ANGELA SIEGFRIED

Motorola Austin Marathon 2000

Well, I had been wanting to run a marathon for several years. I didn't realize this until I was leafing through some old stuff from high school and found an application for the 1995 motorola marathon. It was all filled out in my high school handwriting, but it had never gotten sent. I then decided, no matter what, I was going to run a marathon, the 2000 motorola marathon in fact.

Being slightly lazy in nature (just ask Reid, my awesome inspiring running partner!) I realized that just making the goal wouldn't be enough, so I went out and told everyone I knew what I was going to do so that I couldn't chicken out and back down this time!

Anyway, I was really really nervous day of and pretty much the whole week leading up to the big day but once the buzzer thingy went off, I was really ready! Of course, it took awhile of standing there before the crowds began to go forth a bit, but it was okay b/c I knew I had to go really slow. I started out amazingly slow and stopped at the first few water stops and walked while drinking a whole cup full of power aid or water or whatever they gave me. My original goal was to stop at every other station, however, I was never able to skip any, for the whole marathon! They were just too tempting! However, those little breaks I think, in retrospect, are what made me feel okay to continue on!

I had lots of great cheerleaders, family and friends, and amazing Karthik who knew exactly what to say, b/c he had been there! I had a horrible fear of hitting this mystical magical "wall" that I had been hearing about the past 6 months, but it never really came. Sure, discouragement came, but wall, never. Perhaps this is b/c I was running really slow. There was a strong part of me that so badly wanted to be competitive and see how good of a time I could come up with, yet, when I thought it out, I realized that never again would I get another chance at having my "first" marathon. So, finishing was the goal and to have a good time!

The closest I came to a wall was really more of an emotional thing as opposed to a mental thing, if that makes sense. I realize most of the team doesn't know this about me, and it is weird to tell, but it is very relevant to my story. As I was around mile 19 or so I started to get really really emotional. You see, a couple of years ago, my son, still an infant, passed away. I began to think about him and about how I needed to be strong and finish it for him, since he could not finish his life here with me, which I am sure probably makes little or not sense but, well, all the same, I started to cry and I was hoping the crowds weren't noticing, which they weren't, however, I was starting to feel all my pain and all my sorrow, and any agony (physical, emotional, whatever) I could feel, in fact, whenever I saw crowds that weren't cheering and that were just standing there watching me, seeing that I needed cheering, and I felt angry and bitter towards them; I was like "hello? why are you people even here, why are you staring at me like I am a freak of nature? Why don't you come out and try running 20 miles!" I was really losing it, (obviously) the runners high had gone a little too high, (two other ways to feel like this: going a LONG time without sleep, and becoming intoxicated.. so I've heard), and then... Marsha came along!

Oh man, I cannot tell you what that was like.... I swear I think she probably had a halo! She ran with me for several miles and said really encouraging things and probably has no idea how much she did for me! Anyway, I was thankful I had brought my ibuprofen as my quadriceps were not wanting to continue forth by mile 22. I really am not sure I could have finished without it! My mother ran up that last hill at Riverside with me, cheering for me the whole time! What a wonderful mom! I think she wants to try the whole thing next year! I think maybe Josh might too! (although I would really miss my favorite cheerleader!)

All in all, it was a wonderful race; crossing the finish line was one of the most wonderful feelings in the whole world. It made me realize that once you set my mind towards something, nothing can conquer the human spirit!

Thanks to the whole TMTT who made this possible. I am joining AustinFit next year! I seriously cannot WAIT until my next marathon! What a blast!!

"The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running."