26.2 miles = 42.2 kilometers = A Marathon = what a journey!
A Marathon was something I never, ever, EVER thought I’d see myself running…finishing…relishing in as an accomplishment… but is something that I completed for the first time this past Sunday!Putting together this race recap had me think back to when I wrote my first half marathon race recap. The feelings I felt then…the walls that I hit…but on a larger scale for sure (I may have giggled that my ‘old wall’ mile was 4.) So much to squish into thoughts in writing is tough but I’ll give it a go!
Race morning, I popped out of bed around 4am. I slept, but restlessly. I had been stressing quite a bit leading up to the day from traveling from Florida… add to that, having some sort of cold bug for the past week, to having shin pain being covered up by prednisone to get me through the big day. Fear of the unknown kept my mind going. My cousin, who we were staying & spending time with, was up early too. He’d run the race last year and kept telling me I trained well, not to worry! Easier said than done 😉 My cousin, G, and I headed to Bethesda to grab the Metro and then head into Rosslyn from there. I only had one snafu – I forgot my Garmin 10 minutes down the road and we turned around to grab it.
Did you go through the same wave of ups and downs in your first marathon?
What did you learn about your journey about yourself?
I love social media for the very fact we could experience this all right along side you.
since I will never run a marathon—it’s such a cool thing.
Thanks for the support online too – it’s just as effective!
LOVE this! Can’t wait to see your thoughts on marathon training in general. Also very interested to see if you are a ‘one and done’ or if this is just the beginning 😉
Thanks Erica! haha, stay tuned 😉
What a great story Kat! Bummed I never saw you over the weekend, but so happy you had a good time! And YOU’RE A MARATHONER!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😀 Amazing accomplishment! Hope your legs are starting to feel normal again. -C
You too Christine! I’m getting there – the shin isn’t happy still but taking it easy all week 😉 Hope you don’t have stairs at home 😉
Congrats on a great finish to your first marathon. I used runner tracking to watch you and others race on Sunday so I knew about your struggle at the end. A marathon is such a hard race with mental and physical challenges the whole way and you handled it so well on your first try. Interesting about the 4:30 pace group. I would have thought the leader would keep his wolves in check! Enjoy the rest and recovery, because you will probably come up with another big challenge for yourself in the future! Congrats again on a job well done!
Thanks Pam! haha love how you ladies post back to back and I can tell who’s who! Thanks for your cheers and support through #1!!
Congrats on a great 1st marathon- the ups and downs during the race are definitely normal during first, second and whatever marathon. Celebrate- you worked hard for this!
Thanks Laura!
YOU ROCKED IT GIRL!!!!! Hope I feel as good as you come Sunday! EEP!
You are going to do awesome!
Congratulations girl!!! Not easy but you did it!!! Way to stick with it and get it done. You’ve got to be so proud right now!
Thanks so much Heather!
Soooo proud of you Kat! There’s nothing like your first 26.2! It’s a journey you will remember forever! I was tracking you the whole way and when I got the text saying you had finished I was soooo happy for you! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on doing another one! 😉
Definitely Mindy – thank you so much!
I am sooooooo proud of you! Love the recap! I cant imagine how u must be feeling after that, but you should be so pleased w yourself!!! Relish every second!
Thanks Jenna!
I am so, so proud of you! You did amazing! You trained hard and I think had a great race. Enjoy the marathon high for now. 🙂 Congrats!!
Yes ma’am 😉 Thank you!
Very proud of you and happy for you! You ran a really nice, consistent pace throughout. Those marathon highs and lows? Happen every single time. It’s the nature of the beast!
Thanks coach! I know I scooted to that finish the best I could!
Loved your recap – the honesty and real emotions spring off the page!! Hooray – you did it even with the pain!!!
Thanks Kim,I’m glad you thought that!
Yay! Great job!
Thanks Maggie!
I got teary eyed while reading this!! SO PROUD OF YOU!!!! You are such an inspiration and truly amazing Kat! Congrats again! xoxo
Thank you Heather!
