My Second Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon Experience

 

OKLAHOMA CITY — The 10th Annual Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is in the history books and for me my second half marathon finish is recorded.

  Yes, fans and followers, I finished the half marathon in 3 hours and 32 minutes, 13 minutes better than my first marathon in 2008, proving that you can improve with age. 

To read about my first experience click here.

  The purpose of the event is to remember the 168 victims of the Oklahoma City bombing that took place April 19, 1995.

  On that day Timothy McVeigh parked a Ryder moving truck loaded with explosives in front of the Murrah Building.

  The result was the worst terror attack on U.S. soil at that time.

  McVeigh would later be arrested by then Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper Charlie Hanger. 

  Five years after the bombing the marathon was born. The event has grown every year and this year a record breaking 22,000 people took part.

  The marathon day begins with runners and walkers gathering in downtown Oklahoma City and lining up according to how fast their mile pace is.

  My friend and I chose the one mile every 11 minutes pace. Sadly that is not where we finished.

  At any rate the gun sounds and thousands of people take off. It took us 10 minutes just to get to the starting line. Once there, we were off, only to have to make a potty stop first thing which I have no doubt added 7 minutes to our time.

  Once past the potty stop we were on our way. I was determined to beat my 2008 finish time of 3 hours and 45 minutes.

  As for my friend, she is a few months younger and lighter than me and she did the race in 3 hours and 8 minutes last year so I knew it would not be a problem for her.

  We made our way along the course, tackling the bridges and steep hills.

  My improved attitude was making a difference this year and the fact that I was not carrying a heavy digital camera.

  I thought I was cruising along pretty good, so my friend decided to clock us. As it turned out we were averaging a mile every 14-16 minutes.

  This was disappointing, I wanted a mile every 11 minutes. So I attempted to pick up the pace, I felt like my feet and legs were going faster, but for some reason her phone clock always said different.

  I finally decided her phone lies and I wanted no more of the updates, then it seemed no matter how fast I thought we were going, these people demonstrating what I call slow jogging would pass by.

  How can this be? I'm moving my feet, legs, arms at what seems like 100 mph, and they are barely trotting by. I quickly made a mental note to research the art of slow jogging and add it to my repertoire.

  I finally grabbed for the Enlyten strips. I took one energy and two electrolyte strips and continued on.

  We made it up Gorilla Hill, which is a steep incline. The residents have a huge gorilla balloon figure on the hill, some even have on gorilla mask and they offer you bananas. If you can do Gorilla Hill you can do this event.

  After a few more miles I was nearing the end of my energy reserves, I was too tired to even take another step.

  Near the 10 mile marker, one neighborhood greeted the runners with what I refer to as funeral music.

  For me and I'm sure many others, music such as AC/DC can give you a spark, but this music made the desire to lay down and go to sleep even stronger.

  Finally I reached the point where my ears no longer picked up the sound waves of the sleepy music.

  Now the fight with my feet got under way. Meanwhile my friend was still bouncing around like the Energizer bunny, not allowing any of her aches and pains to phase her.

  Finally the finish line was in reach, and I decided I had to make a run for it. I wanted to better my time, end the foot pain and get to the food.

  I took off running, passed several people and left my friend cheering in the dust, but I couldn't do it. My lungs, feet and other body parts demanded I stop the run and walk just yards from the finish line.

  So moments later I hear loud non-stop yelling pass me by, it was my Energizer bunny friend sprinting by me to the finish. I reminded myself she is lighter, (by 10 pounds) and younger, (only by 6 months) and that at least I'm finishing. Then a lady that appeared to be twice my age passed by me and was heading toward the finish.

  I dug down and and found my last energy boost and passed her and a few others and crossed the line 32 seconds behind my friend.

  It was an improvement over the first time but not as good as I wanted but I did it and once again the memories of the bombing victims were marked.