Provo City Half-Marathon Race Recap

Let this race go down in history as our first road race together--just me and him, him and me, running and sweating side by side.  How romantic.  Let it also go down as the roughest road race in my racing history {in my rookie history of 5 races} to date.  And no, luckily I didn't get sick and throw up all over the place.  And no worries, I'm not looking for a pity party, I just want to record it all so I can remember/learn from it.

Saturday morning {May 5th} began around 4:10am with us slowly crawling out of bed.  We quickly ate and put on our running gear.  Once I was dressed, I jumped up and down while shaking my head to wake myself up and get excited to run.  Bet that's an interesting mental picture.  Z stared blankly with a "you're crazy baby" look on his face before laughing at me and mumbling about how he wishes he was still sleeping.  The race started up Provo canyon, so they had the runners take buses up to the start, with the last bus scheduled to leave at 5:30am.  Don't look so excited babe.

We got in line to wait for the buses at 5:00am.  And it was around 5:18am that I realized I forgot my garmin...too bad I can't run a race without that cursed blessed watch.  So I immediately began to panic and told Zuriel we had to go back for it.  HAD to.  He {lovingly} said "Yeah right, you go back, I'll see you at the finish line".  Ha ha...basically I would be cutting it pretty dang close if I ran back to the car, drove to my grandpa's house, grabbed my watch, drove back, and searched for parking, all in 12 minutes before the last bus was scheduled to leave for the start line.  Honestly truly, I wanted to cry.  Then I had the brilliant plan to call my sleeping brother and his 9-month pregnant wife...and then they came to my rescue.  In my defense, they were sleeping 10 feet away from my garmin, they were my best {and only} option.  I ran out to meet them before the 'road block' signs and they handed me my watch.  I owe them something real big for that.  

Once we got to the start line, the sun started coming up and I waited in line for 30 minutes to use the bathroom before the race started.  You totally wanted to know that piece of info, I just knew it.  I had exactly enough time to wait for the bathroom, check my bag into 'gear check', jog to the start line, and scream with excitement before the gun went off to start the race.  I also had enough time to snap this shot of and quickly cheer for the marathon runners starting their race, I was excited for them.  The marathon started at 7:00am with 247 runners and the half-marathon started at 7:15am with 1,103 runners.

Then we were off!  The first 9 miles were basically downhill.  Which initially sounds ideal, right?  Better than the entire race being up hill, that's for sure.  However, I was still healing from shin splints that had started the week before {side note: downhill makes the shin splints much worse}.  Zuriel on the other hand was ecstatic about the downhill because his injury he received the week before felt better on the downhill--lucky duck.  He strained his achilles during a 10-mile run the saturday before race day...  Needless to say, our 'goal time' for the race was kinda sorta thrown out the window.  {this is us super excited to start the race} 

We were both going to be happy and satisfied if we both finished the crazy race...it was a little sad, a little romantic, but mostly just sweaty and intense.  We started out feeling great, with the beginning miles passing quickly.  But, this was the roughest race for me, remember?  So mile 1 for me, felt awesome.  Naturally I'd feel awesome, it was only the first mile.  But hello mile 2 marker, thank you for suddenly making me feel miserable.  Basically Z was {unexpectedly I might add} feeling fantastic and wanting to take advantage of all the downhill action by getting in some fast miles.  I was trying, I really was, to keep up and fly down those 9 miles, but my shins just would not let me.  I was frustrated.  And we had both thought I would be the one pacing us, with Z and his gimp ankle trying to keep up.  It was the complete opposite, and I was so glad Z didn't get impatient but was instead encouraging me the whole way.  My lower legs felt like huge weights, but I ran as hard as they'd let me.  

