42.195 kilometers or 26 miles and 385 yards--that is a marathon. This was my first experience at a marathon event and I can honestly say that it will not be my last. I love competition. I especially love competition when it involves a test of capacity--physical and mental alike. I would like to thank Scott Simmons for inviting me and introducing me to the world of marathoning.
Scott, Sheffield, Greg, and I set off at 0700 on Sunday morning with hopes of taking first place at the Saint Wendel Marathon. Just kidding of course! But we did set off with the hopes of staying under four hours for the race as well as just having a great time! Well, as it turned out, we finished with a time of 3:45.04. Sheffield, being the stand-up guy that he is, volunteered to run the first leg. We found out (after the race) that the first leg turned out to be a little over 12 kilometers. Which, of course, meant that every other leg was approximately 1o kilometers long! So, good 'ole Sheff toughed it out for about two more kilometers than the rest of us!
The hand-off from the three-man (Greg) to the four-man (Me) was a bit shaky. I had timed it all wrong. My plan was to do some dynamic stretching, followed by jump-rope intervals, followed by about two tablespoons of honey, washed down with approximately six ounces of water. But after I answered 'Mother Nature's' call, I looked off in the distance and saw Greg 'beating feet' towards me. I had an 'oh s#!t moment' and stripped my warm-up pants off as quickly as I could. I had just enough time to put my headphones on, grab the electronic-timer-sensor thing, and start running! I was off!
It felt incredible! My plan was to pick a person in front of me and try to pass them. This method worked throughout my entire leg; I passed countless runners and never let anyone pass me. I passed the 41 kilometer marker and heard the crowd--they motivated me to 'kick it in' just a bit more...so I did! I was flying! I was nearing the finish line and everything on my peripheral was a blur. I sprinted, I passed more runners, I crossed the finish line. My 10 kilometer time: 42:31...a new personal record!
This was an incredible experience...especially for a CrossFitter. Why, you ask? Because I witnessed some amazing feats of physical capacity...and on a 'sport-specific' level. The top finishers completed the marathon in less than two hours and 15 minutes!
Next running challenge: a half-marathon!
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