This is the story of a girl and a 26.2 mile celebration. A celebration of living life and fulfilling dreams.
The story begins in the wee hours of the morning on October 17, 2010 – a new favorite date!
I slept like a rock. I never expected to sleep so well, but it was a pleasant surprise. My gear was organized and ready. I got dressed, packed my breakfast, and hopped in the car for the one hour drive to Newport.
As I sat in the car, nibbling away at my breakfast, nerves set in. I thought I might throw up. I felt like I had an ulcer. I couldn’t stop talking, but I had no idea what I was talking about. I was a wreck.
When we crossed the big bridge and landed in Newport, we had to take shuttle to the start. I climbed onto the bus and took in the scene. A bus full of runners. Why did they look so calm?! I turned to Lolly and said, “I need to find my zen.” Then I told my mom I didn’t want to wear my Garmin during the race. I was going to give it to her, but she said I might want it, so I left it on my wrist.
We arrived at the start within minutes. It was cold and windy, but I tried to stay relaxed and warm.
Ha. Don’t I look like a runner? I joined the crowd and lined up to use of the porta-potties. It wouldn’t be race day without frequent visits! I sang along to the music blaring from the speakers and made friends with some other runners. It was great to chat with marathon veterans. They really helped keep me sane during that time before the start.
8 AM – let’s get this party started!
I still wasn’t too sure about the whole thing, but I found my way to the starting line.
And I was off! As I crossed the line, I started my Garmin. Within minutes, it started to beep. I glanced down. 4 miles? 37 minutes? What?! I guess I hadn’t cleared out a previous run, which is so strange because I ALWAYS upload my runs immediately. I saw it as a sign. I took the Garmin off my wrist before I reached the first mile marker. I found my zen. I was running a marathon – my first marathon. Numbers on the Garmin would never reflect what happened during the race or the emotions that I was feeling. I needed to FEEL the run. I felt free without that watch.
The first few miles breezed by. About 5,000 runners came out yesterday and nearly 4,000 of them were running the half-marathon. I got caught up in the crowd, running a little too fast, but I went with it. As I ran, I got lots of pats on the back. The other runners liked my shirt.
Everyone was full of kind words and encouragement. The shirt was working it’s magic! It was especially sweet when a marathon vet came to wish me luck around mile four. “Your first? Congrats! I run a lot of marathons, but I would never run the full on this course. You picked a hilly one! Good luck!” Thanks, bud.
I continued to tackle the rolling hills along Ocean Drive and Bellevue Avenue. The views during the first half of the run were truly breathtaking.
The sheer power of the surging ocean waters gave me energy. The ocean, like the marathon, deserves respect. I ran proudly in my home state. I was feeling great when another runner came along to congratulate me. She said something so poignant, “Walls don’t simply appear. People have to build them. If you don’t build a wall, you will not hit the wall. Keep fueling. You look strong.” I heard her words and popped another Shot Blok in my mouth. I started fueling with more than water at mile five. I walked through every water stop and took Gatorade when it was available. I also kept a steady stream of Shot Bloks in my system.
This was a small race in a small city, so there weren’t many fans along the route. It was eerily quiet. Sometimes I simply got lost in my thoughts, but other times, I wished for a few cheers to push me along. Approaching the halfway point was may favorite part of the race.
At the half-marathon point, the full marathoners had to run right back to the start/finish of the race and continue on to complete the second half. I thought it would be excruciating to look at the finish line and run past, but it wasn’t. I felt so good and was so excited to see my friends and family. The crowd cheered my name and kept my mind off the finish line. I grabbed a Gu and continued on.
After passing the halfway mark, the reality of the distance started to sink in. I was going up more hills and the wind was at my face. Luckily, I had something to focus on. Lauren – my mentor! – came to cheer for me. I can’t thank her enough. She stood in the perfect location. The second of the run was basically two out-and-backs. It was VERY boring, but Lauren stood in the middle, so I got to see her at mile 15, 17.5, and 24. It was exactly what I needed!
In between seeing Lauren, I was determined not to let my mind get the best of me. I could feel my legs tiring and my pace slowing. I had no control over that, but I could control my thoughts. I needed to keep them positive. I needed to have fun!