On top of the crazy shin splints, my bowels weren't so happy.  A port-a-potty break was mandatory just after mile 8.  A mile later, I about stopped again for the bathroom.  But then something magical happened.  Once I saw mile marker 10 ahead, I caught a second wind.  All of the sudden, my shin pain literally dissolved, my bowels calmed down, and my mental strength decided to say hello again.  Almost simultaneously, Z looked over at me with this tired look and told me it was getting hard.  I smiled back and told him "Well good because I feel awesome.  Lets do this, let's finish hard".  Now it was my turn to return the favor and encourage him the final three miles.  Just before mile 12 Zuriel said he didn't think he could keep it up for the last stretch.  I told him to remember why we signed up for the race...that this was more than just a race for us {I'll write a separate post as to why}. 

We pushed ourselves the final and longest {it always seems that way} mile and TRIED to cross the finish line holding hands, but some guy kept getting in the way.  No joke, he and Z were throwing elbows the last ten feet.  We walked through the finisher's shoot, with medals placed around our necks, and grabbed some water, bananas, then got in line for the finisher's breakfast--french toast.  We didn't think our stomachs would be in the mood for french toast after a race, but turns out it was just what we needed.  It was delicious.

We waited in line for massages...and it is always worth the wait.  My calves must have been doing a lot of compensating for the tightness in my shins because they were so incredibly sore.  Thank you masseuse lady for helping me realize just how tight they were.  After the post-race fun, we met up with a couple of our friends and Zuriel's sister for breakfast {his sister and one of our friends had run the 5K and did awesome}.  I know we had just eaten some french toast maybe an hour ago, but it was time for a full breakfast.  I hadn't had Magleby's before, but they provided the french toast after the race, so we knew if we went for a full breakfast later--they wouldn't let us down.  Here's to a egg white spinach omelet, potatoes, and english muffin with good friends.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed running this race with my husband by my side the whole way.  Except for the last two seconds, crossing the finish line, when he got caught behind mr. competitive elbow thrower.  We should buy one of the finish line photos for the visual memory of it.  

After Magleby's breakfast, stretching, foam rolling, and showering, we went to lunch with my brother, his pregnant wife, and our family friend Max.  It might seem like our meals were unnecessarily close together, and that may be true.  I have no comment except that we ate when we were hungry.  We also had received coupons in our race bags for a 'buy one, get one free' deal, so we couldn't pass those up now could we.

Running, food, relaxing, food, and now time for relaxing.  We couldn't relax too long before needing to head up to Salt Lake to meet up with friends for a cinco de Mayo party--it was May 5th afterall.

Since meeting Zuriel, we have celebrated Cinco de Mayo together every year, we could probably call it a tradition now.  But being out of town for this holiday for the race, we couldn't throw our usual party of carne asada fajitas with fresh guac, pico, tortillas, rice, and tres leches.  Luckily, our good friends were throwing a party of their own and we got an invite {thanks!}.  Complete with pinata and virgin daiquiris.  

It was an enjoyable weekend of intense running, delicious food, and fun times spent with good friends. We were sad to have to go back to work Monday.  Also, I wasn't the one who's skills tore the pinata apart...us girls left that part to the boys.

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-How did you celebrate your Cinco de Mayo?  Even if you're not hispanic, when there's an excuse to celebrate with food and friends, you gotta take it.

-What was your 'bad race'/'bad run'/'bad hair day'/bad anything experience?

Baby shower

My sister-in-law had a baby shower in Salt Lake on Saturday...I still can't believe my younger brother is going to be a dad!  Congrats to you both!

Baby toms...how cute are those, seriously.

And of course, the food was fabulous, just like all baby shower food should be.

Me and the mama-to-be

My newlywed cousin--it was so good to catch up with her.

They're going to be parents...ah!

From the baby shower, I headed home to the state of Idaho to see my much-missed hubby and our little grundge puppy (just one of our terms of endearment for her)..

 I seriously can't help but take a picture every time I make this drive.  I think it's a combination of my love for the rural and mountainous look as well as my excitement to be home in just a few hours...

Why hello little Tina, it's nice to see you too.  I missed you. 

