MARATHON...MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!

(En català més avall)
Labor day, it's 4:30 am., the alarm clock went off, one little snoozing, my head poped up, and the first words out of my mouth: "MARATHON DAY!"

My sweet Keith drove me to the starting point. Still pitch dark, cold morning, and the adrenaline flowing through my muscles. Keith helped me placing all the energy gels for the race around the small and little amount of clothing I was wearing. It was time to get out of the car, light stretching, and get close to the starting line. There were different pacers to help runners achieve their marathon time goal. It's a very good system, especially for first time marathon runners. I looked around and founded the 4h30min pacer guy. I stayed close to him.
The race started and the pacer, Dillon, introduced himself to us, the runners surrounding him. We were going to be running together for the next 4.5 hours. The chatting started between Dillon and us. We kept talking all the way, even past the "terrible 20 mile wall". I felt totally comfortable and relaxed. I almost couldn't believe how easy and comfortable everything felt. I loved having Keith along the way. He was my number one supporter, with water, cheering words and whatever else I could need from him. I am looking forward to see all the footage he took along the whole trail. He was so cute...I mean...so handsome and manly ;-)

After the 20 mile (32km), that supposedly scary, and almost unbearable "wall", never appear. I never felt it. I felt strong the whole way. With 3 hours into the run, I kept wondering when I was starting to feel the pain, the marathon suffering. At about 7 miles to go, Keith suggested to increase my speed, leave the 4h30 minute group and just go for it. He was biking along the trail, and giving me his support, in more than one way. I felt scared for a moment, I thought I could maybe hit "the wall" at any giving moment, or maybe I was all the sudden going to feel I couldn't keep going...I didn't really know how I was supposed to feel, but I realized I felt somehow invincible, and I was ready to finish my marathon in less time I anticipated that morning. I crossed the finish line, I saw my two good friends and coleagues Nancy, Renee and her daughter Hailey, holding up two big signs: "Marisa, you did it!". That touched me deep inside. Thanks girls!

I succeeded at finishing it. I succeeded because I prepared myself for over a year, and it worked. I was my personal trainer. That really made me happy, even more than the actual feeling of finishing the marathon.
I enjoyed it, I felt powerful and strong the entire time, and I did 42 kms (26.2 miles) in 4h and 20 minutes. I think I could have easily done it under 4 hours, but I am still happy. I finished it and I did it very strongly and powerful. No injuries, no much pain.

Twenty-four hours later I feel fine. A bit of pain on my quads, looking forward to go to sleep tonight, but just like any other day after a long training run. It has been totally worth it.
Maybe the Denver Marathon next month???


Día del treballador, eren les 4:30 de la matinada, va sonar el despertador, el vaig apagar momentàneament, vaig aixecar el cap, i les primeres paraules: “DÍA DE LA MARATÓ!”

El meu Keith em portà fins a la sortida. Encara era fosc, fèia fred, i l’adrenalina corría lliure pels meus músculs. El Keith m’ajudà a posar tots el gels energètics per la poca i petita roba que portava. Va arribar l’hora de sortir del cotxe, uns estiraments superficials, i em vaig apropar a la línea de sortida.
Hi havien corredors encarregats de marcar el pas per ajudar als corredors a assolir les marques desitjades. És un bon sistema, especialment per corredors inexperts en maratons. Vaig buscar i trobar el que portava la bandereta de les 4h30min. Vaig estar-me a la vora seva. La carrera començà i el corredor voluntari encarregat de marcar el ritme per der la marató en 4’5 h, el seu nom és Dillon, es va presentar mentres ja corríem. Segurament correriem junts durant les properes quatre hores i mitja. La conversa començà entre Dillon i alguns dels corredors que l’envoltàvem. Vem petar la xerrada tota l’estona, així de fàcil era el ritme que portàvem. Inclús passat el “temible mur” dels 32km. Em vaig sentir forta i relaxada. Quasi bé no em podía creure lo poc cansada que em trobava. Em va encantar tenir al Keith pel camí. El meu supporter nº1, amb aigua, paraules d’ànim, i el que necessités d’ell. Ja tinc ganes de veura tota la filmació que va anar fent durant la cursa. Quina monada d’home!

Després del km 32, aquest suposat temible, i en teoria difícil de superar mur físic, mai es va presentar en el meu camí. No el vaig sentir als meus músculs, o a la meva ment.

Quan ja portava tres hores corrents, em continuava preguntant quan comen çaría a sentir el dolor, el patiment d’una marató. Quna encara mancavem uns 11 kms, en Keith em va sugerir que accelerés el pas, que deixés el grup de les 4’5 hores, i que intentés fer menys temps. Vaig creure en el seu coneixement i experiència en carreres ciclistes.
Ell anava i venia pels costats, donant-me el seu suport, en varies formes. Vaig sentir recança per un moment, vaig pensar que potser anava a sentir el famós mur en quansevol moment, o potser de cop i volta sentiría que no podía continuar corrents…no sabia realment que és el que realment es suposava que havia de sentir corents una marató, però, d’alguna manera em sentía invencible, i estava preparada per acabar la marató en menys temps del que vaig anticipar al matí.

Vaig creuar la línea d’arribada, vaig veura les meves bones amigues i colegues Nancy, Renée i la seva filla Hailey, amb dos cartells grans queue dèien: “Marisa, ho has aconseguit!”. Em va tocar al cor. Gràcies noies!
Vaig triumfar acabant-la. Vaig triumfar perquè em vaig fer d'entrnadora personal durant més d’un any, i va funcionar; aquest aspecte últim és del que estic més orgullosa, inclús més que el fet d’acabar la marató.
La vaig gaudir, em vaig sentir molt forta durant tota la cursa. Quaranta dos kilòmetres en 4h i 20min. Crec queue podría haver-la acabat fàcilment per sota de les 4 hores, però, igualment estic contenta. La vaig acabar sense gaire esforç. Cap lesió, i sense gaire dolors.

Vint-i-quatre hores més tard em sento bé. Una mica de dolor als quadriceps, amb ganes d’anar a dormir, com un altre quansevol día després d’un entrenament llarg. Ha valgut la pena totalment.
Potser la marató de Denver el mes vinent?…