10-10-10! A day to remember!

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YOU CAN DONATE UNTIL: 11/10/2010
So here we go...

For the record: This was the slowest and most challenging marathon of my life by over two hours, yet the most emotional and memorable one!

As you all know from my previous post, I entered this event extremely under-trained, partially sick still, and with sore joints and lack of energy and lung power.

I had no idea if I would even be able to enter the start line. A week out it would have been impossible but each day with the help of friends, rest, anti-biotics, nausea meds, and Sunfood I was able to get my body to a point to at least get on the plane.

Sunfood sent over Oxygen, Maqui berries, Macca powder, Silver and Camu Camu

It was weird to be in a position that even making it to the airport to get to Chicago was an "event" and a step forward. It is so weird that our bodies can become so weak that simple things become challenging and mile stones.
Luckily I had a special guest (My sister) to accompany me to the airport. Although, I was a bit jealous when I sent her off to Mexico to vacation :(

The flight was easy breezy and we even made it in early and I was doing a great job of totally blocking out that I was physically weak and on meds.

Once I landed in CHI town I was anxious to get over to the expo and live the 10-10-10 experience. I wanted to soak in every moment and really embrace why I was here. I have never done an event in honor of others so this was extremely emotional for me. I am a pretty sappy/sentimental girl to even begin with but even just walking off of the metra and into the convention center to the largest expo I have ever been to was a bit emotional.

This tid bit is mostly for Marleen but I first reached out and got my fun marathon T-shirt (and maybe arm warmers, gloves and a zip up!!! haha...) What do you expect when Kyle wasn't watching over me and what I was purchasing! haha. I felt like a first time marathoner that wanted to buy everything that said Chicago Marathon 10-10-10 on it. I was a first time Marathoner with a cause!!
My favorite booth besides seeing the LIVESTRONG team was the lululemmon booth. It was neat to see them at a running event and also to check out their photo booth.
I even got all emotional about seeing my name up on the wall of marathoners...I was shocked that 45,000 people were tackling this challenge tomorrow. That is literally a SEA OF RUNNERS for 26.2 miles. And...this was my first run officially as a SWARTZ :)
This was cool too...I took the pic of total strangers but had to capture it...
And might as well get a shot of the big course map while I am at it...
After exhausting every section of the expo, on my way to go put my feet up, I had to go and visit my favorite sculpture in Millennium Park...

On my walk back to the hotel I spotted these rock stars on the street...this kiddo was uber talented!
Then it was time to put my legs up and slap on some SALONPAS patches! Ok I just discovered these little miracle patches and now I live by them! I will mention them throughout this post as I used them before, during and after and even today to help ease my joints and aches and pains. The medicine in the patches goes right to your achy joints, muscles, and pains and you can literally feel it working! It is actually really soothing. Especially today. I think I am actually a bit addicted...
So moving on to the preparations. Next on the list was being a little hermit in my hotel room. I kept up with my sunfood and rest to help make the miracle of finishing this race happen. I felt confident and calm which was good. Thanks to my iPad I was full of afternoon and evening entertainment with movies, facebook, words with friends, napping with SALONPAS, and highly ADDICTED to refreshing my ironmanlive.com site as I watched every update of the Ironman Hawaii (Congrats to all of my friends out there that raced !!).

Next up was preparation. I got my personalized LIVESTRONG bracelets out and bib number and got ready for the day. My biggest goal was to get these bracelets across the finish line and at times was what drove me on race day. Now I am proud to get to ship them off to everyone that I ran for or their family members or friends.

Personalized for Elexis Mariash, Eddie Hall, Marla Swartz, John Holland, Anne Holland, Nathan Long, Samantha Minnis, Les Mitton, Gene DeWitt, and Lance Armstrong!

Then at 3:46am the first set back! I woke up rushing to the bathroom to throw up. I called Kyle immediately crying and afraid I was getting sick again. I considered dropping out and being ok with just being there. I just was so set on getting these bracelets across the finish line for those that I was running for. I told myself that if I felt good when I woke up that I would still give it a shot.

