Houston Marathon Race Report

I feel so out of place trying to write a report for this race. I am certainly not a writer, and as a runner, I have a horrible memory for what happened at which mile. I try and try to recall details about miles, but they elude me. Forgive me if this report is choppy and not very fluid.

I think I managed to tweak out about 90 mins of sleep on Saturday night. I could not calm my restless mind. I wasn't worrying at all. I really couldn't figure out why I couldn't sleep other than pure giddiness like a child on Christmas Eve.

Pete and Mike picked me up at 4:30 am. I had never met Mike before, but he and Pete are friends, neighbors, and have run together for some time. I had packed my bag the day before and it was full, as any good woman would be sure it would be. I didn't decide until Sunday morning which running gear to run in. It was chilly, but I knew I'd be hot if I wore my capri tights. I opted for the shorts and a couple of shirts, one of which I could toss away if I needed to.

We arrived at the GRB in time to use the "real" restroom and then attend Mass. Mike went to the upbeat service on the other side of the GRB. Pete told me that Mike preferred to run his races on his own and he wouldn't see him till the very end.

After Mass, I decided that it might be a good idea to use the restroom once more. The lines said otherwise. They had to be an hour long! Pete had departed for the men's room, (not a long line there!) and we said our goodbyes. Then I realized that I didn't have my mp3 player. I felt panic set in for about a half a second but reassured myself that if it was gone, I would be fine, just mad about losing an expensive mp3 player.

I walked around the GRB for a few minutes to see if I dropped it on the floor. That was a joke. There was no floor space available to drop it onto! There were people everywhere! I thought that perhaps I left it on the chair at Mass. I went back in to see and it was not there. I almost walked out of the make-shift chapel when something told me to go ask the priest. As I approached the front, I could see my mp3 player sitting on the altar. I ran up to the woman helping clean things up and she said, "We figured someone would come back for it!" I hugged her and her daughter and thanked them profusely. I knew it was going to be a good day!

As I walked out of the chapel, I saw Pete again and told him about what just happened and that I needed to find a restroom. After walking around the GRB a bit more and trying to find our Woodlands Fit Yellow Group to take our picture, we headed out to the start line. Pete was in the first wave that was leaving out at 7:00 am. I was in the second. I found a nice row of portapotties with very little line. I was in and out in 5 mins. I knew it was going to be a good day!

It was quite breezy and chilly, but once I settled into a spot within the second wave, it seemed to be warmer. Having a few thousand folks around sheltering me from the wind will do that I guess. I met two guys on my left from Temple. My oldest daughter just moved there! They were wearing trash bags and I asked if they worked well. They said that they helped cut the wind, so I thanked them too. I told them next year I would help them decorate their bags so that they could be more fashionable.

To my right was an interesting character. A man with a button down flannel shirt and a hat with a flap all around the neck. As I looked towards his feet, I recognized the shoes! It was Pete's friend Mike! He had on an interesting pair of Nikes that I have never seen before. There is no way that I would see two people wearing them in the same day! Sure enough, I leaned over and called his name. He looked at me and smiled! We laughed at the odds of two people having just met then gone their separate ways meeting up again in this sea of people. I could tell he really didn't want "company" for the run, so I didn't plan to run with him very long.

At 7, the first gun went off. It was a huge "BOOM"! Wow!! That was our 10 minute warning. The energy was rising as we made our way closer to the start line. Finally our gun went off and we started... walking that is. We didn't walk too long, however. I started my Garmin as I crossed the start mat and headed on my way. It was going to be a good day!

It truly was a glorious morning. Chilly, windy, but sunny, and bright! It was sent from Heaven. We ran through the first mile and I never checked the Garmin. I was keeping with the 9:15 pace group and felt comfortable. I knew that was probably a bit too fast for me, but I thought I would give it a try for awhile. I didn't stop at the first water stop as I still had plenty of fluid on my belt. I did walk through every water station after that.

The crowds were amazing! I can't believe how many came out to cheer us on. I have to say that I think runners are some of the most dedicated people I have ever met, except for those that cheer us on! They were out there, freezing, cheering, taking care of us and for no other reason than they want to be there! That is true dedication.

I was surprised to see how many "hills" we crossed on this course. Most were not too bad, but the last one or two about killed me. Most of the course was fairly flat and though it was concrete, was still pretty in most of the areas we traveled through.

I was feeling great and keeping a good pace. I noticed at about 12 miles that it seemed to be an awfully long mile. I was feeling very tired and had to slow down a bit. I glanced at the Garmin again and noticed that the thing had stopped running. It was on, but it was not running. I am not sure how this happened, if I hit it or if some fluke wave of some sort turned it off. The Garmin registered 11.97 at mile 14. It was a long mile!

I turned Garmin back on and tried to gather my pace again. I had slowed a bit and knew I really needed to listen to my body. My feet were killing me and I felt like my toes were being cut into by my Injinji socks. At one point I sat down and checked the socks. They were fine, no blisters, so I started up again. Thinking back now, I believe my feet were swelling and this was what was causing the pressure in the socks.

