Little Rock Marathon

Folks, I am still flying high! Today was AMAZING! I will start from the beginning. I got about 7 hours of sleep last night, but not continuously. I popped out of bed at 5:30 AM and confirmed with my half-marathon friend Kim that we were both up and preparing to go. As I was showering (after eating), Chasen (aka husband) was making yellow signs for me. They were funny! He is always doing funny, supportive things like that. When I post my online photo album, you'll see pictures of them. :)

We left home at 6:30 AM and arrived at 7 AM. We parked one block from the starting line, and three blocks from my office, aka pre-and-post-race staging area. I was wearing my shorts and I was freezing! We were all happy to get to my office. Kim, her boyfriend Jeremy and his daughter Rachael were all there with us. Then my coworker, his wife, and 4-5 more family members showed up. They were all running the various races today! So we had a full house.

At 7:45 AM, as our amazing friends Britt and Dawn were arriving to be part of my "pit crew," we all headed out to the starting area. I spotted Lou, my 5:30 pace group leader. She was easy to find in bright yellow (plus her 5:30 sign, which she didn't carry long). The 5K people started at 7:50. The wheelchair racers started at 7:55 (I think). Kim and I did not actually cross the finish line until 8:04, I believe. We ran together for a while, but then I never saw her again. I was determined to stay with Lou! Lou had us clicking off those first few miles at 11:20 or so (much faster than required for a 5:30 finish, but this race is HILLY and she was just trying to make it easier on us later by "padding" the time).

There's Lou in her yellow top. She has amazing legs! And that's me, waving.

We ran in downtown Little Rock for about 1 mile, then we crossed the much-inclined Broadway Bridge into North Little Rock. As I was almost back into LR I saw my friend Michelle. She was doing the half. The photo above is of us coming back into LR at about mile 5. It was taken by Britt, photographer extraordinaire. He, Dawn and Chasen were there waiting on me as I came back over the bridge; they were taking photos, holding signs and screaming for me. :)

Next I ran down towards the Clinton Presidential Library. I was actually ahead of Lou for a bit. AND my Garmin beeped "weak GPS signal." WHAT? It was weird. It never quite recovered, so I can not accurately list my split times. But, it did, of course, keep my total time.

From the library we ran south towards the Governor's Mansion. I was expecting to see my coworker, Amoz, somewhere down there, but I did not. Before I even got down there, though, my friend Sherri popped up on the course after finishing the 5K. She is the best! Next we ran towards Central High School - a steady climb. I was VERY glad to get there - no more climb. At this point it was about mile 11 and I was FEELING IT. I thought it was going to be impossible to keep up with Lou. But then she'd take a walking break and I'd get back on track. I was sooooo wishing that I was running the half. I'd be almost done! But no such luck.

As I was running back to the heart of downtown, Amoz appeared. He yelled something like "Way to go Susan! You're almost halfway done!" I told him on Friday that he better come up with something motivational. That did the trick! At the next turn there was my pit crew again. It was right before that when the volunteers told the halfers to go right (as they were about to finish! Go Kim and Michelle!) and the marathoners (I liked that title!) to run in the left lane. Apparently I snuck up on the pit crew. I was just too darn fast!

At this point I was wishing I could see the other two girls cross the half finish line. But it was impossible. I envied them, as I was approaching the hilly Hillcrest neighborhood. But guess what! I crossed the halfway mat with my fastest half marathon time ever! I'll be able to post it when the official results are posted.

After the half I met the guy whom I ended up running the rest of the race with. His name was Davy from Batesville, AR. He has been running for about 13 months and was about my age. He was also a first time marathoner. We were a good team. We moaned all the way up the hill! I was still right behind Lou (who at 62 has nicer legs than I do now at 32). In Hillcrest I got a surprise visit from my pit crew. I was grinning from ear to ear. I didn't expect to see them again until much later. I asked Chasen to throw me some more "fuel." But, it was in Britt and Dawn's vehicle. I thought "Oh well." The next thing I knew, Chasen was calling my name and running up Kavanaugh Boulevard to bring it to me. That was the comedy for the day! My husband was chugging up that hill to bring me my food. Maybe you had to be there, but it was hilarious. Britt and Dawn were busting a gut!

Check out those legs! The guy is Davy.

