letting go (of socks and other things)
Yesterday I completed my 17th St. George marathon and my 30 something marathon overall. It was great as usual - easy to say now that I am done. But it really was great. It was St. George - the best, the most scenic, and most organized marathon ever.
It was really hot... maybe hotter than any of the other 16 I have done. When my friend Suzanne and I got on the bus to take us to the start it was already 80 degrees at 5 AM. When we got to the start we didn't need to put on our extra clothing to keep warm. Usually we have to wear long pants, gloves, jackets and a hat because it is about 30 degrees up past Veyo, which is at an elevation of around 6000 feet. The race starts at 6:45 so we had over an hour to wait in the dark with about 7000 other people.
We did our usual pre race rituals - hanging around in the porta potty lines and then sitting on the pavement drinking a last Gatorade and eating a banana or an orange, quietly observing other runners and listening to their stories. When we figured it was time, we headed back into the porta potty line. Unfortunately we waited too long and the lines was filled with other people making the last pit stop. Usually we try to find a line with mostly guys in it because guys are quicker in the bathroom than women. With 10 minutes till start time, we decided to just go behind a tree instead of missing the start - we squatted in the grass with many other women trying to be discrete. I know it isn't good for the environment and all but you gotta do what you gotta do.
We made it to the start and tossed all of our clothing into the truck that would haul them to the finish line where hopefully they would be waiting for us. I had decided to use my ipod and had made a nice playlist for the run - this was a first for me. As the gun went off, the first song I heard was "I want to ride my bicycle" by Queen - and then "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. I only put one earphone in so I could chat easily with Suzanne.
We cruised together in the coming dawn for about 3 miles. We discussed our mile dedications. I had a card listing each mile and who I would dedicate that mile to - something I do every year. Suzanne had to stop to use the potty and I kept going until I realized I needed to stop to pee too. She passed me as I stood in the line and I didn't see her till the end of the run.
Having done this marathon so many times, I can anticipate, but never grow tired of the beauty of the scenery - the hills of Veyo, which I cruised up without a problem, the flatness of Dameron valley and then Snow Canyon where usually a crowd of people gather to cheer us on. I didn't have any trouble noticing the scenery even with my music - it is just gorgeous. My ipod seemed to switch out of my nice playlist and play whatever it felt like, so I stashed it in my belt with my sports beans.
There were bathroom urgency issues though and I had to stop two more times before the finish line. You can't ignore nature calls if you don't want to have an accident! One of the best things about the great organization of the St. George Marathon is that there are plenty of porta potties along the way and they never run out of toilet paper. You learn to appreciate these things and also being a woman and not ever having to look down while in the potty!
Around mile 15, I was feeling a "sock wad" problem. I stopped once and took off my shoes and straightened out my socks as best I could. They were a good pair of socks that had accompanied me on long runs before but today they were not getting along with the bottoms of my feet, causing my them to burn like crazy.
I kept on running. It was hot. I drank water and Gatorade at every stop (about every three miles) and dumped water on my head as much as possible. I noticed a very striking African American man in front of me - shirtless. I wanted to tell him he was beautiful but figured I better not - he might consider it harassment. His skin was glistening and held not a blemish of any kind. He looked spray painted. He was muscular and seemed to run without any effort. Reluctantly I passed him - he would have been nice to look at the rest of the marathon but he was running slower than me and I have my pride. I didn't even see his face but from behind he was beautiful and I appreciated the lift he gave me.
I was looking forward to seeing my friends at mile 24. At mile 23, you can see the St. George Valley in the distance and it is all downhill. The damn socks once again attacked my feet. For distraction I "high fived" all the little kids with their hands out on the sidelines. I had to stop once again to fix my socks and then headed for mile 24.
In preparation for Alice and Lee, who I knew had cameras, I stood up straight and tried to looked like my feet weren't killing me. I smiled.
Just past the encouragement of my friends, I couldn't take the sock wad any longer. I moved to the curb and took off my shoes. Then my socks. I placed the offending socks gently on the curb, patted them and told them that while I appreciated their service all of these years, they did not have what it takes to get me where I needed to go. They would need to be replaced with a fresher pair. Then I put my sockless feet into my shoes and ran the last two miles pain free. It was kind of a cool feeling to feel the air on my naked feet through my shoes.
Crossing the finish line I teared up as I always do. After accepting my medal and a drumstick ice cream, I laid down on the grass in the park just feeling grateful. I felt bad about the socks, but I am sure they would land on someone else's feet. It was, after all, nothing personal. Just a decision that I had to make. A hard one for sure, but these things happen.
My time was 4:12. 13 minutes faster than last year. Yeah if I hadn't had sock wad, and I hadn't had to poop three times, I would have had a better time. The beauty of the marathon though, is that you never know how you will do despite your conditioning and your training. There's always the potty problem or the sock problem - minor problems compared to a heat stroke, heart attack or stress fracture. Some things in life you can control, and others you cannot. The goal is to finish and enjoy the ride. Control what you can, and just accept what you can't - that's the way it is.
