D-Day! Running the Eco-Catalina Marathon

AHHH, I can't believe this day is finally here! While we've been checking the weather, it didn't look good! Rain! Wind! A marathoners nightmare!

In better news, I have a friend who actually lives on Catalina island and he was so gracious as to let us stay at his place and borrow his golf cart while he was on the mainland.

Shelly and I made it to Long Beach, even after fielding a panic worthy phone call saying to hurry because the weather was taking a turn and they may cancel the ferries! WHAT THE HELL!?

OMG, once that boat pulled into open ocean it was SOOO cold!

This race is so bizarre. The expo...?? A table set up inside a bar & grill! Ha ha. No tents, no swag bag, no vendors... Just a guy with the bibs, a box of safety pins, and a stack of t-shirts. If you've ever run a Rock N Roll race with 20,000 people, this would blow your mind!

As if it couldn't get any more official!!

That night we ate at the only Italian place in town and turned in early. Why weren't we there on vacation? Look at the amazing view from this apartment! But OH NO, I'm going to run a marathon instead of relaxing on the beach.

 
We got up, made our pbj's, got in the golf cart, and headed down the mountain to the race start. What a strange little land we're in! There wasn't even a big "START" banner.  Just a little flag and a couple hundred other crazy people. You know what bag check was? It was an open back end of an SUV!! Ha Ha.  And there wasn't a bathroom at the start line, during the whole race, or at the finish line. What the hell??

I'll tell you this much, it was the best sights we've ever seen! The hills were menacing, but the people were SO nice! EVERYONE that ran near us stopped to chat, take our picture, or share a story.

This is my favorite picture. Just me & the trail & the ocean. WOW!

Did I mention the aid stations? Each one had it's own personal style. Each one had beer, m&m's, pretzels, & gummy bears. EACH ONE ALSO HAD RED BULL! I'm pretty sure my enthusiasm for these treats later caused quite the stomach ache around mile 22, but hell yes I partook!  HAPPILY!

And here we are, having run such a happy 15 miles, and it all changed! I had heard the phrase "it got ugly out there" and I won't say "it got ugly" but I will tell you this... I didn't want to run anymore. And I did come to that moment we all come to during a long run where where we say, "Why am I doing this?" Only difference, we were lost out on an island and how do you even quit??? I couldn't find my way back from where I came from if I even wanted to run OVER a marathon to get back! ha ha. So yeah, miles 15-18 were "rough." AND THEN, here comes the best part, mile 19. Where we suddenly gain 1,000 feet in elevation. They call it the Catalina Crush.

High Five - Let's do this!!

See the SMALLEST dot up on the left on that ridge? That's where we were going!

Ever had to run steadily uphill after already traversing 19 miles?? HaHa- Yeah, but you know what?! That really snaps you outta your funk! And making it to the top of that mountain was like winning the superbowl. Hitting a grandslam with bases loaded. I often refer to the marathon like having a baby. Yeah, I know I haven't ever had a baby, but the labor is all the weeks of training. And then you do what is so time consuming and intense and painful and hard. And then they put that baby in your arms and it's so beautiful and suddenly all the pain goes away and you're overcome with the purest joy. The sweetest feeling. The best, happiest, most unforgettable moment of your life. Yeah, it felt like that.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, still 7 more miles to go... ha ha.  Ever heard the saying, What goes up must come down? Riiiight... Ever DESCENDED 1,500 feet in elevation after you've run 23 miles? hahahahahaha, you should try it sometime. It'll really test your mettle, I'll tell you that!

I'm being dramatic. Overall, we were cool, calm, collected, and about the happiest we've ever been! This was the most amazing thing I've ever done! And then I gave birth to that god damn baby. I'll admit it, I teared up. They say you can't ever duplicate the first time you cross the finish line. That rush. That CHANGE of your whole entire world and life and thinking. Well, if you find a way to keep challenging yourself, maybe...

The Eco Catalina marathon did just that. My mom, for one, tried to make me swear I'd never run another long distance like this or trail run. Well, she's never felt what I felt. Some people just can't understand what us runners know. Why we do what we do. Yes, it DOES SOUND INSANE when we retell the story! All I know is that I hope to run this run again and again! What a magical moment in my life. Thank you Shelly for training with me and making this life changing experience possible. WOW!

Oh, did we mention the stairs we had to take to get to our apartment after the fact.

Or the stairs we had to take to get down to town, back to the apartment, down for breakfast, back to the apartment, and down to the ferry carrying all of our bags?!?!  179 steps each way, not that we counted... ha ha, oh hell yes, I counted!

Life is good and running has made it better.