End result!!!

I was so excited about this marathon, it really meant a lot to me, having lost the weight once getting pregnant, and having to loose a lot of it again. Having done it once I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it again. I lost the weight, I ran and ran, then during the summer we decided to get a family membership at the Washington rec. center. I thought wow maybe I can get Michale to start working out and help her loose some before school starts. So as in perfect Jennifer style, I plowed right in, running any where from 4-10 miles every morning then going to the gym in the evening with Michale doing classes any where from 1-3 hours. Well, obviously it was just to much and something had to give, and it was my right hip, it started with just feeling like something deep in my hip just needed to pop or stretch, something, but did I stop or slow down, hmmm Jennifer, NOPE!! (idiot) So of course it got worse, and then I had to slow down, if not stop a lot of things, I tried sports massages, chiropractor, nothing seemed to help, I kept trying to figure out what in the heck I had done, so I got on trusty old google and put in my symptoms and wala, there it was made perfect sense, and hmmmmm what did it boil down to OVER USE!!! (duh no brainer there) But it is the muscle that is in charge of your leg to move it forward, to just lift your leg, or kick.

So this is the end of July that I finally get it figured out, so I really back off and go to just running, and I sllllllllllooooooowwwwwwwwweeeeeddddddddddd way down, so slow I kept thinking people could walk faster then I was running! But it did get better, and I slowly got faster, and faster, I kept my weekly runs down to save my body for the long Saturday runs, it was feeling better I could still feel it, it definitely was going away, and the worst part was that I could feel the beginnings in my left hip. So After my last long run of 20 miles 2 weeks before the marathon, I decided that I wasn't going to run at all except 10 on Saturday that I would just spin, so that's what I did.

Saturday brought a beautiful morning, (even if it was 3:30) I was so excited, it is going to be a great run, I really wanted to beat my time of 4:29 and I really felt like I could my goal was between 4 to 4:15. It started amazing I was actually in front of the 4 knowing they would pass me but that's OK, I was cruisin and I felt great, yep the 4 passed me but I was OK with that. We got to the down hill and I could really pick it up, I was flyin and it felt great......................around mile 18 I could really start to feel my hip rearing its ugly head, but I paid it no attention and kept going, at mile 19 I stopped for muscle rub, by my 20 I stopped to stretch and walk or hobble, got barely running again, and by this time down hills are killing me and I'm thinking this feels like labor!! By mile 21 I stopped for more rub, and just thought to myself you cant quit now, your not a quitter Jennifer, by this time I see my second poster that my amazing friends made for me, cute little butterflies and all and I knew they were going to be there waiting for me and I knew I could make it that far. So I pushed on, as I got into town and all of the wonderful support out there, people yelling you can do it, you can do it, in some ways maddening just be quiet and let me run, but then I thought about it, and thought this is life, they want me to succeed, they want me to make it, it was hurting like full blown push the baby out no drugs, baby crowning!! But, I kept going stopped for more rub at 23 and 24, and just as I came off diagonal there they were, I smiled and bawled at the same time knowing if I stopped and I wouldn't be able to start again, Renee took pictures, I could hear Chris and the kids yelling for me, and there was Jen by my side telling me I could do it, it meant so much to me that they were there, that I had them to look forward to, (oh by the way the 4:15 and the 4:30 had passed me) Friends are an amazing thing, I am so thankful for all they did for me!! Jen ran with me to tabernacle, I only had a mile left, as I came down for the final stretch there was another amazing friend, that I have been best friends with sense we were 3, Connie and my 2 girls Michale and Merissa and of course I'm bawling again the girls ran me in Michale running in front telling me I could do it, and Merissa constant by my side. Ending time 4:48. The most disappointing thing is I felt GREAT, I could have done had my hip been acting right! But it didn't and when I stopped I limped, and the girls came in and I leaned on them, Randy came and carried me out of the park, any pressure on my leg sends shooting pains, it crazy, should I have stopped, I don't know. As I lay here in bed, not even wanting to drink anything because that means I will have to get up and go pee, and I even need help to go the few steps to the bathroom!! Randy got me upstairs yesterday and here I have stayed, just the thought of trying to go down stairs makes me want to vomit, even just moving my leg hurts. So the thrill of finishing is bitter sweet, yes I'm glad I finished I am a fighter and I always will be, but man I am hurting!!