Redefining Possible

One year ago today, I was a stay-at-home mom who started going to the Central Bucks County YMCA a couple of times a week to walk on the treadmill and watch an hour of television, because I desperately needed some “me” time. A month later, I saw a video of Tough Mudder in the Y’s fitness center and thought, “Wow, how awesome is that? I wish I could do that!” A month after that, I signed up for Tough Mudder and started taking the Y’s Tough Mudder training classes and I never looked back.

In 2012, I finished:

·         Two 5K Races
·         A 10K Race
·         A 13K Race
·         The 10 Mile Broad Street Run
·         Two Half Marathons
·         A Tough Mudder
·         A Spartan Sprint
·         A Super Spartan
·         The R2C Relay Race
·         …and THE PHILADELPHIA MARATHON!

In just one year, I went from not being able to run on the treadmill for even 1 mile without losing my breath and having to slow down to walk to running 26.2 miles without stopping (other than slowing down to walk while hydrating at the drink stations and one very quick pit stop at the bathroom a little past the halfway point). I still can’t believe I did all of that this year. It seems almost impossible to me.

A year ago (or really at any point in my life before now,) I would have thought someone was crazy if they told me I’d finish all of those races in just one year – or even just in my entire lifetime. I was never athletic, even when I was a kid. I usually sat on the bench for most of the game in any sport I tried, and I dreaded having to run the mile in gym class and always slowed down to walk along the way.

How did I do it? It was actually very simple. I made the decision to do it and do whatever it took to reach my goal. My first goal was to complete the Tough Mudder with the team at the Y in April. I took the Tough Mudder training classes offered by the Y and got a personal trainer, because I had no idea what to do or how to start training.

Running was part of my training for Tough Mudder, and I knew there would be points during the Tough Mudder where I would have to run up to 2.5 miles in between obstacles. So, I started training for the Y’s 5K in March. I knew if I was ready to run a 3.1 mile 5K a month before Tough Mudder, my cardio would be in good shape for the race. I started running on the treadmill for just one minute, and then I’d slow down to catch my breath. Then, I’d increase to 1.5 minutes, 2 minutes, etc. until eventually I could run an entire 5K on the treadmill without needing to slow down.

Once I learned how to run without slowing down, it actually became fun for me. I wasn’t out of breath anymore, and mainly just felt an amazing adrenaline rush every time I ran. Sure, I felt some muscle or foot pain when I would run longer distances, but the high I got from running outweighed any of the minor pains I felt, and those pains always subsided very quickly.

I started signing up for lots of races. The excitement I felt on race day just added to my enjoyment, and I realized that I really loved to run! Someone who hated running for 37 years now LOVED to run. Once I finished the Tough Mudder, I decided to sign up for a couple of Spartan races. In addition to my love for running, I was hooked on obstacle racing too. Obstacle races were so much fun, and I loved working together with a team to help each other reach the finish line.

I signed up for the Philadelphia Marathon after I completed my first half marathon in May and planned to train the right way for the race, running one long run every week and increasing my running distance by 10% every week until I was able to run 26.2 miles. Well, life got in the way, and I never had a training run that lasted more than 13.1 miles.

The week before the race, I got a chest cold and I seriously doubted that I would be able to run double the longest distance I had ever run before. I almost decided to push the marathon off until the following year. I let fear creep into my head. I started to listen to that voice of doubt that told me I couldn’t do it…and I almost quit.

I got lots of encouragement from friends during that week, and I started thinking about all of the things I had accomplished that year. I ran hundreds of miles this year. I jumped over fire. I crawled through a pond of water with 10,000 volts of electricity shocking me as I weaved through live wires during Tough Mudder. I climbed walls…sometimes using a teammate’s back as a step stool and towards the end of the year, jumping to the top of the wall and pulling myself over all by myself. I jumped off of 20 foot cliffs into freezing water and submerged myself in a dumpster filled with water and ice cubes. I crawled under miles of barbed wire, over rocks and through mud. I dragged blocks of cement and carried sand bags up and down black diamond ski slopes. I climbed parts of mountains that were almost vertical while dodging falling rocks at Spartan Race. And the list goes on… How could I NOT attempt this marathon?   

A couple of days before the marathon, I just made the decision to do it. I was going to finish that marathon, even if I had to walk for part of it. I arrived on race day and never felt more scared and excited at the same time. I entered my corral and looked out amongst the sea of people who I’d be running with. I saw a spectator with a sign that said “Less than 1% of people have completed a marathon” and I got chills. Before I knew it, we were off, and there was no stopping me.

During the race, I soaked in the cheers from the spectators and ran a little faster whenever we neared a speaker with music. I smiled at kids who were high-fiving people from the sidelines, and I reveled in the energy that surrounded me. As I rounded a bend in South Philly, I saw a man cheering for the runners while balancing on canes in each hand. He was my motivation throughout that race. Every time I got tired, or my muscles got sore, I thought of him and how he couldn’t run and I told myself that I HAD to run because I COULD run. I wouldn’t take for granted the gifts and the health that God has given to me and I’d use it to get through this race.

Right before I crossed the finish line, a complete stranger looked me in the eyes and said, “You did it, Jennifer! You just ran a marathon!” and my eyes welled up with tears. My chest started getting tight, and I almost lost it. I was so emotional that I couldn’t even breathe. I calmed myself down and crossed the finish line with a tear streaming down my cheek. I did it! I couldn’t believe it! I still can’t believe it.

