Kenai River Marathon

Jessica, me, Debbi-the before picture

Kenai River Marathon

I tore my IT band nine days before I was going to run my marathon. I was out running Winner Creek and ran 6 miles before it started bothering me. Occasionally when I would step down on my left side there was a sharp pain, but after adjusting it went away. I was running downhill and finally stopped to stretch it because it was driving me insane and it snapped. White hot excruciating pain everytime I bent my left knee. It took me thirty minutes to limp two blocks home and I immediately put it on ice and asked Aaron to give me a priesthood blessing on his lunch break.

The blessing was beautiful! It brought tears to my eyes and Aaron's. He told me "To be healed as though the injury had never happened." I jumped up and gave him a hug and was totally disappointed my knee still killed. haha. I guess it didn't work immediately. I was still terrified it wouldn't be all the way healed before the big day. I waited until it wasn't swollen like a baseball before doing injury massage, RICE, and heat therapy. It was healing quickly, but not in time for my marathon.

I just couldn't let all that training (150+ miles) go to waste. We showed up and I told Aaron I would quit if it got to be too much. Debbie and Jessica were doing the half marathon that day so we met a half an hour before the race started to wish each other good luck.

Start line

Starting line, I was super nervous! There were a bunch of people running the half and relay but only about 30 running the marathon. I was the youngest.

A mile out, running through old Kenai

I felt the sharp pain begin to build up at mile 4 and I knew I should quit or I was going to retear my IT band. I just couldn't do it. I couldn't stop myself and suffer the disappointment of not finishing. Just before mile 5 it snapped again and the pain was horrible. I was begging Heavenly Father to just let me finish. Just let me finish. In my blessing, I had been promised there was an angel on either side of me holding me up. I never felt it more mile 6 and 7. Heaven was on my side and by mile 8 the pain was mostly gone. I was limping, but I didn't feel it so bad everytime I bent my knee. I called Aaron and told him I was doing good and I planned on finishing. He checked out of the hotel room and grabbed all of our stuff and found me at mile 13. He grabbed my knee brace and helped me into it at the aide station and ran a fourth of a mile with me to cheer me up.
I had planned on running a 4:30 marathon which is ten minute miles, but in my practice my comfortable pace was 9:30 per mile which is more like a 4:15. At mile 13 my time was 2:15, so I was right on pace for a 4:30 finish. But my knee was even worse now and at some points I felt like a was dragging it behind me. My breathing was great, I had barely cracked a sweat and I felt great...except I was dragging one leg behind me. I knew I would have crushed this marathon if I was in peak condition and that was so disappointing.

Crossing the Kenai River at mile 13

Soldotna

On the trail at mile 15. Aaron met me every aide station to give me some support...and food. I usually eat a 900 calorie meal before I run and I was so nervous in the morning I could only shove down a cliff bar and an orange. I was starving!!! Every couple of miles I'd down some GU, but I still was in desperate need of the oranges he peeled for me. :) Thanks Babe!

The course was really beautiful! All the trees were yellow and it was a nice overcast day. We ran through the opening of the Kenai river where it meets the ocean and then over the river twice. There were mountains, and rivers, and streams and tons of gorgeous trees to keep your mind off running.

At mile 18 I hit an uphill and had to walk. I knew I couldn't stop or I wouldn't be able to get going again, but I could not make it up this hill. I walked. And as soon as I did, my knee seized up and I couldn't bend it. Tears pricked my eyes, because I knew I wouldn't be able to finish. I pity partied and power walked without bending my left leg. Finally I called Aaron and told him I was going to walk the next 8 miles to the finish. He found me and walked a mile with me, gave me his jacket, and held my hand. Don't I just have the best husband ever! He had to go back and get the car, but he said he would see me at the next aide station. I started downhill and pumped my arms and tried to get to running again, but everytime the excruciating pain in my knee made me stop. On about the ninth try I was running once more. Again it was such a spiritual experience. 

I was slower than ever, but I ran it all the way in. About a half mile from the finish line Aaron started running with me, a little bit later I saw Jessica and Debbi and they all ran me to the finish line. I wanted to cry they were so sweet! 

At the finish!

I felt like the last one to finish the marathon, but there were still five people after me! My official time was 5:20. 12 minute miles. Yikes! But I finished and I am going to rock next years! I could not ask for a more loving and supportive husband. He told me afterwards he even hid the car at the aide stations so I wouldn't be tempted to quit. I'm way to stubborn for that.

We stopped on the way home and got some pictures of these gorgeous swans. There were about a million spawned out salmon dying in this lake.

Can you see all the salmon? They were huge and their fins kept poking out of the water.