My “Stay Positive” Plan: I decided to dedicate each mile to someone important. For the duration of the mile, I thought about that person. I thought about our relationship, how they supported me, and the love I felt. I didn’t want anyone to get cheated, so I gave each mile everything I had. Each person deserved that from me. It kept me going.
Running against the wind started taking it’s toll by mile 18, so I had a plan for that, too. Avoid injury. Don’t ruin the experience. I didn’t want to feel tortured. I knew it would feel hard and I was ready for it, but I didn’t want to crumble on the side of the road. I started taking short walking breaks whenever I needed them. It kept my legs moving and it felt right.
Even with a positive attitude, I really did not like the second half of the course. It was lonely and boring. Out-and-backs are fine for training runs, but one long, residential road in Middletown did not make for an exceptional marathon course. We lost the coastal views. They were replaced with trees, lawns, and houses. The streets didn’t have the energy I hoped for. I made sure to thank the volunteers and occasional fans along the way. I was so grateful for their presence!
Even though four hours seems like a long time, the final miles came fast. When I saw Lauren at mile 24, I hugged her. I knew I was going to finish. Then I looked up and saw the biggest hill of the race. At mile 24.5? Really?
I got a sweet surprise at the top of that hill. My aunt and uncle were there!
They get the credit for introducing me to running. They believed in me before I believed in myself. As my aunt screamed my name, tears welled in my eyes. I was completely overcome with emotion. I thought I would hyperventilate. I was SO happy! I focused staying in the moment. I couldn’t waste energy on crying. I had a marathon to finish!
Seeing my family gave me the push I needed to run to the end. I didn’t care about my time, but I wanted to RUN to the finish line. I ran.
I have no idea what kept me running at that point. It had to be sheer will and determination. My legs definitely had nothing left. They didn’t feel like they belonged on my body. They ached and fought every footstep. Again, I spotted my family. I ran towards them! Tears started streaming down my face. I was beside myself. I was overwhelmed and overcome with feelings of excitement, pride, accomplishment, and exhaustion.
Let’s finish this thing!
I am a marathoner!
Surrounded by love, I basked in my marathon glory. After 4:27:14 of running, nothing compares to that moment. My legs shook and I clung to my father’s arm, but I felt the greatest runner’s high of all time.
***
I don’t think I could have prepared myself for the marathon experience. I had no idea what to expect. That’s the beauty of the distance – the challenge of the unknown. I trained as best I could and I wouldn’t change a thing. The experiences along the way were valuable to me, too. I tried to make smart decisions that worked for me and my body. I feel like my race was a reflection of that. I enjoyed my marathon experience. I didn’t get injured. I want to run another marathon!
Go ahead and try to get that medal off me. I dare ya!
What an awesome race & recap! You bring a tear to my eye! You should be so proud of yourself. I absolutely LOVE your idea of dedicating a mile to a different person and will be stealing it for my race
CONGRATULATIONS!
I got goosebumps reading this!
congrats girl! You rocked it! Marathons are VERY addicting! Be sure to get plenty of rest before signing up for the next one.
I can’t take all these great marathon recaps! It’s making me want to sign up for one! Congrats, you had an AMAZING first marathon and you deserved all the glory and pride that you felt.
Amazing!! You should be so proud of yourself. Look how far you have come! 4:27 is a fantastic time but even better is your positive attitude. You are such an inspiration. Thanks for sharing this with all of us.
Congratulations Beck! You are AMAZING! I’m inspired by your smart training and dedication. You’ve come a long way and reading this makes me think I can too. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.
I love reading race recaps. Congrats! I’m running my first 13.1 in December and can’t wait! Also love the idea about not building a wall and you don’t have to hit it.
Congrats again!
Amazing job Becky! I love how you dedicated the miles to people to keep yourself going- awesome idea! Congratulations!! You totally deserve this!
way to go! It’s an inspiring idea to think about someone for each mile you run…i’m doing that next time i run…Thank you!
Congrats on your first marathon! That is awesome
I just teared up…wow Becky that was so inspiring. I ran my first marathon in Rhode Island too… and sometimes the smaller races are perfect for that. I am so proud of you and I really hope we can run one together sometime soon!!!! Great job!!!