I also noticed that I must have dropped a GU or two. I had planned on taking one every 3 or 4 miles, but wanted to stretch that out to 4 or 5 because my stomach hates recovering from the stuff. Now I had to because I had dropped some and I wasn't going to have enough for the rest of the run.

At about mile 12, I also noticed a guy running with a green bib. I was pretty sure the green bibs were 1/2 marathoners so I asked him if he decided to run the full. He said "NO! I haven't trained for that!" So I asked him if he realized that he missed the turn around. He said, "Really?" I felt bad for the guy, I don't know whatever happened to him.

I kept looking for the family. I knew that they were coming to watch, but I wasn't having luck finding them. I was praying with each mile that I would see them and assuring myself that if I didn't, I could still make it. I had a wonderful thing waiting for me at mile 25.

At about mile 18, I felt like my hands and neck were hurting. I am not sure what was up with my neck, but I could feel my hands swelling badly and they hurt. At some point, I also noticed that my arms were chafing a bit. I saw the most beautiful woman cheering us on and she had a jar of vaseline!! I asked for some, and used it for the arms and then for my hands to try and get the swelling down by massaging and running at the same time.

I had began to feel a bit "loopy" at 19, when I looked over and thought, "Hey, that guy looks like George Bush!" Then I realized, it WAS George Bush and Barbara!! I was within 5 feet of him. For a half-second, I thought I could go and shake his hand but before I could reach him, I thought "Wait! The secret service will shoot me if I try to touch him!" Like I said, I was feeling "loopy". I saw another runner turn back to shake his hand and considered doing the same, but I let it go. Maybe next time.

Miles 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 were all pure grit to get through. My pace reflects this. I had to take it a half mile at a time. .5 to the marker, .5 to the water station, then I could walk. Once I hit 24, I knew it was only 1 mile until the best part of the race would happen.



At 25, I saw my family! Finally! I was hurting and I wanted to stop, but I knew if I did, I might not be able to start running again. I gave them all a kiss and then grabbed Lem's hand as we ran to 26 together. It was so awesome having her run with me. Poor thing had very sore legs from the day prior. She had worked out with her TKD instructor and ran two miles. But she didn't let that stop her. She gave it her all and in turn she gave me the boost I needed to finish this thing off. Bill was going to be waiting at 26 to pull her off the course so that she didn't cross the finish line with me.

I found that I had a renewed spirit and picked up my pace drastically. I think I did my last mile in 8:24 or so. Sweet Lem was actually going a lot slower and I had to beg her to pick it up. She did and I am sure she was glad she only had to do a mile with me!



I saw Bill and he took our picture. It's not a great one of me, but it will represent a moment in time that was one of the most incredible moments of my life, aside from the birth of each of my children.

I crossed the finish line and surprised myself when I didn't become emotional. I merely repeated over and over, "WOW! I did it! WOW! Holy Crap!" Profound, eh?

I was weighed by the Hydration Initiative upon receiving my medal and they became concerned that I was showing signs of low sodium. They were able to confirm it with a blood and urine test. I had not needed to use a restroom the whole race. I stayed with them for about an hour, and then asked if I could leave. I wanted to see the family, Bill, and get my shirt!!



I know without a shadow of a doubt that there is no way I could have accomplished this moment with the love of my wonderful family, immediate and extended. My fantastic friends, and the wonderful folks I have met within the running community. I especially thank Bill for his faith in me. He has more in me than I have in myself. I don't see what he sees, but I suppose that is why he is so good at what he does. Thank you, Bill. You are amazing!

My husband, Mark, the most incredible man you'll ever meet. He puts up with my ridiculous schedules, food choices, complaints of aches and pains, and even still offers to rub them away. Thank you, Mark. You are definitely ULTRA-MAN of my heart!

My children, you all inspire me every day to live life to its fullest. Thank you for being the wonderful people that you are and for loving me and all of my imperfections.

To everyone else, please know that I love you all. Your words and deeds of encouragement do not go unnoticed. They are very much appreciated and the prayers are felt. I hope one day, I can offer that same support to each of you in some way.

As I look ahead to what is next on my running agenda, I must remember to not forget the first marathon. There will never be another first. And honestly, I don't think there could have been a better one. It wasn't a good day, it was the BEST day!

Stats: poor at best secondary to the Garmin flaking out.

Total Time: 4:36:42 Total Distance: 26.2 Avg Pace: 10:33 Avg HR: 181

10K 58:42 half: 2:06:45 30K 3:08:16 Overall 3170 Age: 962
Mile 1: 10:13
2: 9:18
3: 8:54
4: 8:52
5: 9:52
6: 9:01
7: 9:33
8: 9:28
9: 9:43
10: 10:05
11: 9:29
12: 10:21 (Garmin flakes out)
13: ??
14: ??
15: 11:54
16: 10:28
17: 10:28
18: 12:14
19: 11:25
20: 10:33
21: 11:48
22: 11:05
23: 10:37
24: 12:44
25: 12:16
26: garmin flaked out again.....
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