Reflecting and my first thoughts after the race
Just this morning (as I’m writing this), I completed my first ever marathon. So, I thought that there is no better time than now to share my experience. Races have a unique energy, with people cheering, music blasting and your friends and family supporting you along the way. As I ran a half marathon last year, where I was immersed in the incredible atmosphere of the Madison Marathon, I knew that I could push myself to run even further this time around.
With 18 weeks of training, I was feeling nervous yet prepared to run a marathon. One of the biggest mental blocks that I encountered before race day was how I was going to handle the weather. The temperature was expected to range from 20 ºF to 30 ºF, with a chance of snow. Because I prefer running in shorts, rather than leggings, the weather made my outfit choice difficult. However, I stuck to what I was comfortable with, wearing shorts, a short sleeve shirt and a long sleeve shirt layered on top.
My roommate, who also ran the Madison Marathon, and I woke up at 4:45 AM, giving us one hour and 15 minutes to get ready, eat a quick breakfast and make it to the course by 6 AM. I had a carb-filled breakfast, a banana and overnight oats with blueberries. After making it to the course, the chill in the air and the cold breeze made it difficult to feel ready to run 26.2 miles in shorts. However, I took my sweats off and handed in my gear check bag. Before we knew it, it was time to approach the start line, with adrenaline keeping us warm, and many miles of running ahead of us.
After the first mile or two, my legs were no longer cold, and it felt like it was at least 20 ºF warmer than it was. Per my aunt’s advice, I decided to dedicate each mile to someone I love and high five every mile marker I could. The first ten miles flew by, and I was feeling great. After the halfway point, I began to get a pain shooting up my right ankle. My biggest fear in this race was to get injured in training or during the race, so this honestly was pretty discouraging. Luckily, this pain was tolerable and only lasted about three miles. With my friends and family there to support me every few miles, I was at mile 20 in no time.
Prior to the race, I had heard many times that the first 20 miles is a warm up for a 6.2 mile race, and that was exactly how it felt. With my longest training run at 20 miles, every step of these 6.2 miles was a step I had never taken before. This was encouraging, but challenging at the same time. My legs had never felt like they did in the last six miles, with aching pains up my hamstrings and burning in my quads. Luckily, my friends showed up at the 23-mile mark, and their encouragement was exactly what I needed.
All of a sudden, I was running my last mile, one I had dedicated to myself, having trained relentlessly for this moment and believing I could do it. The support from spectators in this last mile was unreal and kept me running strong to the end. Before I knew it, I gave it my all and sprinted through the finish line. A feeling of immense gratitude ran through me. I could not believe that I ran all 26.2 miles and could not be more proud of myself for accomplishing this goal.
Now, I sit sore and tired, and I am feeling so grateful to have had the opportunity to run a marathon and have the support system that I do. I’m so excited for the week of rest ahead, and for eventually getting back on the starting line for my next race.