Day 170 - I FINISHED!!!

Alcohol Units: nope
Running Units: 26.2 miles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Other exercise Units: stupid walking around added a few miles I'm sure
Stretching Units: before yes - after I did my best

*** Warning - Pictures in this blog post are graphic in nature and are not for those with weak stomachs***

Okay I'm not sure how best to capture this day.  It's just going to come out however I can get it out.  My mind is still feeling undernourished from the run.

4:45AM - My roommate Quinn woke up and so did I.  Did I sleep?  No not really.  I tried damn hard but no luck.  I stayed in bed while Quinn got ready and at 5AM the announcers started testing the sound system outside.  It was that loud that I heard every single word.  The helicopters were also out to start filming or whatever they were doing.

5:15AM - My alarm was supposed to go off but I forgot that it was actually Monday so it didn't go off BUT Christine called me ask if there was a breakfast - there was not a breakfast.  Since it was time I got up, got my clothes on and got out the door (Quinn was still getting ready).

5:35AM - Downstairs, checked out of room, bags checked with bellmen, checked into TNT check in, stretching, eating my breakfast (Cliff Bar), stretching, waiting.  At this point it hadn't hit me.  I just kept telling myself it was another Sunday morning run.  Just a long run.  Not a big deal.  The funniest part was everyone was adamant that we had to be there at 6AM.  I was the ONLY Westside person there by 6AM.  I had to ask if we were also meeting there!

They kept us there for a long long time and we just stretched, chatted, waited.  I didn't get nervous.  

7:00AM - Christine, Sabrina and I walked out to the port a potties to stand in line.  We had a race day plan to go to the bathroom once, get back in line to go again and then hit the start.  Christine and Sabrina followed that plan but I only used the nasty port-a-potty once.  I HATE those things.  Beyond disgusting.

7:20AM - Main race starts (elites went before) and we slowly make our way to the start - walked to the starting line - then started running.

The Race:

We started out downhill which was great.  There was a juggler who started out with us - how do you run and juggle?? - and we kept the intervals up 3x longer than i normally do before i switch it up.  that was not my best decision.  i felt guilty that my teammates could keep going and i needed to switch so i just kept going.

we left downtown and started hitting areas south of la, aka the hood, the communities all came out to cheer us on.  it was phenomenal.  we were in the worst parts of la with gang bangers sitting outside cheering us on.  they weren't the most vocal but it was so great to see so many people out cheering all of us crazy folks along.  the little kids that cheered us on were the cutest.  some had their hands out for high 5s.

so at some point we stopped to stretch and christine said we needed to stop every other mile to stretch.  i didn't really want to do that but didn't verbalize it.  i wanted to keep going because stopping was bad.  i knew if i stopped i would lose my momentum.  a little after the stretching stop sabrina and christine stopped to use the port-a-potty.  i said i'd keep walking because i needed the break (i was at 3x my normal at that pace) and they could catch up. so i walked and walked and walked and after a mile or 2 they hadn't caught up so i started running again.  we never met up again and the rest gets hazy.

i was told that i should feel good by mile 13 or i was in trouble.  well i was in trouble from the beginning.  it was just plain damn hard.  i made it to 13 but told myself it wasn't half way.  sarah mac and dave were going to meet me at mile 17 so i decided that was my 1/2 way point.  i was going to call them at mile 15 and let them know i was getting close.  so just after mile 15 i got my phone out to call them and had like 8 text messages.  one was from sarah saying they were at mile 15 just before the honda sign.  well i was at the honda sign so i looked up and there they were!  sarah had a sign that said "Go Sarah!" and Dave had one that said "Keep on Truckin'".  Sarah walked with me for 1/2 a mile or so and took my photo - scary!  She said I looked good and was still smiling.  I had not hit any wall at that point.  I was just moving forward.

At about that point I stopped my run intervals and walked.  My feet had been hurting since mile 4/5 and were just getting worse.  I think I might lose my toe nail now that this is done.  At around 15 miles or 16 I started getting super light headed.  I didn't tell any of the coaches that I saw because I knew they'd tell me to stop.  I tried eating more shot blocks but it made my stomach hurt so it was either light headed or feel like vomiting.  So fun!  Just tried to stay upright and keep going.  I got to mile 18 and told myself that it was only 8 more and that was what I did the weekend before... easy.  So I got to 18 and then got to 19 and said okay 7 more.  By this point each mile got harder and harder.

Mile 21 was the only time I stopped.  I used the porta potty, almost passed out from being light headed, got up and kept going.

