A friend sent us this photo that was taken by someone from The Oregonian and posted on one of their blogs. You can see it here. Notice how Missi is totally smiling and it looks like it's all I can do just to keep moving.
A few FAQs:
Did you have fun?
Yes! It was a great experience, albeit a very tough, very challenging one. I'm someone who really enjoys pushing my body and mind to the limits (i.e., mountain climbing), and this marathon certainly pushed me to the limit.
Did you hit the wall?
AB-SO-LUTELY. It's tough to pinpoint exactly where "the wall" was for me, but when I look at my split times from throughout the race, I slowed waaaaaay down from Miles 21-26.
Would you run another marathon?
At this point I'm not sure. It was fun and a great challenge, but it takes a lot of time to properly train for a marathon (see below) and I'll have to see how my work schedule is once I start working in a few weeks. I'd like to try another marathon at some point, but the goal was just to complete one, not become a full-fledged marathoner.
Were you prepared for the marathon?
No! I initially set out to run this marathon to answer the question of whether someone can train for a marathon in two months. I started running around August 1, shortly after I completed the bar exam. I trained sporadically for August and September (late August/early September were my best training weeks). I ran a few hundred miles during the stretch, but I definitely don't think it was enough. If I would've trained for a longer period I have no doubt that I could have avoided hitting "the wall" so hard. So, while I guess the answer to my question is that someone technically can get ready for a marathon in two months, I wouldn't really advise it and I think it would've been nice to have trained for a longer period. The funny thing is, I totally overestimated my "readiness" level and thought I would be just fine, and this marathon totally humbled me.
What was the toughest stretch?
Some say the long, steep, uphill stretch to the St. John's Bridge is the most difficult stretch, and it was tough, but for me I'd say the last 3-4 miles were really tough. My body was just SPENT and my legs were cramping up and it was all I could do just to keep one foot moving in front of another. You'd think that I would've been able to "pick up the pace" a bit as I was coming home, but when my mind was telling my legs to do that, they just wouldn't respond.
What was the best part of the marathon?
Crossing the finish line! But besides that, it was awesome to run the last 5 miles with Missi. She was really encouraging to me at a point when I was really struggling.
What was the best quote of the day?
From my grandfather, after the race was over: "John, I can't wait until you get a haircut. I just can't recognize you with that long hair."
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