Bataan Memorial Death March Marathon 26.2 miles

I started back running approximately 6 weeks ago! To go from 1.5 miles and 2 miles with out stopping to running a full 13.1 miles the week after my first half marathon that I had walked partially, then two weeks later finishing with my team 5th place of 26 on the Bataan Marathon is just unbelievable.  It is such a high and I just wanted to write it all out before I forget all the details.

5:30pm- The night before the big day I tried to go to bed because I knew I needed to wake up at 12:30 am to be at Josh's house by 2am so that we could be at White Sands Missile Range before 4:30am when they would close the streets for the race.

9-12pm- Ron came to bed and I needed water this woke me and the nervousness creeping in kept me from falling back to sleep. Finally at 12 I went ahead and took a shower getting ready.

2pm- Josh's house. Sam was already there and Josh fed us as we waited for Johnny.  Everyone was sleep deprived and also excited. I found out I probably got the most sleep of everyone even with only 3 to 4 hours of sleep.

3:30- We arrive at White Sands.  Its super cold outside, much colder than when I left my doors in El Paso. It was almost 70 degrees at midnight where I live so I had dressed in shorts and a tank top knowing it was going to be probably fairly hot during the run.  We show up and its very cold and very windy. I have no idea how cold just that being outside for only a few minutes would cause me to shake and shiver uncontrollably.  The boys look for a way to sleep in the car until 6:30 formation.  I was to excited for sleep.  I was very aware that I may never experience anything like this again and that I was sharing it with some of the most awesome people I have ever had the experience to know.  So many thoughts going through my mind at that time.

6:30- Formation and I'm not sure how long we were out there.  I was beyond freezing.  Between the National Anthem and the speech about the Bataan Death March Survivors maybe we were out there 45 minutes or an hour. Honestly, I just can not recall because it was to damned freezing.  My whole body was convulsing.  I just wanted all of us to huddle together to create warmth, but those boys and their space issues and anti touching policies meant I was out of luck!  We met up with our fifth member, BJ and his girlfriend at this point.  A very cute couple. They looked warm all cuddled up together! It was adorable.

7:30ish- We start running.  The adrenaline was rushing through my veins and it was warm and nice.  I'm not sure what flying feels like, but it must feel similar to that feeling.  I felt light on my feet even though we were running in sand box sand. Weaving in and out of people. We ran 4 miles effortlessly only stopping because I needed sunscreen. 

9:30ish- Not really sure of the time at this point.  But we ran another 4 miles effortlessly.  Our team was still together. We stopped for Johnny to get his blisters treated.  I think the part I started loving at this point is the fresh oranges and bananas at the water spots. Probably the best thing I have ever had when running. 

10am- We are running on the road now, leaving the dirt behind. We are already seeing some of the top runners on their returning trip. My stomach is starting to bother me. I thought maybe I ate to much and drank to much right before running.  This is really on my mind and it seems like everyone is ready to talk instead of listening to music.  At first keeping pace with out music was very hard and just over all I started to hit a wall.

Mile 10-15 Not sure what time it is but I'm just done.  We are in deep sand and up hill. The path is going around a mountain or something.  I have fallen back with Josh who also has blisters.  I can't keep up with Sam and Johnny who are now running at least a 10 minute mile pace.  I see them up there and I keep trying to catch them just to have them leave me again.  Josh and I walk and run some. Definitely walking up hill, trying to run down hill.  BJ and his girlfriend had also stopped running and had started walking.  They did the whole thing hand in hand by the way.  I was thinking that was really neat and that I haven't had a "honeymoon" phase on that level in a very long time, at least since Ruidoso.

Mile 17ish- I'm not really sure what mile, but we met at an aid station catching up with Johnny and Sam. After resting for a little while to let BJ and his girlfriend catch up to our group, I decide I feel like doing some running again.  I think by now we are out of the sand at least for a little while so I start running and Sam joins me.  Johnny falls back with Josh and I felt bad that I had left Josh after he had helped me get through the hardest part of the race and the wall that I had hit, but I just wanted to run.

Mile 17ish-Mile 25- Just Sam and I.  We ran about a 10 minute mile pace for a while. He pushed me up hills and everything. We got to talk alot, which I of course I love to talk.  The road ended and it became sand again.  The same sand as the beginning of the marathon, except that I was no longer effortlessly floating over any of it. I was sinking with every step.  We ended up walking most of it, with short bursts of jogging here and there. We stoped at a couple water stations just to get a drink and kept moving.  Finally we were at the water tower.

Water tower:  We sat out there for about 45 minutes waiting for our team mates. By this time I knew I was severely sunburned, but did not comprehend the extent.  I was focused on being so close to the finish line, watching people pour past us as we waited. We sat on the other side of a rock wall which offered shade, talking some, but mostly exhausted.  Finally all our team shows up. BJ hand in hand with his girl friend again.  He looks to be in some pain but also very determined.  We have a mile to go and the plan is to walk until close to the finish line and then run it in.  BJ is holding walking pace at almost the same pace as a slow jog.  As we get closer he picks it up and starts running at a fairly fast pace. 

26.2 Miles- We, as a team, cross the finish line running.  Approx 7 hours 30 minutes out there in the sand.  We take lots of pictures, but we don't hang around for long.  Sam had been up for 30 or so hours by this point and needed to get home.  Overall, I felt good and it wasn't until I got to Josh's house that I realized the extent of my burn. I had totally missed my shoulders when we had applied sunscreen at the beginning of the race. 

Today is Tuesday and looking back at this whole thing.  I just feel so grateful for my friends that helped me through this and basically held my hand through accomplishing my goal.  I am acutely aware of how little time I have with them, before we graduate.  I am so proud of what we accomplished even though I wasn't able to run all 26.2 miles.  Bataan was a very hard course and I think for what it was we did great.  I look forward to finding the motivation with in myself to do a few solo marathons.  Its really hard for me to keep the determination when I am doing something solely for myself.  When nobody will know what I have done but me.  Nobody to impress, nobody to be encouraged by except for myself. 

I will, however, hopefully always remember my first marathon and the great people who were beside me.  Thank you to Sam, Josh, Johnny, BJ and his girlfriend (sorry I forgot your name ).