Shiprock Marathon race report~




Shiprock Marathon,
Saturday, May 4th

Spoiler alert
This will be a long post.
You might want to grab a Gatorade and GU
Try to pace yourself
________________________________________

Shiprock

You were the one

The one that made me respect the mileage of a marathon.

Sure, I'd run a marathon before (read TCM race report here)
Had a blast
No big deal

Endorphin rush
Rockstar for a day

I wanted more of that

Shiprock seemed the perfect choice
Held on the Navajo nation Indian reservation-
Made it exotic
Less than an hour away
Made it local

I was sold

Training was a bit chaotic this time around
But the confidence garnered at my first marathon
Made me undeterred
Skittish-yes
But how hard could it be?

A marathon's a marathon

Or so I thought

A week before the race
I tried to mapquest the packet pickup location

I was forwarded to a website and phone number

It wouldn't pull up the location on the map

I call for an address to type into my iPhone

A nice gentleman answers-
" How can I help?" he asks

"I need the address for packet pickup" I say

"Sure thing!"He pipes up, full of promise and cheer....
"Just head toward Shiprock", he begins...
"When you cross the bridge
Look for the only grocery store in town-
Take a right directly behind it"

He pauses, as if to allow for my polite, "Thank you"

My only reply "umm, so......what's that address?"

"Sure thing!" He pipes up-
"Just head toward Shiprock .....Cross the bridge....
Behind the only grocery store....."

Oh my......This could get interesting.
-------------------------------------------

Fast forward---
It's packet pickup day-
Hubby is sweet, and offers to drive me

"Where we going?" He says
-----Oh yay- I think to myself, as I begin to relay directions
Needless to say, my type 'A' -super precise- engineer husband was not impressed with the
"cross the bridge, behind the grocery store" routine......

We get to said grocery store,
And I see this spray painted particle board sliver of a sign,
Leaning up against a median light pole at the intersection
It says 'EXPO' and a wiggly arrow points right

We take it
Hubby is skeptical
Especially when we pass a makeshift lunch stand advertising
Blood sausage and Mutton sandwiches

(Why-why-why did I not take pictures----It would look so perfect inserted here)


He says
Surely not

But it is--- We drive into the
Dine (pronounced like Renee only with a 'D') College campus
Beautiful and modern

Park in the huge blacktopped parking lot
Look around

We see tent awnings over in the dirt on the edge of the property
But hubby thinks that's just extraneous stuff
Surely pickup is more formal- perhaps inside?

We start toward buildings
then I hear my name
"Heather! hey! Packet pick up's over here!"

Yep! Violin Running was emerging from the tented dirt area
Puffs of silty dirt wafting with each step

Too funny
We giggle at the tent placement,
When so much perfectly good blacktop was all around us.

Pickup was effortless,
Workers were so kind-
Even let me swap shirt sizes
(super cool shirt too- think I'd actually wear it)

Then home to prep-
And eat
And sleep

Couldn't sleep

Next morning had me going through my usual long run routine-
Taping feet
Filling hydration bottles
Fuel belt fill ups

I didn't have the usual excitement-
A little bit of dread-

Where are the butterflies
I normally get before every long run?

Hubby's advice before I head out the door-
"You don't have to finish..."

Oh my!
Really!?!?!

(Later he told me he was worried about me getting hurt,
And thus the 'don't have to finish' comment
Was out of pure love and affection---
But oh man- what a 'high five' to head off with!)