I was so happy to be there (and here) for yet another year! I had what it took, even if my socks did not. Here's to next year.
It was really hot... maybe hotter than any of the other 16 I have done. When my friend Suzanne and I got on the bus to take us to the start it was already 80 degrees at 5 AM. When we got to the start we didn't need to put on our extra clothing to keep warm. Usually we have to wear long pants, gloves, jackets and a hat because it is about 30 degrees up past Veyo, which is at an elevation of around 6000 feet. The race starts at 6:45 so we had over an hour to wait in the dark with about 7000 other people.
We did our usual pre race rituals - hanging around in the porta potty lines and then sitting on the pavement drinking a last Gatorade and eating a banana or an orange, quietly observing other runners and listening to their stories. When we figured it was time, we headed back into the porta potty line. Unfortunately we waited too long and the lines was filled with other people making the last pit stop. Usually we try to find a line with mostly guys in it because guys are quicker in the bathroom than women. With 10 minutes till start time, we decided to just go behind a tree instead of missing the start - we squatted in the grass with many other women trying to be discrete. I know it isn't good for the environment and all but you gotta do what you gotta do.
We made it to the start and tossed all of our clothing into the truck that would haul them to the finish line where hopefully they would be waiting for us. I had decided to use my ipod and had made a nice playlist for the run - this was a first for me. As the gun went off, the first song I heard was "I want to ride my bicycle" by Queen - and then "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. I only put one earphone in so I could chat easily with Suzanne.
We cruised together in the coming dawn for about 3 miles. We discussed our mile dedications. I had a card listing each mile and who I would dedicate that mile to - something I do every year. Suzanne had to stop to use the potty and I kept going until I realized I needed to stop to pee too. She passed me as I stood in the line and I didn't see her till the end of the run.
Having done this marathon so many times, I can anticipate, but never grow tired of the beauty of the scenery - the hills of Veyo, which I cruised up without a problem, the flatness of Dameron valley and then Snow Canyon where usually a crowd of people gather to cheer us on. I didn't have any trouble noticing the scenery even with my music - it is just gorgeous. My ipod seemed to switch out of my nice playlist and play whatever it felt like, so I stashed it in my belt with my sports beans.
There were bathroom urgency issues though and I had to stop two more times before the finish line. You can't ignore nature calls if you don't want to have an accident! One of the best things about the great organization of the St. George Marathon is that there are plenty of porta potties along the way and they never run out of toilet paper. You learn to appreciate these things and also being a woman and not ever having to look down while in the potty!
Around mile 15, I was feeling a "sock wad" problem. I stopped once and took off my shoes and straightened out my socks as best I could. They were a good pair of socks that had accompanied me on long runs before but today they were not getting along with the bottoms of my feet, causing my them to burn like crazy.
I kept on running. It was hot. I drank water and Gatorade at every stop (about every three miles) and dumped water on my head as much as possible. I noticed a very striking African American man in front of me - shirtless. I wanted to tell him he was beautiful but figured I better not - he might consider it harassment. His skin was glistening and held not a blemish of any kind. He looked spray painted. He was muscular and seemed to run without any effort. Reluctantly I passed him - he would have been nice to look at the rest of the marathon but he was running slower than me and I have my pride. I didn't even see his face but from behind he was beautiful and I appreciated the lift he gave me.
I was looking forward to seeing my friends at mile 24. At mile 23, you can see the St. George Valley in the distance and it is all downhill. The damn socks once again attacked my feet. For distraction I "high fived" all the little kids with their hands out on the sidelines. I had to stop once again to fix my socks and then headed for mile 24.
In preparation for Alice and Lee, who I knew had cameras, I stood up straight and tried to looked like my feet weren't killing me. I smiled.
 | |
| Me at mile 24. Despite my sock wad, and faking it, I did look better than the guy to my left |
Crossing the finish line I teared up as I always do. After accepting my medal and a drumstick ice cream, I laid down on the grass in the park just feeling grateful. I felt bad about the socks, but I am sure they would land on someone else's feet. It was, after all, nothing personal. Just a decision that I had to make. A hard one for sure, but these things happen.
My time was 4:12. 13 minutes faster than last year. Yeah if I hadn't had sock wad, and I hadn't had to poop three times, I would have had a better time. The beauty of the marathon though, is that you never know how you will do despite your conditioning and your training. There's always the potty problem or the sock problem - minor problems compared to a heat stroke, heart attack or stress fracture. Some things in life you can control, and others you cannot. The goal is to finish and enjoy the ride. Control what you can, and just accept what you can't - that's the way it is.
I was so happy to be there (and here) for yet another year! I had what it took, even if my socks did not. Here's to next year.
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