26.2 = 1%

"We are different, in essence, from other people. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon."
Emil Zatopek

My quest for completing a marathon began back in May when the president of the organization that I work for challenged us to run a marathon to improve our PQ(physical quotient). If you feel better and are healthier...you work better. So, being the competitior that I am, I could not back down from a challenge. Besides, it was a life goal that I had anyways...I thought that I might as well go ahead and do it! I began trainig right away...I wanted to be far from ready for this event. I began at only 4 miles the weekend following the retreat where we were challenged to do the marathon. There were so many days that I wanted to give up...who in their right mind would WANT to run that much?? I remember the weekend that I completed 8 miles. It was the dead of summer and I was absolutely soaked when I returned from my run. I laid down in the shade on our driveway and cried. I thought to myself, "there is NO way that you will be able to run 26 miles...you cant even tough out 8!!". But...I kept pressing on. I had to..."give up" is no longer in my vocabulary...it cant be. Weeks of training went by. I did tons of reasearch and found ways to improve my running, ways to hydrate better, ways to train better. On my long runs, I was loaded with water, gatorade, GU (energy gel), ipod, pepper spray (I ran alone a lot), and so forth. I was finally feeling like a runner...and I started to believe that I might just be able to pull this thing off. By the time I had worked up to my longest run of 18, I was feeling really good about the marathon...until I injured my foot doing a short run one day. The pain was so excruciating that I could not even stand on my foot. I knew that something was BAD wrong. I hoped and prayed that it would go away...that maybe it was a cramp or something. I decided to sleep on it and the next morning it was the same...couldnt stand on it. Hunter took me to the ER that morning and they told me that I most likely had fractured my foot. I knew that if that was the case, the marathon was out. You cant heal quickly enough from a fracture to run 26 miles on it in only a few weeks. I SOBBED in the ER...I had been training for over 5 months for this thing! Hunter kept telling me that I didnt need to be upset until we talked to the orthopedic doctor that they referred me to. I just looked at him and said "it's over". Well...to cut the story short...I did NOT have a fracture but I did have a sprained ligament on the bottom of my foot. The doctor could not guarantee that it would heal in time for the marathon...but he was at least hopeful. I hobbled around on it in an air cast for a couple of weeks and finally began to do low impact training. Eventually it got much better, only by the grace of God, and I was able to begin running again. I was so happy that I would be able to do the marathon, but very concerned about the weeks of training that I missed. I would not have the time to complete the 22 mile run that I had planned for...I only got up to 18 before the injury.
So...here I am, one day post marathon, very sore and very tired, but very happy! I did not know the tenacity that exists within me. Running a marathon is not easy...in fact...only 1% of the world has completed one. I really understand why now. During the race, about mile 19, I was ready to quit. I was running on zero, my legs were stiff as logs and I had salt particles all over my body (meaning I was very dehydrated even though I stopped at every water stop). The winds in Dallas were close to 40 mph...very strong and I was running AGAINST the wind. This was by far the HARDEST thing I have ever done in my life (other than childbirth...but that is another story...I at least had drugs to get me through that). I ran and walked, ran and walked, and finally, I broke through the wall and was able to run more and more. We ran the race as a group (but not together) and one of the guys from the relay team, Todd, caught up to me and ran with me the last 4 or so miles. I literally could not have finished without his help. As you come around to the last 100 meters or so to the finish line, there are hundreds of people lined up along the road cheering for you...it is an amazing feeling. We all wore shirts with our names on them people were cheering from everywhere, "Go Jill, you can do it...finish strong!!" It took me just over 5 hours to complete the marathon. It actually wasnt far from my goal. As I crossed the finish line I felt the largest sense of accomplishment...and relief of course. My foot felt better than ever...but everything else was SCREAMING!!! Thank God for the high powered Motrin that I got in the ER from the injury!! I made it...I did it...I am in the 1%. I dont know that I will ever do a full marathon again. It's a very unique experience that I will NEVER forget...but not necessarily one that I want to repeat! I do like the half distance, 13.1, and am considering running one in March. We'll see. For now, I am resting and enjoying the accomplishment. Thank you all for your support and prayers...I truly believe that is what kept me going!
xoxo

"Nobody said it would be easy, they just said it would be worth it"
"Running won't kill you... you'll pass out first"
"Toenails are for sissies"