I was very sore after I finished the marathon and my muscles were so tight that night, but it got better the next day. On day two after the race, I’m barely sore and now I’m thinking about what’s next for me… One goal for next year is to get my Trifecta at Spartan Race. To do this, I need to complete one Spartan Sprint (3+ miles), one Super Spartan (8+ miles) and one Spartan Beast (12+ miles). There’s also a Spartan Ultra Beast that’s 26.2 miles with mud and obstacles.

I already know I can get the Trifecta. It’s just a matter of coordinating my schedule. But, I have no idea if I can complete the Ultra Beast. It’s hard to imagine going the distance of running a marathon, and piling obstacles on top of that. So, maybe that’s my next big challenge. Stay tuned for more, because I’m definitely not finished yet!

594th Place Never Felt So Good...

Wow, I finished my first half marathon. And I'm not gonna lie...It was very, very, very tough! I did the Broad Street Run 2 weeks earlier, and that was a breeze compared to the half marathon. It was much, much hotter for this race - in the 70's instead of the 50's. There were some pretty steep hills at this race too. While Broad Street wasn't entirely downhill, it was pretty much flat. I also found that I missed seeing spectators throughout the entire course like I did at The Broad Street Run. It turns out, those spectators were really motivating for me.

 

This was more than just a half marathon too. It was a superhero marathon, and they were trying to break the world's record for the most superheros in one place. It was also a much needed distraction from a very stressful week for me. I found this race on active.com on Friday night, bought my Wonder Woman costume on Saturday afternoon and registered for the race at 7:00 AM that morning, just an hour and a half before the race started. I wasn't planning to run my first half marathon until September, but I really needed to make the best of what could have been a not-so-good weekend.

The atmosphere at the race was so much fun. How could it not be fun, with people dressed up as superheros everywhere you looked! There were a couple of crazy people dressed in costumes with long sleeves and pants, and they must have been so hot! I was dressed in a bathing suit-like Wonder Woman costume, over a sports bra and running shorts, and I was hot. I couldn't imagine how these guys felt running while covered in superhero gear from head to toe.

During this race, I "hit a wall." I had read about this mysterious "wall" that most runners hit during long races. It's that moment or moments during the race when you start doubting yourself, when your mind and your body are both telling you that you can't do this and asking you to stop running. I didn't experience the "wall" when I ran Broad Street, and that was a 10 miler. So, I didn't expect to hit it during this race either. I thought I wouldn't encounter it until I ran my first full marathon in November. But, I did hit that wall, and I hit it very hard.

Somewhere around mile 7, I started losing my energy and I felt like my entire body was moving in slow motion. I knew I was still running, but I wasn't passing anyone anymore. Heck, I wasn't even keeping up with anyone anymore. I kept seeing the other runners passing me, one by one...It was almost like I was standing still while everyone was passing by me, and I was struggling to move. My running felt more like shuffling and I didn't know what was happening.

I had run that 10 miler with no problem...Why was I feeling this way at mile 7? I started talking to myself (in my head - not out loud.) Did I start off too quickly? Maybe my adrenaline got the best of me and I didn't pace myself well enough in the beginning. I had a rough week before this race. Maybe I was too physically and mentally worn out to even attempt this half marathon. Maybe it was too hot. Maybe I was getting dehydrated.

I looked around me and everyone seemed to be in such great shape. These people were real runners. No offense to the people who ran Broad Street, but there were a lot of out of shape people running in that race. These runners all looked really fit, and well...they looked like runners. Maybe I really wasn't a runner yet. Maybe I was in over my head. Maybe I wouldn't finish...

Then, I started cheering myself on. I can't even count the number of times I recited these two phrases in my head: "No matter how slowly you go, you're still lapping everyone else who's at home sitting on the couch." and "I'm too tough to kill." I saw the first phrase on Facebook, posted by a running page, and the 2nd phrase was part of a Pinterest image sent to me by my friend Julie the night before. I just kept repeating those two things in my head, and then I opened up the package of Cliff Shot Bloks (energy gummies) that was tucked safely away in my running belt and popped on in my mouth.

In a couple of minutes, it started to happen. I started moving faster, people stopped passing me like I was standing still, and now I was passing them. I passed one person, then two, then three, then four, and then five. I knew I had found my groove again when I caught up to a police officer who I was running near during the beginning of the race. Wow...I had made it through the "wall" and I was back. I don't know if it was because of those energy gummies, or because I had cheered myself on for so long, or if my body just realized that I wasn't giving up.

The rest of the race was still really tough, and I felt like I was losing my energy at several points. After I finished the first 10 miles, I kept telling myself that I only had a 5K left to do. I could do a 5K in my sleep. I did a 5K on the treadmill, almost every time I went to the gym. But this 5K, after having just run 10 miles, was the toughest 5K I've ever run. It felt like it took forever, and there were hardly any spectators to cheer us on during that last leg. I was popping those energy gummies left and right and stopping at every water and Gatorade station.

Once we got near the finish line, I could hear the loud music playing and I could see all of the spectators cheering on the finishers. I got so emotional and started crying. I was really glad I was wearing sunglasses, because those tears were really coming down. But something else happened too. I don't know if it was my adrenaline, the encouragement from the crowds of spectators, or just my pure joy knowing I was about to finish my first half marathon. But, during that last 1/8 of a mile, I felt like I was running so fast. I felt like I was running on a cloud and almost flying. I was passing people left and right.

I truly felt like a superhero when I crossed that finish line. It was such an amazing feeling! And, as an added bonus, they announced that we had unofficially broken the world's record for the most superheros in one place. What a great memory for my first half marathon. I was also shocked to see that my per mile time was better than my Broad Street Run time. I ran the half marathon in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 28 seconds and came in 594th place. Who knew 594th place could feel so good?