I bleed green and gold. The Green Bay Packers are the greatest football team. Ever. Naturally, I needed to do the Green Bay Marathon! Not only did it start and end and Lambeau Field, but the route also lead you around the stadium where the Acme Packers played, and around Lambeau Field itself. Through the players' tunnel! I had to.
I found a training plan, I mostly followed it, all while doing the run/walk. I still didn't trust my stupid knee. I wasn't nearly as diligent as I should have been with my PT exercises, but it wasn't terrible. But the fear! The fear of going backwards, of re-injuring it, of not completing, was so real. So seven minutes run, one minute walk. Over and over and over again. My training plan called for 3 20-mile runs. Because I was also training for another 2 70.3's and the Chicago Triathlon again, I had to make minor adjustments and only ended up doing 2. The first was utterly horrendous. My now ex had kept me up all night because he was the worst, I wasn't able to fuel properly, and my knee gave out at mile 16. But I had to make it home. It was almost a 4 hour run. S#@T!!!!! That wasn't going to work at all...the second 20 miler was SO much better. My best friend ran the last 3 miles with me, kept me going, and then bought me a ton of food to recover. I had much more confidence. I could do this!
My ex dumped me a month before the race. So that was super awesome (did I mention he was the worst?). But my parents and my aunt and uncle decided they needed to be there for me. And it was awesome. They took me out to dinner the night before. They got up with me super early the morning of. They followed me around the course, cheering for me whenever they could. "Pizza and beer" became my mantra, as that was going to be my post-race treat. Other spectators even started yelling it! It was great. Until my wall. The wall is usually around mile 20. That's the longest you've usually done in training, so your body thinks "oh good, I'm done!" Just kidding. There's still a 10K to go. I hit mile 20 and felt good. As good as running 20 miles can feel. Hooray! No wall for me! Again, just kidding.
My wall came at mile 22. And I slammed into it. My knee was done. My hips were done. My quads were done. My arms were even done! My wall lasted two miles. Two. Agonizing. Miles. I think I walked that entire time. I was in a dark place. I knew I was so close, yet so far! Mile 24 was supposed to have margaritas. I was just trying to get to that. I knew there would be salt there and oh how desperately I needed salt. I got to mile 24. No margaritas. They just weren't there. No one was there. Nothing. The rage! That rage sparked something. A fire was burning deep inside and it led me to fly!
Mile 25.5. Or something like that. I had made it back to Lambeau Field! I got to run through the players' tunnel. The same tunnel where my future husband, Aaron Rodgers (in my dreams, I know) had run through for all home games! It was surreal. And then I was out and around the field. And there was my family! There they were to cheer me on! That adrenaline had caused me to kick a bit too soon. I had to start walking again, just after I left the field. Back in the tunnel. I decided to tell myself that it was to savor the moment. Sure, sounds good. But, it worked out because it gave my family the time to head over to the finish line. Wait, the finish line?! I was that close! There it was! Go!
First marathon, completed! 4:40.16. I didn't have a goal time for this race. Because I truly didn't know if I was going to finish it. But I did! I had joined the 1% (it has to be more than that, right?) of the population that has completed a marathon! The joy, the elation, the pride! I knew, right then and there, that I could do anything.
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