserves).

My first 12 miles were way too fast (at the half-marathon mark, I was running an average 7:20 pace -- the clock was at 1:40, but my division started 4 minutes after the gun went off.); by mile 18 my efforts were purely mental. When people speak of marathon running as a mind-game, it's no joke. I truly don't think much other than pride and self-discipline got me through to the end. After a while, I felt like my mind just detached from my body because my legs hurt so much (this'll teach me to be so anal about gaining weight during tapering again!)

It was so overwhelming to cross the finish line, and if I hadn't thought someone might whisk me off to the medical tent, I probably would have just burst into tears. Knowing that I'd finished Boston, and that I pulled through a bad race were just so emotionally overwhelming. So my actual time was 3:30:13(15?), only 5 minutes off my PR, and I'm very pleased.

Anyway, sorry to gush -- I said I'd give a full report! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

And again, thank you all so much for your continued support and encouragement. I thought of y'all when my head was spinning and my legs felt like cement twizzlers http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Emily

[This message has been edited by emilycat (edited 04-17-2001).]

[donleyk]

Emily,

Congratulations! This is just excellent! You are an inspiration. How exciting for you!

[SusieO]

Emily,
Congratulations! You are truly an inspiration. Thanks for the report. Now go enjoy your dessert! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[Mbart]

Emily, gush nothin'! I'd like to hear MORE details! What was the atmosphere like? I've never been to a marathon -- is it just electric? Are there alot of activities before/after? Is there a ceremony for the winners? Did you see any runners you recognized from other races? Were the people friendly? How did you feel when the race started? Why do you think you went out so fast? Is it really crowded at the beginning of the race? If so, how do you deal with that? Are people talking to each other, or just concentrating on the run? How was the crowd? What was Heartbreak Hill like?

Okay, I'll stop now, but I'd LOVE to hear much much more...it's the closest I'll come to experiencing a marathon! Give us the blow-by-blow!

[lindrusso]

Way to go Emily! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[BevP]

Fantastic, Emily!!!! I'd have bawled my eyes out and to heck with what other people thought. Way to go.

[aggie94]

Emily,

You are AWESOME!!! Way to go!

[emilycat]

Originally posted by Mbart:
Emily, gush nothin'! I'd like to hear MORE details! What was the atmosphere like? I've never been to a marathon -- is it just electric? Are there alot of activities before/after? Is there a ceremony for the winners? Did you see any runners you recognized from other races? Were the people friendly? How did you feel when the race started? Why do you think you went out so fast? Is it really crowded at the beginning of the race? If so, how do you deal with that? Are people talking to each other, or just concentrating on the run? How was the crowd? What was Heartbreak Hill like?

Okay, I had to reprint your quote so I wouldn't forget anything! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Goodness -- if you want to see an electricity-saturated race, Boston would definitely be a prime candidate. Spectators lined the course from start to finish. , and sometimes 5 - 10 people deep, particularly in the last 2 miles. It was incredible, and absolutely exhilarating, to have that many people there cheering you on. They're yelling, screaming, clapping, shouting out people's names -- it's such a charged atmosphere, and you feel like everyone's pulling for you. Kids stand on the sidelines waiting for high fives, non-official volunteers set up water tables for the runners; truly, the energy is absolutely incredible.

But this was Boston. The last one I did was very sparsely dotted by spectators, and I often found myself running with only a few other people. Oddly enough, I ran a better race that day (5 minutes faster and much more painless). But either way, a marathon is exhilarating. I love the variety, which is why I'm addicted to them now and am aiming to run one in every state, and in as many countries as I can. Fun, huh? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

As for the activities, Boston is in a class by itself (well, there are plenty with as many festivities, but not many come close). It's such a prestigious race with so much history behind it, not to mention the prize purse and the strong attendance of elite runners, that the entire race weekend is a huge ordeal, beginning on Friday and ending in the wee hours of the morning on Monday with the post-race party. It's replete with speakers, pasta parties, the race Expo; it's really such an event.
Most sizeable marathons have at least a pre-race pasta dinner and an Expo, but many smaller ones involve really only the race itself and the awards ceremony. They all provide refreshments after the race -- typical runner food -- bagels, bananas, oranges, Gatorade, stuff like that.