Congratulations Kat!! I’m so happy and proud of you!! Training for, running and finishing a marathon is such a humbling experience but so amazing. It will definitely take you to various highs and lows! Can’t wait to hear about the next one 🙂
Thank you Christine!
So very happy for you. What a wonderful feeling of accomplishment! Congratulations!
Thanks Elle!
Congrats on your first marathon Kat! It brings back a lot of thoughts reading this and makes me excited for #2! I’ve heard #2 is a lot different because you know what to expect. I’m excited to see what your next goals are. You did a really impressive job keeping your pace the same overall.
haha, so funny how I think differently today than I did the day of! Thanks Meghan!
SO stinkin proud of you! And so sad I missed you! (We can blame Nick for running so fast.) You did amazing and I have loved every second of following your journey. Now enjoy this rest week, you earned the hell out of it!! (P.S. I always feel poopy during miles 13-15 for some odd reason.)
Thanks Beth! We all know what happened for you at DIsney though! 😉
P.S. My first marathon was a 5:17. I’m pretty sure you are the woman!!!!
My first marathon was odd…it was so wonderful I refused to do another one for years. Yup true story. I was giggling the whole way, now since then I’ve had a few where I went through the OMG everything hurts what I am doing moments to the hallelujah life is grand 🙂
You had an amazing round of training and I know if you choose to do another you will absolutely crush your time because you were killing it in training. Congrats on an AMAZING first marathon and pushing through!
So, that should be the plan right? Wait a couple of years – perfect Amanda! Thank you 😉
Congrats on your first marathon! You’ve totally inspried me through my half marathon training. 🙂
Thank you Diana, you’ll do awesome!
Congrats, Kat!!!!! You’re awesome and inspiring, chica!!!
Thanks Jen – your turn? 😉
I am totally impressed with your consistent pace!! And I too would have slept super restlessly the night before, however, I also would have been FAST ASLEEP like you were in the car afterwards, LOL!!! I bet you’re still recouping right now! but YAY!!!!!!!! You’re DONE! 😀
LOL that was the comfiest back seat ever! Thank you!
Great job, Kat!! MCM was a great race and I am glad I did it. When’s the next race 😉
Thanks Nattie, you too! haha
What a great accomplishment!!! The sweet isn’t as sweet without the sour. I know you are feeling good about what you’ve just completed. I hope to be as successful in my first marathon as you have been at MCM. Congrats on your achievement. =)
You’re so right, Haley – you’re going to do great!
Very inspiring! Loved your re-cap. Congrats. I still my first one coming up (2.5 weeks to go). Getting more and more excited when seeing reports like yours. Thank you so much.
Thanks Chris – you’ve put in the training, you’ll do great!
Wow, what an amazing accomplishment Katrina! You almost had me in tears with your finish line recounting with your husband. So sweet:)
Aw thanks Jessica – I cried throughout the race lol
Love your recap! I’m glad you were able to finish what you started. Thanks for inspiring all of us to dream big.
Amen sister, thank you!
I am SOOOO Proud of you!!! Congrats my friend! STRONG you are! Wow!
Thanks Kierston! That inhaler is so needed right!
Great recap! Super congrats on your first 26.2! Marine Corps was my first, too and there is no better place to conquer such an awesome goal! I love that you cried into your husbands shoulder from all the emotion. Seems like the perfect ending to a long journey! Can’t wait to see if you’ll tackle another one 🙂
You’re so fast Heather that’s for sure! 😉 Thanks so much!
Thanks so much Heather! Glad we both shared a first experience!
This was so much fun to read and relive the course a year later. Those late miles starting with the bridge are SO hard! Huge congrats to you again for persevering and rocking your first marathon!
Thanks Marcia – I’m glad to know it wasn’t just me at those points!