Glad to be home again and back to our little life, with our silly routines, and our crazy pup.

Happy Birthday Suga

Things are busy over here in the Escamilla home while we are finishing school, but, we try to acknowledge things like birthdays.  Unfortunately, I wish we had the time to do more than acknowledge it, but we did what we could and I'm lucky to have a husband who is very low maintenance {especially with birthdays}.

I made him a quick breakfast before starting a long day of classes and work...

turkey bacon, omelet filled w/veggies, hasbrowns, spinach, orange juice, & reed's dairy chocolate milk

That weekend we invited a few friends over for some fajita and tres leches {not going to lie, I make a pretty good tres leches}.  Basically it was a little mexican fiesta, because well, he's mexican and we like to party.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures, especially of the delicious fajita my love grilled up for us.  Just try to picture hot, sizzling, mexican fajita goodness...yeah, that's basically what it looked like.

Happy 25th birthday babe!  You da best.  Muah!

Three Beautiful Years

August 30, 2008 . . . . the first day of our forever.

I love you babe, with all my heart.

Mesa Falls Marathon

August 27, 2011.  26.2 miles.  What a day!  I was hoping to post the same day or at least the day after so everything could be extra fresh in my mind, but, here we are...3 weeks later.  Get ready for details, because well, I love details and I don't want to forget them!

The 'race' actually starts the night before, did you know?  Well, I didn't realize that until the night before. Lovely!  It includes packing and planning and eating and drinking {water} and laying out your clothes and equipment for the big run, amongst other things.  Oh and anxiety attacks.  It's not mandatory, but apparently inevitable for miss stress-ball over here {that would be me}.  

At about 7:30pm {night before race day} I realized I had been so anxious about the next morning that I had hardly eaten anything that day, including dinner.  Ideally, I would have eaten dinner between 5:30 and 6pm, then had a snack before falling asleep comfortably and soundly by 9pm because HELLO my alarm is set for 4:30am the next morning and I want to sleep fabulously before I run the farthest I've ever run in my life.  Naturally.  Is that so much to ask?  But, instead, I panic.  I frantically look through my fridge and pantry and am at a loss of what I should/could make for dinner!  I call Zuriel, explain to him my realization of how late it is and that I hadn't eaten dinner yet and blah blah blah blah... Basically the evening went down hill from there.  He quickly came home, put me in the car, and drove me somewhere to eat.  By the time we get home it is about 8:30pm.  Long story short--I don't fall asleep until after midnight.  

Now we'll skip to more happy and exciting moments.  For example, the START LINE!  Standing at the start line was in one word, surreal.  Was I really about to run a MARATHON?  And I don't feel nervous but sincerely excited?!  I couldn't believe it.  Where did my anxiety go.

The advice I heard over and over from friends, family, and random 'marathoners' was don't start out too fast!  So from the start, I did what I could to not let the excitement and adrenaline take over and push me too fast so early in the race.  I was on my 'runner's high' from mile 1, which was very convenient!  I kept thinking I was running too slow because more people than I expected were passing me.  But when I checked my trusty watch, I was always right where I wanted to be.  

I ran sans music for the first 13 miles.  I was enjoying the beautiful scenery!  A handful of runners were even running with cameras, stopping every now and then to capture the perfect picture.  

The first ten miles were on dirt roads.  We were up in the mountains, surrounded by trees.  Yet, you knew farms weren't too far off every time you heard a cow "moo" or you just barely missed the pile of poop your shoe was about to land in.  The dirt roads turned into pavement for a few miles, until just past the point where the half-marathon started.  This is where I put my headphones in.  I can't remember how desperate I began to feel for the up-beat music, but, it seemed like as good a time as ever to use the ipod!  After a few miles running on pavement, we veered off the road to begin the trail-run portion of the race.  It was awesome!  The path was only as wide as the ATV that drove on it to create the path.  The narrow path between trees almost made you forget you were racing.  Until, of course, you bumped elbows with runners wearing bib numbers as you were passing them because of how narrow the path was.  

