2 Marathons in 3 Weeks!!

On November 16, 2008 I ran my second Marathon in 3 WEEKS!! My goal since 2007 has been two Marathons a year and I wasn’t going to let a spinal tumor get in my way. In July I started the 4 month training program, back then I was having more pain than I wanted to admit to. The first few weeks of training was very hard, there where times I wondered if I would be able to run 26.2 once let alone twice in 3 weeks. In July I kept telling myself, the pain was so much worse in March, I can do it. I never missed a training running, knowing it would only make me stronger. I am so glad I didn’t give up. I have said this before but…. PAIN IS ONLY TEMPORY…… THE GORLY OF RUNNING TWO MARATHONS IN 3 WEEKS WILL LAST A LIFE TIME!!

This was a sign on I-10 on our way to the Marathon!

That morning I woke up and said a prayer asking God to give me the strength to get through the pain I was about to place upon myself. I felt the pain in the Marine Corps Marathon around mile 16. I had a plan in place, I was going to take Advil at mile 10 and I would put Advil Cream on my back before the race started. I knew the pain would get bad but I was ready for it.

My good friends Jennifer Smith ran this marathon with me it was her first. What an honor it is to run next to someone who is first-time marathon runner. I love seeing the emotions they go through as you run through the miles.

My dad got up, to take us the start line. You should have heard us in the car, I was clapping and all excited and Jenn was in the back telling us she was going to throw up. My dad got some good laughs out of us that morning. The traffic was really bad. It was getting close to 6:45am and we hadn’t moved much. I was starting to get worried we wouldn’t make to the start line by 7:30am. So, we did what any runner would do we jumped out of the car on the highway and walked almost a mile to the start line. We didn’t make it to the start line in time because we where in the line for the bathroom. Once, we got the start line we jump in and realized we were with the half marathon runners. Which made it very hard to pass people, we where running as thick as it can get with people. We spent the whole first half of the race passing people, in the long run it hurt our time but we had fun and that’s all that matters. We ran together until mile 18, you see mile 18 is where the marathon starts for me. I love running 8 miles. I have trained myself to pick up speed in the last 8 miles.



I told Jenn to put her iPod in both ears and run. I would see her at the next water station. I got set in my grove and realized I had past the next water station without stopping. So, I stopped at the next one at mile 22, once I stopped the pain set in, I couldn’t move my arms with out pain, every breath hurt. The pain was starting to get out control. I waited for her for good 5 or so minutes and then knew I had to keep moving or I wouldn’t finish. I slowed my pace knowing she was fast and would catch me. At mile 24 I was fighting tears, so I took more Advil and pushed through to the end!! Once, I got to mile 26 I could see a hill and thought WHERE IS THE FINISH LINE? I did what I trained to do I picked up my pace and ran like the wind up that hill and down the small stretch, to the finish line. I came across jumping up and down!! The pain was there but I didn’t care, I had just completed a goal that even I had wondered if I would be able to do! I RAN TWO MARATHONS IN 3 WEEKS, 8 months after having a tumor removed from my spine!! ALL I COULD SAY IS I DID IT!!

I found our families, and asked if Jenn had come across the finish line yet, they said no. I asked for the camera. I wasn’t going to let her First Marathon go without a picture of her crossing the finish line. I ran back to the finish line area, where I almost passed out because of the pain. A nice woman held my arm, asking me a hundred times if I was OK. I smiled and said YES! She was so kind to put some more pain cream on my scare which helped a ton. By, the time Jenn come across I was ready for her.

Her time WAS 4:44:04

This was my slowest marathon running it in 4:29:59 but I had a blast! I loved running with Jenn it was so much fun, we laughed a ton. She said it will be awhile before she will do another but I know she will and I will be there with her.

After 5 full marathons I am going to run my first half marathon in Dallas on December 14th! After that I am going to take some time off. My body will be so grateful!

Jenn and I after the Race!

Alana and I after the Race!!