The marathon is both very mentally and physically demanding, therefore possessing critical thinking skills with special elements of reasoning may be very beneficial for participating in the great sport. To have a standard of being precise while pacing mileage, or making quick race tactic decision to be a pack leader or hang back with mind clarity is very important. As an athlete and violinist, intellectual perseverance really contributes to physical success in both industries based on the ability to fulfill a task at hand very well.
Close to the stroke of midnight leading into my marathon Sunday, I dressed up for a high-end event in light couture concert violin attire, to play Ave Maria all the way through several times. Instead of looking to play all the notes on the paper set on my purple music stand perfectly, with a sip of my blueberry martini, I completely lost myself playing out on my archaic violin with soul, feeling the beat whilst knowing the song inside out. The strings sound amplified from next to my cozy fireplace, echoing through my entire house, perhaps even up to the stars above through my skylights.
Marathon morning started out casually, with sips of earl grey tea, dancing around my kitchen, listening to Celine Dion, all while making German chocolate cake with frosting for the evening. For the first time in my life, I doubled the German chocolate cake frosting recipe as I have always wanted to, in a large pot to avoid all the sugar boiling over on my stove. My sweet tooth possesses a true love for all the sugar, coconut and pecans of this decadent frosting. Then, as morning moved on, upon feeding my twin chihuahua puppies their breakfast, giving one their shot of insulin and both sliced cucumbers, the day switched over to running only.
In the beginning, rain came down on my Nike New York City 2020 running jacket, soaking my patriotic Brooks stars and stripes sneakers as well. On my marathon sneakers, I have my gold ribbons safety pinned on. Throughout all eleven years of marathon running, I have always felt passionate to fundraise or spread awareness for childhood cancer alongside other significant health obstacles and diseases. It amazes me those ribbons have stayed intact through all the running endured, especially in hail or rain during an extra-long independent marathon. Additionally, to being fit to run a particular distance, as an athlete, it is very important to run for a cause bigger than oneself. In October of 2013, running the Maine Marathon 26.2-mile event at the age of eighteen, the reason I finished is because of my motivators. My motivation to run grows from the true purpose of this event existing, overcoming the health obstacles with my heart in high school and being alive, my family, my community, and helping my charities. As an athlete, I must go into a lengthy distance or competition believing to achieve the feat will have purpose and change someone's life for the better. My motivations, inspirations, brought my legs through the end of my first marathon and carried me through an eleven-year career. Quite literally plus figuratively, running through the rain has truly brought me much happiness in life. The rain was a sign of purpose, bringing my fresh legs out for the first ten-mile thrill of an exciting yet terrifying twenty-nine-mile adventure.
Finishing a little more than the first ten miles, on my second five-mile lap of the block, I took a water break swallowing a gel to keep my blood sugar even, simultaneously tearing off my rain jacket to place my United States of America tank top on for the rest of my marathon. My lucky open-back americana tank top with ironed on USA adorned with a flag, from the outfit for running the Great New York State Marathon this previous fall, was the touch of magic I needed in my ten-minute break. The atmosphere felt as if the sun were shining just for me to keep moving my legs through nineteen more miles of lapping the block. To run my five-mile block, five times and complete a final three-mile loop took a lot of determination and willpower.
In between breaths, heartbeats, and footsteps, my brain may theorize my next mile split being fast and predict exactly how fast. Then, I look on my watch for my previous mile, observe how on track my goal time maybe, and experiment with a new race tactic to execute in the next mile. Running entails many experimental cycles, to apply specialized critical thinking. A mile into my third five-mile loop, I looked toward the Tuscarora golf course for my fan base, pretending to be in a real event. Arriving to my ginormous hill a third time, I questioned whether to run all the way or keep a light running pace, and recalled a goal for the enormity of this hill which my sister shared with me over fifteen years ago, ‘keep running until you reach the sign near the top.’ My body kept moving and grooving, my feet reached the sign and continued an even running cadence beyond the sign. Up over the big hill, my runners body made it, again.
Finishing the first fifteen miles felt strong and fluid with my stride, then my brain wondered about the way to complete more miles. My thoughts run to wishing I were in a large pack of women maintaining magnificent form with a strong steady pace, feeling empowered to take our sport back as if it were 2013, instead of being all by myself.
Suddenly, under eighteen miles in, I became stricken with surprise to have droplets of hail coming down on me. Nevertheless, I knew I would not quit no matter what the weather brought on that day. Just thinking about everything I went through racing 26.2 miles in 2013, having the desire to still feel valid in my event eleven years later, I had my shoulders back and kept springing my legs to be on race pace.
The fifth five-mile lap of the block, heading beyond twenty miles, my body had become more overcome with emotion than physically exhausted. Mile twenty made me question, ‘Will I make it to mile 26.2 today? Is this my day on marathon weekend 2024?’ Reaching the ginormous hill for a fifth time, I considered walking, yet maintained my running stride. This was the final time, I would have to go up this particular enormous elevation. Running up this hill made me think about being with my boyfriend in all the Alaskan mountains, and how he would tell me to run up the hill again if they had been with me. With all the willpower in the world, my legs kept springing up over and beyond the tip top of the immense elevation gain, moving even higher. A mile later, there stood the other big hill, I needed to run two more times to complete this self-created course. My biggest trick for moving up hills is having steady arms, swiftly springing my legs evenly with my arms.
On mile twenty-five, maintaining the strongest form with the best race pace possible while enduring this mileage, I really started to fight to stride into mile 26.2. Every breath, every touch of my feet to pavement, every stride, palpitating through my entire being. Seriously focusing on my watch, looking on my thighs of both my legs springing to complete the mileage. When my watch told me 26.2 miles, my legs kept springing further until reaching a little more than 27 miles, then I walked to cool down. My phone fell out of my hand at mile 28 into a ditch with a stream, and I slipped down into the water. It felt nice on my feet to have the chill of freezing water. A mile more on my feet took me home, and brought my consecutive mileage to 29.27 miles after 5:51:30:48. Five hours, fifty-two minutes, and five seconds to run my 26.2 miles within a total of 29.27 miles.
Upon reaching 26.2 miles on April 14, 2024, I expected to feel euphoric upon reaching my goal. In 2013, after finishing the Maine Marathon the second my hands were able to reach my parents, I kissed them, and had a dance party with my medal even though my body had been finished. There were no arms to jump into, no lips to kiss, no glamorous marathon medal, no attending one of the best parties surrounded by my thousands if not millions of running friends, in the end my legs brought my body beyond the finish in solitude. The deep focus with simplicity accompanied by silence had me wishing love to my marathon community of all these years, wishing they would be happy for me continuing into eleven years for all of us, wishing for an inexplicable magical feeling with close family to come soon in the future. My 2024, 26.2-mile event had been perfect.
