Back in June of 2019 I had this great idea. I decided that if I signed up for a full marathon in January of 2020, it would help break me of my Nov/Dec habit of going into running hibernation due to the cold and general overall enjoyment of the holiday season. You see, I don’t like being cold so getting out to run in it proves to be a challenge, especially when I can stay inside and eat Christmas cookies and watch the Hallmark channel.

Turns out this great idea didn’t work out as planned. Luckily I ran a half marathon in mid December so I got one longish run in but typically you are supposed to do a 20 mile training run in preparation for a full marathon. I did have the option to drop down to the half marathon which probably would have been the safer choice but I decided this would be a test not only of my physical ability, but of my emotional bravery. Running is physical but I feel like it’s also very much about what’s between your ears.

I got to Baton Rouge the afternoon before the race. I headed over to the expo to pick up my packet. The city was very walkable and the weather was nice. After grabbing my packet I strolled along the riverfront. The water was beautiful and people were literally sitting on the steps eating crawfish.

I then headed back and met up with some friends in the 50 States Marathon Club. We went to this local restaurant called Bistro Byronz. Dinner was an exercise in patience as it lasted almost 3 hours, however my food was delicious. I had carrot soufflé which is something I had never heard of before and it was fantastic. I forgot to take a picture until I was already partially done with it. I wish I could eat it again.

After dinner I was ready to relax and get ready for the morning. I was very nervous and had a hard time falling asleep. The marathon offered a 26.2 minute mass at St. Joseph Cathedral prior to the race and I decided to attend so I got up early and headed there.

I’ve never been to a race that offered something like that before and I really enjoyed going. I figured some extra praying and a blessing was a good idea at this point.

After the service, I headed to the start line. I have no idea how many people ran the race but it seemed like a good-sized crowd. We got started pretty quickly and I began taking in the sights. I ran past Louisiana State University and Tiger Stadium.

The crowd support was pretty great. It especially helped when I got to that point where you can turn back to the finish line if you are a half marathoner or keep going for the full marathon. I always find that moment to be poignant. It’s a mental battle to know that you could choose to cut your distance in half, or you can continue on with the original plan. I kept on but started to feel the pain around mile 14. This guy kept passing me when I took walk breaks. He was doing a run/walk method where he ran for 2 minutes and then walked for 30 seconds. I made a comment to him about he looked to have so much energy so he told me about his plan, also known as the Jeff Galloway method. He suggested that I should try it and I figured why not. I had all kinds of time on my hands and 12 or so miles to go. I ended up running this way for the entire rest of the race. It took the thinking out of the process. As an added bonus I ended up finishing with my second fastest marathon time to date. So thank you to John, the guy who helped me out for the back half of the race and let me tag along with him until the end.

The finish line festival was pretty impressive. There were so many food and drink options. I was most excited about the Jimmy John’s sandwiches. Even though they had much more decadent options, I prefer something more mild after running. I quickly grabbed food, walked back to the hotel and showered, and then headed to the airport. All in all I was there for around 24 hours. A quick, but really great trip.

Do I recommend running a marathon without doing the long runs? No. But I did it anyways and I’m proud of my effort. Running a marathon is hard regardless of your preparation but I’m hoping to be better conditioned in the future. Overall I enjoyed this race quite a bit, both for the experience I had and the experience it provided.

Next up…I don’t currently have another new state planned until May (although that could change at any point…all it takes is a really cool medal or a flight sale). I’m doing another full marathon in March but it’s a place I’ve been before and the goal of that one is to support my sister in her first marathon ever. I’m so excited for her to experience what it’s like to cross that finish line.