Meet up with ViolinRunning and Kathryn-
Caravan out to the start-




















Snapshots and stomping feet to get warm
Portapotties
Then busses

Some guy sits next to me-
He's full of nervous energy
His first time too at Shiprock,
Running the relay-
We discover this after he asks-
'Man-- just how far are we driving?'
Everyone around him looks at him in shock-
"26.2--- we deadpan---
This IS a marathon....."
He laughs at himself and his question
We allow ourselves to smile

I look out the window-
But all I see is the emergency exit

 

Then I see the sunrise on Shiprock

Looking out the bus-Sunrise over Shiprock























It takes my breath away
I close my eyes

We stop
Time to get out

Loved the loudspeaker guy
He wasn't too dull
Or too exciting
Just right
Full of optimism and encouragement

























A prayer
I can't tell you how I loved that prayer before the race
ViolinRunning, Kathryn and I huddle to soak in the blessing-



Sun burst at the start























Gun goes off

And the journey begins

I love a marathon

The start has no undue hurry
Pacing is king

But all too soon
The pack breaks up

And suddenly I'm nearly alone






 
I knew it might be this way
A small race is bound to

But I wasn't truly prepared for it

Shiprock pulls me on
I'd never been this close

Enchanting

I check my pace
It is faster than I'd planned
But I felt so good
Perhaps my lack of jitters was paying off?

Hubby texts me the nicest text
I teared up
Boy do I love that man
Happy thoughts


Shiprock in the background
 
 
The run is breathtaking




Thrilling to be so close- just
 
I'm in the thrill of the moment-

Then
Mile 10-
I feel the all to familiar twinge
On the side of my foot
I will blister

I tell myself to push to mile 13
But feel like I'm waning


-
























Mile 13
No fanfare to mark the halfway point
The beauty of shiprock is behind me
All that lay ahead was nothingness

I notice the worn blacktop
Is it canted?
Am I cramping?

 
Is this another long slow hill?
I can see for miles-

Little boy at the aid station a mile away sees me-
Gets into position
Hand outstretched
Waiting
Waiting
Waiting
He doesn't move
Neither do I
Or so it seems,
As I beat the air and hurl my body forward with all that is in me - but go nowhere
He waits
Hand outstretched

When I reach him
He is patient
That is the Navajo way
Peaceful
Patient

I'd not noticed the beauty of a culture
Til today-

Mile after mile
They would wait for me
Hand outstretched
No hurry
Waiting
Gracious



made me laugh -
they were passing out snickers-
had to grab one
 




























It was the one thing that kept me going
That,
And the musicians still at it at mile 15, long after the thrill of playing had gone



 
And what was with the crazy amount of runners wearing sweatpants and sweatshirts and worthless shoes?

I was baffled at their ability to maneuver in 80 degree heat in that archaic gear

By mile 18 my mind was fried
The endless wandering road
Mile on mile of solitude

I kept telling myself
"This is what you wanted"
"You love a lonely run!"

I chanted to myself
All...
Things...
Through....
Christ...
Not...
Through...
My...
Self...
Happy...
Healthy...
Terrific...
Yeah!

Over and over
I chanted with each stride

Yet would not be convinced

Hubby texts me
It feels so good to know he's watching the map to see where I'm at

But soon, despite the good vibes

Panic sets in

I let myself worry
About pace
About getting burned
About hydration (why does my back hurt so?)

I told myself if I could just get to mile 20
I'd be ok
I was told it was all downhill
If only I could get to mile 20
Mile 20
Mile 20

Mile 20

Finally I'm there-


Round the corner

And dry heaved


 

Nothing but mile upon mile of highway
No sign of the glorious downhill

I was scared
Lots of 'I can't -I can't

'Oh no'
'No'
'No'

I get mad
Get ticked

Little boy 2 miles away sees me
Hand outstretched
Waiting
Waiting
Waiting

Heavens
How in the world can he stand there like that!!!!!
I want to scream

But he is calm
So calm
Not in a rush
Just waiting for me

I double over
And over
And over

Mile 21 finally has me relieving said boy of outstretched water
His family lounging happily nearby

I smile
'Thank you-
You guys are awesome'

" you are too- "they say in a quiet hush

I grin
I know I'm not 'awesome- in the truest sense of the word'
But I think to myself
"Wouldn't it be awesome if I could just finish"

I try to run, but can't
I do a little shuffle stop- shuffle stop dance

I'm so done-

An older runner passes me-
His steady gait calms me

I tell him to "run it for me- I've got nothing left!"

