2 Fat to Fit Chicks: October 2012

Hello Folks,

I know it's been a while, my apologies. I have been busy training for the marathon and coaching soccer and working and trying to live. You know how that can get.

For those 5 of you who read this blog, you already know that I have been training to run my first marathon. I actually ran it two Sunday's ago (10/14/12). I ran the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. There were over 25,000 people running in the marathon/half marathon and it is one of the largest organized runs in the country. It was definitely the most intense experience of my life. It has taken me a week to digest my feelings about this huge accomplishment in my life and I feel it is only appropriate to break down my feelings to you folks as they came.

The Marathon Itself

I'ts about to get real honest up in this blog! Truth: Crystal ate like a baby hefer on the Friday before the run and in turn had "the runs" and they were not the business. DO NOT PIG OUT before running 26.2 miles, your body will not know what to do with all of the greasy food and will try to get rid of it as quick as it can. Sitting on the toilet while sightseeing in San Francisco is NOT the business!

With that being said, I started the run having to use the restroom and held it until mile 8 because I wanted to make my goal of completing in under 5 hours and the lines for the porta potti's were ridiculously long! Yeah, you can imagine how uncomfortable my first 8 miles were. Needless to say I was running at a decent pace. I made sure to hydrate at each aide station and I was eating sport beans every 4 miles.

At mile 11 I saw my family cheering me on, it sent a huge surge of energy through me and I had some of my fastest mile times after seeing them. Miles 11-16 were all in under 10 minutes and closer to 9:30. I don't know how I would have done it without their support! Thank you Adrianna, Christina, and Terri! I love you guys very much and it meant the world to me that you came to support me!!!

Mile 20: AKA: THE WALL - At mile 20 I hit a wall. I was both physically and emotionally exhausted. I didn't want to run anymore and I didn't know how I was going to finish off the last 6 miles. I had to yell at myself and give myself multiple pep talks just to keep up the run/walk. My phone died and with that so did my music. So it was just me and my aching body slowly chugging along like the Little Engine That Could.

Last Mile, Home Stretch: Somehow I found the strength to run the last mile. Don't ask me how but I did it! Seeing my family at the finish line was so wonderful because I knew I had done it! When crossing the finish line I was greeted by a hot fireman holding my Tiffany necklace, life couldn't have been any better at that moment.

When I finally crossed the finish line and was reunited with my family, I got the sudden urge to cry. I was so relieved that I actually completed the marathon and that I made it in my goal time. I wanted to cry because my body was aching and I was exhausted and didn't know if it was worse to sit, walk, or stand. I wanted to cry because I never thought I could run a marathon. And finally, I wanted to cry because I was the fat girl who couldn't jog more than a block and now I was a mean running machine! As much as I wanted to cry, I held in the tears, I was afraid once I started I would never stop! I finished the race in 4:57:39 and I came in 497 out of 1059. Not bad for my first marathon EVER!!!

Immediately After the Marathon

Right after the marathon and the next few days to come I was absolutely done with running. I wanted nothing to do with it! I was exhausted, my muscles ached, and I was very nauseous. I kept telling people I would never run another marathon again! And I didn't even want to think about doing another organized run. I had crossed that off my bucket list and I never wanted to think about it again! EVER!!!

After One Week

Now that I have had some time to process everything, I have a different outlook on the marathon. I still don't know if I will ever run another marathon again, but I don't hate the thought of running like I used to. I am extremely proud of myself for having accomplished this. It is not something that many people can say they have done in their life. And to me, this holds a very special place in my heart because when I was Fat Crystal I hated so much about myself, I doubted myself so much, and I never believed in myself. I was my own worst enemy and I was my biggest critic. And now, I am my biggest fan; I can pump myself up so much and running this marathon only confirms what I already knew, which is that I can do anything that I set my mind to. Just thinking about this statement makes me want to cry tears of joy because I am so proud of everything that I have accomplished. At one point in my life I was in such a dark place that I struggled to find a reason to live, and now I don't even know who that person was. I am the happiest I have ever been in my life, I work hard, I have many goals, and I can't wait to accomplish them all!

I wanted to share my experience with the blog world because I would like to let anyone who has ever doubted their abilities that they can do anything that they set their mind to. I used to be an almost 300 pound girl who couldn't even imagine the life that she has today and now I am a true believer! A believer in life, a believer in love, and a believer in the power of one's determination.

We are all capable of making miracles happen! Let's not forget that!