For a smaller race, an awards ceremony can be something as small scale as an informal announcement in a highschool gym, and someone like me can win an age-group division award (I did in my last marathon.) At Boston, the runner following is so great and the competition so tough that the awards ceremony is really for the world-class runners who are competing for prize money.

As for me, I'm not sure why I started out so fast -- it's pretty easy to do, since the adrenaline rush sort of tricks you into thinking you're not going as fast as you are -- but then the fatigue catches up to your legs. And since I didn't taper as well this time, I couldn't hold onto that pace and started hurting much earlier than I should have. I was particularly anal about gaining weight during tapering for this race (which was kind of stupid, since I don't exactly have to worry about that), and the glycogen stores in my muscles just weren't as well stocked as they should have been. Anyway, I learned my lesson. And I held on and still ran a respectable time, so I'm pleased. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Heartbreak Hill? Well, considering that my mom and sister were on the sidelines shouting at me and I didn't even hear them, I'd say I was pretty dazed by then. It's really called that because starting at mile 16 are a series of hills (the Newton Hills) that end in Heartbreak Hill around mile 20 -- which is why it's such a heartbreak -- just when you think it's over, there's another one. Of course, it's so notorious that everyone's pretty prepared for it.

The course was pretty filled the whole way, and I had to dodge people more than a few times trying to pass them (or not be run over http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif ), but the race start was staggered (which is why my actual time of 3:30:11 is different than the time I crossed the finish line in at 3:34 after the gun went off -- my corrall started 4 1/2 minutes after the gun went off.), so the masses weren't excruciating.

Running these is so exhilarating for me, though, and I love it. I'm trying to choose the next one already! If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask! Sorry I've been so long winded; I could go on and on! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Em

[sundropdlc]

Emily, That is SOOO AWESOME! What a feeling that must have been to cross the finish line! Congratulations!

I know nothing about running marathons, what does it mean to taper for the race? Running less right before the marathon?

[mandarin2j]

Big congrats, Emily!

http://cwm.ragesofsanity.com/contrib/fk/catfly.gif

That ^^^ is supposed to be you flying over the finish line! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

-Amanda

[KValley]

Wow. Totally amazing, Emily. HUGE congratulations!!! So, when are we starting the CL BB marathon training group with you as our coach??? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif I am completely inspired!!

Julie

[Heidi]

Emily, you said you wanted to run marathons in every state--well, come to Utah in October then and run in the St. George marathon! If you're from the eastern part of the country, you've probably never seen anything like the beautiful red rock country of Southern Utah, and I don't know of anyone yet who doesn't find it breathtaking. I read yesterday that the St. George marathon is actually one of the 5 that will qualify you for Boston. My fiance and I have set a goal to run St. George in October 2002--so I better start my training NOW!!

[KristaMB]

Congratulations, Emily! You rock! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/cool.gif

[This message has been edited by KristaMB (edited 04-17-2001).]

[Sara Emily]

We are SO very, very proud of you!!! What a glorious and special accomplishment!

I second Mbart's motion! We would LOVE to hear more of the fine details once you have a chance to rest, settle, and regroup. We were pulling so hard for you that we feel like you took some of us across that finish line with you! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[aggie94]

Let me know when you decide to do Portland -- I'll be there cheering you on!

[kwormann]

I have to plug the Houston Marathon! We had two friends from different states come last year to run it. I think the whole city turns out to cheer the runners on! It was such an incredible experience just to be a spectator! BTW, it is held on January, so the heat isnt a factor!

Cheering for my city,

Kim

[Mbart]

Emily, maybe you could let us all know your marathon schedule when you determine it...wouldn't it be fun to have a CL BB cheering section in each city you run in? Also, even tho. I'm in Milwaukee, I'll plug the Chicago Marathon. My brother-in-law ran in it last year, and said it was an amazing experience. Like the Boston, there were people 3 and 4 deep lining the entire course. And lots of fun activities surrounding the event itself. Plus, Chicago is a great city to visit!

Just another city to throw into the ring... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[mandarin2j]

Since aggie94 already did a plug for the Portland Marathon, I have to throw one in for Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minn. My dad and uncle did it years ago and loved it. I'm not even sure if it still exists, but it was a goodie. Oh, and Humboldt/Redwoods (I think that's what it's called) in northern CA is gorgeous. I did the half marathon about a million years ago, and it's truly humbling running through all those giants! They have a full marathon component as well.