I’m SO SO proud of you! I loved reading your recap, especially the end. It made me tear up a bit. Running marathons is so hard. To finish them — no matter what the clock says — is a miracle. I hope we’ll get to celebrate in December when I’m in town for the holidays! xoxo
Yes girlie, I hope to see you again soon! Thank you a bunch! Your recap was good reading for me too btw
Congrats Kat, I’m SO proud of you!!! My first marathon was so long ago but I remember it like it was yesterday. I definitely went through a lot of ups and downs. I wanted to stop. I hurt. But I stuck it out. That journey made me realize that I am a whole lot stronger than I give myself credit for. I’m always reminded of this with every finish line I cross.
I felt that very way exactly! Thanks so much P, you getting faster and faster inspires me!
LOL: Just like that, it was done! What a great race you ran! I have no plans to do the MCM, but since I live around here, I can understand the concern about the Rosslyn hills, the tedium of Hain’s Point, and the fortitude it takes to beat the bridge. Congrats, you did it all!
haha glad that a local can appreciate the honesty about those areas! Thanks Coco!
I am with Carla – I never ever see myself doing a marathon to to see others accomplish so much – amazing!!! CONGRATS!!!!!
You gals never know! Thank you!
Awesome, awesome job, Kat! So proud of you, especially when the going got tough. Glad to hear you’re well on the way to recovery … so when’s the next 26.2? 😉
Thanks Carrie! Haha – stay tuned 😉
I’m bawling reading this. SO Happy for you!! A huge congratulations on an incredible debut marathon! xoxo
Aw, thanks Lisa!
Wonderful post, I like the way you broke the race into parts. I don’t think I’ll EVER be feeling ‘warmed up’ at mile 6 though. Congratulations on becoming a marathoner!
Thank you!!
Congrats Kat! It wouldn’t be a journey if there weren’t highs and lows. You can now expect your perception of miles to be way off! After marathon training, I’ll never consider a long run anything less than 14 miles. Crazy but true!
Thank you Angela!
Congratualtions Kat. I am so proud of you.
I must admit the Sarah and I were run tracking you and you finished just as we made it to the bridge, your update got sent to my phone. We were so proud of you and all you had accomplished. You ran a great race for your first marathon. Maybe someday you can help me pick up some speedy tips so I can get close to your time:)
Aw I’m so proud you two stuck together on that “icky” bridge! Thank you!
KAT! I -finally- was able to sit down and savor this recap. I am so freaking proud of you and excited for you (and a bit jealous)! When’s the next marathon? Let’s do one together someday.
Eek!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats on becoming a marathoner girl!!!!!!!!!!!!
Another huge congrats to you!! I must admit, I got emotional for you while reading your recap. I experienced a similar rush of emotion after my first half marathon, and quite honestly, your recap made me want to consider running a full myself! We’ll see, though 🙂
Crazy good run, Kat! I’m so proud of you and feel almost a bit like I just completed the marathon. (In a non creepy way though…) I’m happy you found a woman to pull you through tough spots when you needed it. And I’m also SO happy you got to see the hubster so many times! 🙂 I remember seeing wheelchair athletes going up the “Hills of Rosslyn,” too which was one of my first gut-check, put my big girl panties on moments. The MCM is such an amazing experience and I’m so glad that it was your “first.” There are so many, many more things I want to say but congratulations seems to sum it up perfectly.
So awesome! Proud of you!
Awesome! Congrats!! I’m glad you had Mary there by your side, she really was your race angel. What an emotional race too, perfect for your first! I look forward to hearing about your future plans!!
Congratulations!!!! Welcome to the marathoner club 🙂
Congrats, lady! You’re officially a MARATHONER!
I find running with people around mile 20-24 is hard as well. I get stuck in that dark place, too.
YaY!! for finishing an awesome journey! Can’t wait to hear about your next one.
Amazing marathon! 42.2 kilometers I would overcome only with a bicycle! Thx for review, Katrina!
Thanks friend! haha I haven’t done another since, I’m more of a 10k girl!
Katrina recently posted…A taste of New Orleans
Pictures are fantastic! I like running and crossfit. But I’ve never tried a marathons:\ This summer i will definitely try!