By mile 21/22 my hip starting hurting really badly.  I'd had pain in the back of my knees (tendon between solius and hammies) but it had been replaced by the pain in my hip.  I think mile 22/23 I lost my momentum.  The pain in my hip was just too much.  It was radiating down my leg into my foot.  It was just awful and I was limping along.  I just held onto my water belt and shuffled along.  I didn't stop at the aid stations.  One of the coaches asked if I wanted to stretch and I said I didn't think I could start up again.

Somehow I got through it and got my momentum up again.  I don't know how or where it came from but I did.  I kept telling myself it was only X much more and tried to equate it back to my training runs.  I'm at 7th and San Vicente... almost home.  You can do it.  

The last 1/3 was uphill.  Bastards.  I saw downhill, got closer, finally went under the 110 and could see figueroa (street we were ending on).  I walked past the Yard House and thought of Daniel.  I was wishing he was there with a cold beverage and a laugh for me.  I thought back to the opening in December when I had a 7 mile run the next day so I was heading home early and not drinking.  Sheesh.  7 miles!

I hit Figueroa and could see the 26 mile marker AND the finish line.  It was still so far but getting closer.  A coach met me just before the 26 mile marker and we both commented on how the British are assholes for adding the .2 (The British added the .2 to the marathon in the early 1900s because they wanted to see the end of them from their palace - watch Spirit of the Marathon).  We also commented that we wished the messenger had died at mile 20 not 26 and was it wrong to wish a stranger had died earlier a few thousand years ago?

So I passed mile 26 marker and welled up (you know like let a sob out - not dainty emotional).  I'd gotten a little emotional at mile 18 but told myself I had to hold it until mile 20 and then at 20 i said i had to hold it until 22 and so on).  I passed one photographer doing my icky try not to cry face and decided to run the few yards to the finish line.  A new pain immediately started in my heel but who freaking cares the finish line is steps away.  So I crossed the finish line and tried to look up and smile.  As they handed me my medal I got a little emotional but saw the TNT people and stopped.  I checked in with TNT and saw my coaches.  Since neither of them are emotional guys I held it in for them and said goodbye.

Then I called home.  The tears started immediately.  Dad answered as I was sobbing.  First question - did you finish?  Second question - are you happy or sad?  I then said to him never let me do this again... ever!  Mom came back from work and I'd stopped crying enough to say I finished.  The finish line was directly next to our hotel but it was blocked.  All fenced off.  I was told I had to walk around the next parking garage to get in.  I was limping.  I was dying and I had to keep walking!

I found my way into the hotel and went towards the pool to start doing a cool soak in the pool (fully clothed).  I made it to the pool level and ran into a very slow elderly couple who flew by me (they had canes and were still smoking me).  I got to the pool and realized no one was in there fully clothed so I made my way back down to the lobby to get my stuff from the bell men.  i got to the lobby and collapsed on a bench and started stretching.  I took off my shoes and just stretched as much as I could.  When I felt well enough I went to the bell man desk and asked for my stuff.  As they disappeared to get my bags I sat down - or collapsed in a heap.  

I then went up to Christine's room.  She was sharing with Kate.  Kate had finshed and luckily she was there.  She drew me a cold bath, ordered 2 buckets of ice from room service and chatted with me while I climbed into the bath fully clothed.  Christine got back and climbed into the bath with me (also fully clothed).  The ice arrived and the waiter said he'd seen a lot of things before but never anything like this.  We then asked him to pour the ice into the bath as we started screaming from the pain.  I was in there for probably an hour.

We all bathed (hot showers) and ask the girls settled in for a nap I headed out.  It was after my hot shower I found my giant blister.  Ridiculous.  I went to get my car and the atm in the hotel was broken.  So I had zero cash to tip the valets.  The valets who carried my bags once they saw me.  Gave me water while I waited because they thought I needed it.  Gave me water in the car because I looked so sad and tired.

I got tacos on my way home but I wasn't terribly hungry.  Is that weird?  I hadn't eaten a meal all day but my stomach wasn't up for it.  Lizzie came by with the bestest basket of goodies (had wine in it!).  She left me because I was glassy eyed.  Well I then took a epsom salt bath and went to bed.  

I could not sleep last night weirdest thing (yes I'm writing this on Monday).

On top of the big blister on my toe I've got little ones surrounding my feet.  I'm burned really badly and I don't know how it happened.  

So in the end I finished.  I do not know how I did but I did.

Blister fun

Sun burn

Blister popping kit (that's tequilla that i'm soaking the needle in)