The end of the trail run brought you to the {dreaded} beginning of a 2-mile hill.  It was at this point {the bottom of the hill} that I saw my husband with our dog, along with my best friend and her dog, screaming and cheering me on.  It was just what I needed before I ran that hill.  Not to mention she was blasting Journey from her car for motivation...it was perfect!  I glanced up at that hill, and all I saw was runners walking {or jogging slow enough that someone could walk faster than they were running}.  Not entirely encouraging, but I'll have you know that not one person passed me going up that hill.  I ran that hill for two miles, and it felt good.  By the end of the hill, I was just past the 19-mile marker.  

The remainder of the race was mostly flat or downhill-ish, but there were a few unexpected smaller hills that I wasn't mentally prepared for {where was THAT hill on the course map?? whaaa? and another one??} you get the idea... 

Almost everyone I talked to who had run a marathon told me of this huge, massive, ugly, 50-foot thick, barbed wire "wall" that I would hit or almost literally 'run into' at the 18 or 20-mile mark.  I braced myself at both those mile markers and you know what happened?  Nothin'.  I thought man, I'm good!  Kidding.  But I was honestly a teeny tiny bit surprised.  However my surprise only lasted a few more miles because just after mile marker 22, things started to get rough.  

However, it wasn't the kind of rough I was expecting.  I thought maybe, every muscle in my body would feel like it was shredding into pieces.  Maybe my legs would feel like they weighed 300lbs...each.  Unfortunately, none of the above.  I had been feeling some minor nausea, uncomfortable epigastric pain {where people feel heartburn} since around mile marker 6, but it was bearable.  Soon after mile 22 the pain and nausea became very apparent.  The LAST thing I wanted to do was vomit.  It must have been a combination of the eating a burrito salad for dinner the night before, barely getting 4 hours of sleep, the nerves, and the extreme heat that graced its presence three hours into the race {who invited you?!}.  Who knows.  The point is, I was doing everything I could {while running that is} to not spew everywhere.  Gross.  I stopped 3 times for about 15 seconds when I literally thought I couldn't hold it down any longer.  I knew that if I did throw up, I wouldn't have the energy to finish.  Luckily after some major prayers and mental motivation, I refocused all of my attention on finishing the best I could. 

       

What surprised me about the race?  Honestly truly?  I didn't think I was going to want to stop as bad as I wanted to stop those last four miles.  But I didn't quit.  I kept running and I finished strong.  This is what I had trained for.  This is what the last 5 months have revolved around--my running schedule.  This is what my friend convinced me that I was capable of doing.  She convinced me that I didn't give myself enough credit.  That I COULD do it if I worked for it.  So I did.  That's why a marathon is so 'hard' and so 'scary' to people.  Not the physical part {believe it or not}. It is a mental battle. And that is why it is so rewarding.  Because you didn't think you could do it.  Because you didn't know it was possible.  But it is.  And you CAN do it.  

It was one of the hardest but most rewarding physical and mental things I have done.  I was fighting tears as I was running towards the finish line.  The feeling of accomplishment you're rewarded with as you cross the finish line is indescribable.  I'm so blessed to have had this experience and the support I had from friends and family.  I look forward to training for my next marathon!

The first of many

Hello!  This is the first of {hopefully} many, many blog posts.  I wasn't sure how to begin a blog, let alone "blog" at all..  So, this is me beginning my blog and confiding in you {my non-existent audience} that I am still in the very early beginner's stages of blogging.  Let's join hands and spin in circles celebrating my first blog post!  And of course wishing me good luck in my endeavors to record many moments and memories of my life so I may savor them always.  Thanks for stopping by!

p.s.  why the choice of photo and who is it anyway, you might ask?  It is me and the love of my life and if you must know,  I couldn't think of a better way to start things off--that's why!  :)