I woke up and felt good. I had massive digestive issues but figured I could keep replenishing electrolytes and be ok. I threw on some more SALONPAS patches to keep my leg less bothered. The sun was out, conditions looked good and I was in the starting line of 45,000 people, ready to give it a shot. I was emotional, nervous and excited all at once.

Here is how the day rolled out:

Miles 1-4 // 61-65deg: smooth and steady at 8:45 pace. Felt very easy and comfortable. My lungs and breathing were different and short but at this pace it was manageable and I knew I could sit here for 26.2 miles and be fine.

Mile 4: First sign of bad luck...bathroom issues

Mile 4-13 // 70deg: I just blocked it all out and continued to click off the miles at 8:46-8:55. Due to the stopping point at mile 4 I rolled in at 2:08 vs. 1:55.

Mile 13.3: My IT band decided it had had enough and BAM!!! Pain to the utmost! It was unreal and felt like it was pulling on my knee and was going to pop. I could walk but not run. I saw a medical tent and stopped. 20 minutes later, vitals and nutrition still looking good, I decided to walk the rest of the way and try to finish.

Mile 14: Saw Tom and the rest of the LIVESTRONG team and chatted with them about what to do. I contemplated dropping out and just cheering with them but I decided to just keep trying to walk. One of the gals called up ahead to the next medical tent to let them know I was on my way for another rub down. Her friend was a massage therapist up there at mile 16.5

Mile 14-16.5 // mid 70's : A mixture of tears and pain as I tried over and over again for a miracle to happen for the excruciating pain to leave my IT band and side of my knee.

Mile 16.5: pit stop of the medical tent where I was told immediately by the gate keeper that if I wasn't dropping out, I was not allowed to get a rub down and to figure it out myself. Mass tears at this point and then I wiped them off and just put my head up and kept walking. Re apply SALONPAS patches even if at this point it was mentally to "do-it-myself" and as an attempt to make the pain go away.

Mile 16.5-18: more walking and tears of frustration. Here I thought I would be fighting coughing and breathing issues and nutrition problems and I was dealing with a leg of excruciating pain.

Mile 18-26.2 // 80-83 deg: I was beyond frustrated with walking and also started to do the math and was paranoid that I would be cleaned up by the race officials and kicked off the course if I didn't pick it up a little. So I started to jog 5' and walk 5' over and over. Then I began to jog 7 and walk 3 so I could avg around 12-13' miles and just get in a rythum. By this point we were fighting high alert levels for weather and it was so dang hot. Stations were running out of sponges and it was just ridiculously hot for me. For the most part I didn't notice though because my leg was so painful. I couldn't believe I was using who I was running for and a method of timing for running and walking to ignore the pain. Sort of crazy looking back now.

Mile 26.2 at 5:14.35 // TOO hot!! : I crossed the finish line. It was a huge relief, and emotionally overwhelming. I will just tell you right now that finishing for a cause and other people is drastically different than finishing with a PR. Both are remarkable experiences but very different.
Post race: For the first time ever I was refreshed to have a brewsky at the finish area and sat down for a while to take it all in. In the end, my dedication that my pops speaks of as a strength for me came in handy. I fought for those I was running for and am so pleased to have finished. I went on to shower at the hotel and try to get on an earlier flight which lead to napping at the airport for 6 hours with my legs up and MORE patches, and my Under Armour recharge compression outfit in full effect! :)

All in all, this is a race and cause that I will cherish forever. I am truly honored to have run for all of those on my list and also for all those beyond.

Oh and did I mention that there were fans at literally every single inch of 26.2 miles!!! It was unreal to see the sea of cheers and signs and support out there. It was amazing!

And next on the list, to ship the bracelets off to those 10 individuals.

And next after that....well cant tell ya just yet!!

Cheers!

Jax

P.S. MEGA CONGRATS to my young friend (25 years old) who qualified for Olympic Trials A standard at the Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:37.39!! AMAZING! This will be her 2nd Olympic Trials!