I just finished my first marathon a couple of months ago—an experience comparable to birthing a child; the pain is soon forgotten when the pride of accomplishment shines through.
It began about eight months ago: I needed to do something for myself and this literally fell into my lap. I’d picked up my mail and had gotten one of the Team In Training flyers and noticed that there was a local marathon I could participate in. I’d never done anything of the sort in my life. Surprisingly enough, and without much thought I signed up.
I went to the initial meeting excited and anxious, not knowing what to expect. I was overwhelmed by all the information, but one comment stayed with me: the first mile you run is always painful, but by the second mile you’ll find your groove. I’d started to do some walking a month prior to this meeting, but running miles was completely foreign and frankly, quite daunting.
Needless to say I left inspired, and devoured all the training information they’d given. I still hadn’t come to grips as to why I felt so committed to completing such a large task, but I was ready and eager. I decided to compete in a run/walk fashion, walking one minute for every four minutes run. I’d already invested in a good pair of running shoes but TNT had many clinics and one of the most insightful was the clinic at a running store. There we were given the fundamentals of running gear. To start, blister care, what type of clothing to wear (Cotton is Rotten), running bras, hats, and the like. But the two coolest things were Body Glide, to protect from chaffing and GU, an energy food that has the consistency of frosting and fits easily in a pocket.
On the first day of my run/walk, I set out all of my new “marathon gear” and when I walked out of that bedroom I felt like a true athlete! I put on my earphones to my FM radio (I didn’t own an ipod yet), set my watch and took off for my first two mile run. I felt like a champion for about the first block and then I realized that this was going to be more than just looking the part. How many miles was I supposed go to finish a marathon?
