But there was no real invasion of little green men. Actually, it was the 2011 Martian Marathon. The race was sponsored by Running Fit and offered a marathon, a half-marathon, a 10K and a 5K. I participated and attempted my first 10K race.
Wait. Did you catch that? A 10K. That’s ten kilometers. Six point two miles of road. And I ran the entire distance. Now that was an experience.
I have been training for a little while, but am still relatively new to the sport of running. Six months ago, I couldn’t run six blocks, let alone six miles. But after months of work, I managed to attempt the seemingly impossible feat.
Several of my friends participated in the race too. Luckily, I had a good friend, who runs almost the same pace as me, to run beside. We actually kept each other company for the first four-and-a-half miles. Then she lost me. A bit faster than me, she pulled ahead just before we approached the five-mile marker. Although I kept her in my sight, I had to run that last almost mile -and-a-half on my own. I was averaging a ten-and-a-half minute-mile pace, which was much faster than I normally run.
I was by myself. Running this race on my own now. I had no running partner anymore. I had no one to keep my pace with. It was hard. You see, going into this race, even in my training, I’ve only run more than five miles twice in my life. So this final mile was tough for me. Not only was I tired, out of breath, and pushing my body to its limits, but I really did feel alone out there. I just knew I had to finish. I knew I could do it. I knew the end was near… but boy. I just. Wanted. To stop. Running.
As I approached the final hill (yes, there was a blasted hill in the last half-mile of the race…what moron planned that?) it was then that I realized I wasn’t really alone. I remembered something my sister-in-law told me. She is one of my running heroes. Strong, determined and FAST, she is a vat of running knowledge. She told me this the day before the race:
“Remember, this race is the celebration of all your hard work and now that you’ve done a few races… here’s my secret. Strength comes from relaxed arms, pulling back and forth when your legs get tired. The harder you drive your arms at the end, the quicker your legs will turn over. In order to keep your upper body relaxed, think about holding butterflies in your hands…”
As I came barreling up to that final hill and I saw my friend running farther ahead of me, those words came spilling back into my mind. I concentrated on pulling my arms back and forth and I focused all of my energy and sent a mental whisper and prayer out into the air, willing my sister-in-law to send me some of those butterflies to carry me over that hill, instead of just having a few fluttering in my palms. And you know what? She did. I suddenly felt lighter, faster and stronger. It was as if a million butterflies had lifted me, just an inch off the ground, and carried me up that hill. I was so amazed and in awe of the sudden feeling of weightlessness that I must have lost concentration, because I suddenly came thudding back down to the hard concrete once I came over the peak and sadly, my few seconds of flight were over. It was all on me again. I was irritated that my butterflies had flown away from me, but quickly realized that without her words of encouragement to get me, literally, over the hill, I could have easily sputtered out to slow walk as I pushed my tired body onward. Instead, I embraced the small gift of energy she gave me and I thought, “I’ve almost done it. I’m almost there. In less than six minutes, I’ll be crossing that finish line. I can run for just six minutes more.” Six minutes was nothing, compared to how long I had already been running. Just a little farther, and I’ll have completed the longest, fastest run of my life. I. Can. Do. This.
I saw my friend about a block in front of me. I knew I wouldn’t close the distance, but knowing that I held on and didn’t let her slip completely out of sight was reassuring. I could see the finish line now. I pumped my arms. Back and forth, back and forth. All the sounds of the cheering crowd dissolved into a muffled hum in the air. All I could hear was the heavy sound of my breath and the falls of my feet on the pavement. All I could feel were my arms pumping…back and forth, back and forth. Somehow, my legs knew what to do. They hurt. Every nerve running down them felt electrified. I was almost there. It was time to kick it up…time to reach inside the tank give it everything I had left. I slowly ramped up my speed, taking care not to push too soon, because I knew my body would shut down, like a car sputtering out of gas if I pushed too hard for too long. Faster and faster I pushed my elbows back, making each stride longer, faster, closer to the finish line. I crossed the line and suddenly my ears opened up. I heard the noise of the crowd, the cheers of my friends, and the cheers for other runners finishing their race.
I stopped running.
I could breathe.
And then…I was filled with contentment and an overwhelming sense of triumph. I finished my first 10K – the longest distance I’ve ever run – with my fastest time: sixty-five minutes and 28 seconds. That time didn’t even place me in the top half of all the runners competing that day, but it gave me a first-place finish in my mind. It gave me new respect for myself and what a person can achieve if they put their mind to it. It also made me thankful of all the support I had to get me there. My brilliant trainer, who’s been my running partner since I started running in October; my friend, who ran with me during this race; my sister-in-law, who gave me words of wisdom and encouragement and who carried me over that last tough hill; my other friends who finished their race and cheered for me as I crossed the finish line….they all played a part in my success that day.
Sometimes, when we think we are running up that hill all alone, we have more people with us than we know. It’s up to us to open our minds, feel them, listen to them, and use their strength to get us through the rough spots. Don’t be afraid to lean on the people who care for you. Don’t be afraid to call out to them when you need it, and don’t be afraid to listen to them. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to accept their help. When you need it most, they’ll send their butterflies to carry you over the hill.
The martians came. They laid out their challenge. I took that challenge. I leaned on my friends.
And then I kicked those martians the hell outta my way.