And he pushes forward

My phone rings
It's my sis-in-law Jen

She's been trying to peptalk me on endomondo,
But Shoprock's cell service is sketchy
None have come through

Now she's calling-
I have to answer
She's full of kind words and encouragement
Cheering me
Willing me to finish

I laugh at how lethargic I am
I needed her enthusiasm

And then, just as I resign myself to more walking-
I see two gals ahead
They are running
They don't look scared
I have to run to them























I tell them
" you guys are amazing
You are running
"I didn't think I could run anymore,
But seeing you run
Makes me think
I can too"

And I did
Shuffle shuffle
My feet somehow knew what to do
I ran past them

The end nearly in sight
I felt a wave of relief

But then a wave of doubt

I was coming to the end of the road-
Where now?
I slow back down
See two sheriff squad cars, and ask
"Which way?"

They waft their arms toward an empty dirt lot and say
"Follow the trail-"

I'm perturbed -
"What trail?!?"
I say- in an annoyed voice that surprises me-

They match my tone
"That one!" They yell-
And forcefully point to the dirt lot

I am not impressed
Oh my heavens
I'm so done
I start shuffle walking
Not the glorious finish I had in mind
Not the rock star run I had planned

I am in shock at the beach volley ball sand finish
My feet flip through the sifting sand
How am I to run in this?

I laugh
No one will believe this

Have to take a picture
I take a snap shot




the finish 'shute'























The girls I'd passed are right behind me now

I stop and say-
" You guys go on ahead of me-
If it weren't for you- I don't think I'd have finished today-"

Then I hear my name
My name?

Surely not
There was to be no one here for me at this finish

But there it was again

It was Violin running
She was yelling my name- cheering for me to keep going
I start to sob

Teary eyed, I asked what in the world she was still doing here - knowing full well she had been done a good 3 hours ago

I have never been so humbled and honored by that show of selfless friendship

No time to chat-
She reminded me it was a race
"Come on! Run it!"
She and K cheered me in

I finally finish
6hours 19 minutes

Yep
You read that right
Wicked ungodly finish

Almost an hour longer than my first marathon

But
A wave of relief
Washed over me

The endorphins that had eluded me the entire course
Finally rushed in
Better late than never
I was one happy girl

Looking around, I saw the guy in blue who had the guts to run when I had nothing left

I congratulated him
You are amazing! I said
He seemed tired, but perked up-
"You made it!" He said, and smiled




















I told Tennille and Katheryn he'd run right past when I had nothing left-

Then I turned and saw those gals that had kept me going when I needed it most

Snapped a shot of them too


So happy and glad they'd come my way-























I told them-" I'd still be at mile 22 if it wasn't for you guys"


ViolinRunning and K shuttled me through the lunch tent,
I found out Katheryn had a good first marathon


Tennille (aka ViolinRunning) and Kathryn
























And ViolinRunning had not only finished first for her age-group
But second overall women's too. (read her race report here)

She showed me her winners trophy-
Artisan Navajo pottery by a local artist.

It takes my breath away, it's do beautiful.

Makes me wish I were fast-

But I'm not- and it's ok-
It's been almost a week-
I've thought about it over and over
And know, that was the run I had in me
I admit it was a trainwreck
But I'm still standing
I learned alot

I have more in me-
I can do better

I celebrate this marathon
Because it scared me
Humbled me
Showed me that I do have a breaking point
That training is key
That your mind is a powerful thing
That I'm not done

The next marathon is just a few miles ahead
With outstretched hand
Waiting
Waiting
Waiting

For me--

Comments

Brodie said…
Enjoyed reading this heather- congrats on your race! I ran a half marathon last may and haven't run since, but so want to start again
Heather said…
I so hope you do!
You'll do great!
Moose said…
wow! great marathon in a beautiful place - and great tale, as usual!!

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