So Did You Win?

It's a question that I get a lot from friends, family or any others with whom I discuss recent racing events: "so did you win?" Usually I giggle and explain that in a marathon with thousands of participants, the goal is not to win, but rather to finish and accomplish personal goals.

Except today. Today I did win (sort of).

Today was my initiation and introduction into the sport of adventure racing with the completion of The Edge sprint distance adventure race in suburban Pennsylvania. After volunteering at a similar event in April, I decided that this was something I wanted to try. Another experience to add to my ever-growing repertoire of crazy hobbies.

With veteran adventure racers Abby and Sue as my trusty teammates, I simply followed behind them like a blind baby duckling. I knew little more than the basics of what would happen and wasn't even physically prepared for even that. I had been on a bike once, yes once, in preparation and had no paddling experience other than the occasional afternoon kayak trip at camp. I did have surprisingly good knot tying abilities and memory recall (rabbit, skateboard, doll, bird, skateboard, keys, ball).

The iskiate-fueled energizer bunny (Abby), the spot-on-orienteerer (Sue) and I had quite the performance today, clearing every checkpoint (even the one at the brew pub in town and the one all the way at the end of the lake, on top of a bridge, behind a cross) and pushing ourselves, but having fun. And we finished first in the female-three division and were one of only about 12 teams to clear the entire course. Not bad, if I do say so myself.

Some scratches on my legs, a large bruise on my left upper arm, a sore tushy and back and some very muddy wet clothes/shoes/bike are the only lingering effects of yesterday. And a desire to do this craziness again.

This Is Not A Race Report

My lower back is very tender.
My quads feel more like bricks than muscles.
My nose and lips are chapped.
My toenails are bruised, blistered, callused, or missing.
But I deserve it. I ran a marathon. Again.

They never get shorter. They don't really get easier. They are usually fun. They are always a great accomplishment.

Sunday's Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, PA was no exception. In order to spare everyone, I won't issue a play-by-play of the day's events and emotions. For Abby and me, it was our redemption marathon. After the less than planned events of the New Jersey Marathon this spring, we were looking to prove our capabilities. Our training was interjected by summer vacations, swine flu outbreaks, weekends away, job duties and generalized exhaustion. But we did it. We got through the training, atypical as it was. We got to the start line of the marathon. We made it through the miles, some easier, some harder, some longer, some shorter (really, the mile 16 sign was improperly placed). Most of all, we made it to the finish line. Smiling. Running. Together. Holding hands. Redeemed.

There were sing-alongs: a short interlude of The Sound of Music prompted by a local high school band's rendition of "Do Re Me," several duets to the Grease soundtrack, having to resist the temptation to moonwalk along to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" playing from spectator radios, dancing the macarena while running up a hill at mile 24.

There were times when the miles felt like they were flying by. Enough that I commented that they must have really short miles up in northeastern Pennsylvania. Foolish, I know.

There were conversations. A recap of our past Halloween costumes. My long-winded, tangential answer to a question from Abby that lasted nearly 5 miles. Small talk with any number of fellow runners who we happened upon.

There were pep-talks. Reminding each other and ourselves that marathons aren't supposed to be easy, our muscles were tired and sore because we'd run for 10, 14, 18, 21 miles, despite our assumed lack of training we were still fully capable, and that the ultimate goal was just to finish, smiling.

And so it was, not quite as planned, but exactly as desired.

A good weekend all around. Got a new t-shirt on Saturday, a lovely Sunday morning run through the fall foliage draping the mountains, a post-race meal of french fries, hot chocolate and frozen yogurt.

Oh, and the pride of another marathon finish. As triumphant and satisfactory as any other.

A New Challenge

Six years ago, wanting a goal, needing a challenge and looking for something to do, I signed up to train and participate in a triathlon. I was, by no stretch of the means, an athlete, having only taken up biking and running within the previous year and only the swimming skills that I learned in summer camp swim lessons. I’ll never know what possessed me to decide to do it.

Luckily, I don’t need the answer. For six months I trained- swimming, biking and/or running nearly every day. Working up to levels of endurance that I didn’t know I had inside of myself. I loved the challenge and enjoyed seeing the things I was capable of doing. More than anything, it gave me a new identity. After my first race, it was onto the next and the next and the next. Before I knew it I was a triathlete, a marathoner, a runner, an endurance athlete. It was everything I’d never been before. My teenage years were marked with inactivity, laziness, unhealthy eating and being overweight. For no reason other than a desire for something new, I transformed myself.

Six years, dozens of races and thousands of miles later, it’s become an integral part of my life. In describing myself, I usually say “I’m a runner.” My license plate shows my job and my hobby: RNNR RN. I run marathons “for fun” just because I can and I enjoy the challenge and accomplishment.

Now, on the cusp of my 16th marathon, I have decided to enter a new realm of challenge, adventure, endurance, willpower, craziness: the ultramarathon. In the next six months, I’ll have my eyes (and my feet) on training for the Bel Monte Endurance 50, a 50 mile trail ultramarathon in Charlottesville, Virginia. I’m excited and nervous, motivated and scared, anxious and eager.

Luckily Abby, my partner in crime and crazy adventures, will be beside me (or in front or back on the single track) for all 50 miles!