It was in Hillcrest that I saw my friend Lesley and her two cutie-pie Pugs, Gertie and Lulu. That was very sweet of her to come out and watch me. I also saw Jamie, who is 9 months pregnant, pushing her 1-year-old son in the stroller, along with her husband, Jeff. She gets double points for coming out to see me! Apparently I missed my friend Diane. My pit crew saw her. I guess I was again too darn fast!

Now, thank the Lord, we were going downhill on Lookout Road, at about mile 17. It is wooded and pretty quiet. I was feeling OK... just a little bit fatigued. Once we got out briefly onto Cantrell Road, I was right up with Lou. She and her cohort were saying how well I was doing and such. That certainly brightened my spirits. We were headed to our out-and-back portion of the course that was f-l-a-t. I admit, I was jealous to see the fast folks already headed back from 6 miles of it already... but good for them! I saw my coworker, Brian, and his wife, Amy. She looked like I felt, bless her heart. I know that look all too well.

I was expecting my pit crew to be at the turnaround point. I thought I was doing to die getting there. I had lost Lou forever. At this point my legs were not having fun. I quickly learned that it was FAR more painful to walk, though, but I did my fair share. Davy and I were perfectly in sync on that one. I finally got speedy once my pit crew was in sight. Must look professional! Ha. They were there with their signs. I gave Chasen my running jacket at this point. I kept my iPod and earmuffs.

It looks like Chasen and I are having a tender moment; in fact, he is taking my running jacket.

Now here's where it got really great. From mile 20.5 on, I was the "team captain" of Davy and I. While I was trying to be very smiley and positive all the while before, by now I had hit the mini-wall. I call it the mini-wall because it did not incapacitate me... it was just more like a few hurdles. So what I did was, I'd say "OK, we're going to run from that twig on the ground up there to the next light pole." And we did. I got us out the the park we were running in that way! I knew it was less painful to run, so I did whatever it took to keep us going. And at times he was ahead of me, so it was a two-way-street, you might say. It was a physical wall, not a mental one!

As we exited the park, I heard someone calling me from behind. It was my friends Cynthia and Roisin! They literally walked on the course with us for over a hundred yards, I bet. We said our goodbyes at mile 23, I think. And I was PUMPED. Three more miles to go, Davy-boy! I was the drill sergeant! We did the "just run until so-in-so" routine all the way home. Michelle, who had obviously finished her half by now, came to cheer me on at mile 23. It was so great to have so much support!

At mile 25 we faced a horrible, horrible hill that we had already agreed to walk. But the second we crested it I made us turn up the heat. We were at mile 25.something and we had to FINISH. That put us back in downtown. Just 3-4 blocks up was my Pit Crew, plus Roisin, at the Diamond Bear Brewery. There they were giving out beer to the runners! No thanks. That's maybe for later!

Here I am giving Chasen my iPod and earmuffs. Look how happy I look! Less than a mile to go.

Oh my goodness - less than one mile to go! Even though I was really, really fatigued, I knew that I had to SURGE and finish this thing. I couldn't stop thinking "Oh my God. I am DOING THIS." I had just a few more corners to turn for the home stretch. I am getting emotional just typing it!

Davy and I agreed to just finish up however we could, no hard feelings. I zoomed ahead of the guy! Sorry, pal, this girl always does a big finish!

Almost done! Check out those hardworking legs! Still smiling!

After the final corner, the finish line was about 4 blocks away. I kicked into HIGH GEAR. I could see my pit crew and their yellow signs. I was going a sub-9-minute-mile and loving every step of it. I was as proud as one person could possibly be. I was waving to the pit crew and thinking about what nice things Chasen must be thinking. I started pumping my arms in the air and rode that high across the finish line!

There I am - the MARATHONER!

I crossed the finish line with thunder! The announcer said my name and that I was a first-time marathoner (still emotional typing that!) According to my Garmin, my time was about 5:38:38. I had to stop and let them cut off my timing chip, and then I got my MEDAL. It is beautiful! Biggest in the USA! Lou was shouting my name from afar. I thanked her profusely! Then I got some water, a "blanket," and there was Chasen. We hugged forever, then we were greeted by Britt, Dawn and Roisin. They all said how proud they were. I was on top of the world!

Check out that huge medal!

From here we went back to my office. I got cleaned up and bit and started eating and chugging Gatorade. I was sore already! I got the world's worst blister in my blister-prone left foot. But it's all good; I have three weeks to heal before I begin my next training program! We s-l-o-w-l-y walked back to the truck and came home. And I am still floating in the clouds.