All runners know that some days are "on" days, and some days are "off" days. There is not usually any reasoning behind the kind of day you're having, it just happens. I have no clue why, but Sunday was definitely an off day for me.
Due to yesterday being an off day, all of the 26.2 miles were extremely difficult, not because I was tired, not because I was hot, but simply because my legs were causing me tremendous pain. Starting around mile 6 or 7, my legs began to really hurt. It got progressively worse as I continued. Because it was so bad, my dad kept trying to get me to finish at the half marathon finish line, but I kept telling him I wouldn’t stop.
At around mile 18, he tried to get me to stop again. He said his friend would be there cheering us on from the sidelines and could take care of me…but I said no once again. I kept saying "Dad, stopping is not an option!" Miles 21 and 22 were torturous and my legs felt awful. I somehow managed to hit mile 25, and from there I was able to run the 1.2 miles to the finish! We came in at just over 5 hours 30 minutes.
To tell you the truth, If I didn’t have so many people supporting me, and I hadn’t fundraised for CCFA and had so many people donate, I know I would never have finished the race. I just kept thinking what a letdown it would be, not only myself, but to all my supporters, if I didn’t finish. I also kept thinking "If I don't finish this race, will I have the willpower and energy to continue training and try my luck at another marathon?" And I just wasn't confident that I could put myself through this again anytime soon.
During the race, encouragement also came in the form of a few people watching the race who were holding up signs that said “Pain is temporary. Pride is forever.” That helped me a lot, actually...it helped me more than you can imagine. It really hit home with me.
Anyway, I am ecstatic and relieved that I actually finished. Continuing to run was a very tough decision because of the amount of pain I was experiencing. At some points, around miles 21-25, I literally had to hold on to my dad for support. Every time I started running again after I had been walking, it was a struggle to get my legs to move faster since I was even in immense pain when I was just walking.
In the end, I am so happy that I ran through all the pain. And, surprisingly, my dad and I still managed to finish with a decent time and came in ahead of over 400 runners! (I have no idea how that happened!)