I have tears in my eyes with you talking about your family. You did so awesome! You are making me excited for my race. Thank you for sharing.
this is incredibly inspiring – you gave me a tear and many chills ! Congrats on your first!
Congrats! You are a big deal!
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And I love how you got through it by focusing on a special person in your life. That’s great advice!
You are SO awesome! I am ridiculously proud of you! You are an inspiration for all. I am so impressed that you took off your Garmin, I have so much to learn from you. Congrats girl! Soak up the feeling!
Sounds like you had an amazing experience!! You did great, congrats
This literally made me choke up. So awesome. Congrats again, my love!
Congrats! I love the idea of dedicating a mile to a person and using that time to think about them! I found your blog through Meghann from Meals and Miles. I actually ran the half marathon yesterday and loved the beautiful course but those hills were brutal, I can’t imagine doing the full! Great job!
Congrats on the 1/2! Thanks for stopping by my blog! Are you a local runner?
Wow, congratulations!! I have to admit, I got emotional reading your recap!
My first marathon is coming up and I can’t even imagine the emotions of finishing…what an amazing accomplishment!! Way to go!!
I totally started tearing up! What an amazing experience! I hope you wore your medal to work today!
Congrats!! And yes, like everyone above, this gave me chills, too! I’m running my 1st half marathon in December and so inspired by all of the race recaps lately! Way to go!!
YAYYY!!! What a happy, inspiring, emotional recap. A success story! I love success stories:) You inspire me, Becky:)
Great recap! I can feel your love for running over here. I can’t wait to see what’s next!
You are amazing girl!! I am so impressed by how positive you were throughout the whole thing, and how you took this experience and truly soaked it up (despite how painful that course was!) I was so happy to be able to cheer you on and share a little part of your first marathon experience with you.
I love how you dedicated each mile to someone important in your life. That’s amazing! And, I think it’s great that you ran without your Garmin. Honestly. I ran my first marathon without any sort of watch and it was so much better. Like you said, it allows you to just feel the run, and let your body guide you. There’s no point stressing yourself out with time and pace too!
Congratulations again!! I hope you ride this marathon high for a long time
Congratulations again Becky!! Uncle Jon and I were so proud to be at mile 24.5 cheering you on up that gigantic hill!! You are such an inspiration to anyone who has a dream and choses to fulfill it, way to go, Becky!!
Yay marathoner!!
Your experience was everything I hope for my first marathon to be. Thanks for proving it’s possible!
Awesome! Congratulations. I love your first marathon shirt.
you had ME tearing up. congrats back– amazing.
What a great recap. I got emotional reading it. Congrats on running your first marathon and on doing it without injury. You did so well! I’m sure you are already planning the next one and I’m sure you will be great at it.
Love love love love LOVED reading this post! Beautiful recap. So proud of you! I love your shirt and all the support from others sounds amazing. I got a little emotional reading that whole post! And I love that you dedicated each mile to someone- that’s SUCH a great idea. I don’t think I could ever do a marathon or want to, but this post has certainly given me some sort of “physical” motivation.
CONGRATS!!!
I absolutely love this post. You are so amazing, you should still be over the moon from the race. I love your shirt, brilliant. Seriously, SO proud of you. You are inspiring others. It’s so amazing how far you have come so quickly.
looks chilly on the course, but clearly that didn’t bother you!
GO BECKS!!!!
Congrats Becky, You are a BIG inspiration
What a great recap! You should be so, so, so proud of yourself, Becky! You overcame so many obstacles along your challenging course and tackled the “unknown” along your marathon with utmost determination and gusto! I felt the exact same way as you at the end of my race as I experienced the ultimate runner’s high. It’s such an amazing feeling.
Again, a HUGE congratulations to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You rocked this!
How COOL!!! I ran my first marathon that same day and had so many of the same emotions! You did awesome! I can’t wait to follow your journey to your next one. I think I’m going to do another one too
Congrats!
OMG> I got chills reading this. SOOOO exciting for you, and what an awesome job and a GREAT attitude you have. I’m inspired and can’t wait until some day I can do a full marathon. Hold on, I haven’t even done my first 1/2 yet but I’m all over it!!
I sense a marathon in the near future! It was the most rewarding day
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