Paris Marathon

Before race.

I have never been this scared in my life. I haven't trained for this race most I have ever run on the streets is 13 miles 3 weeks ago for the Mercer half marathon.
I have not slept in four days. On the plane a teammate sitting next to me said "have you ever ran a marathon before?" I am like “no. you?” She said in Japan she WON the Sasayama marathon. At that moment my fear jumped even higher. I think I can say I am only that wants the plane to be hijacked. Not from a terrorist but a cute little old Irish man who temporally lost perspective when he needs to be home because his wife is at the hospital just to have their first child. A little baby girl. The type of story we would all be clapping for him when we land on the street by the hospital but then it would make it too late for us to make the marathon.

Once we got to the hotel my roommate Lyle was unpacking and she said "have you ever ran a marathon before?" "No. You?” “This will be my 46th.” Now I wish I would have jumped from the plane. God. I took three xanax it 20 hour span, not one helped. I have not slept in 4 days.

Afraid to talk about it because it seems to summon negativity. I wasn't fishing for affirmation but I sure as hell was asking for anybody bad beat stories. But they came flooding in and who is the guy about the mile 18 but no offense but before the race, I couldn’t stop help thinking I am going to go thru some kind of vortex and it’s going to be this hell. I do think one foot in front of the other Purcell was perfect. And another friends, “you have the mental strength.” So I summoned all the gods to bless me on this very day for the Lukemia foundation and anyone that has been touched my cancer.

Race day. 35 thousand plus racers

I got all excited –and with my deepest voice yelled “Bring on the pain” then I realized Pain in French is Bread. I just yelled bring on the bread. So I yelled one more time “Bring on the Hurt” started jumping and down. Someone says that is my karaokee voice (you know who you are) Endorphins kicked way up. At that point I had no fear I wouldn’t finish. My coach is like “she is back” and I was jumping up and down. Roaring.

They started running out of water, and one mentor was cutting back saying keep this speed to keep water. I was well stocked, three bottles, with new in my belt, four gu’s, two hammer gels. I would take water on the course and also drop my tablets in the bottles.

It was 86 degrees and I was had two bottles of nuun I was handing out little tablets to teammate before the races, refusing people saying no I have water. Some graciously took it. None of them had used them before.

It was out of Dean Koontz novel watching people get water. They also ran out of water for the people very end.

Also when I ran under the 32K banner, I was like sweet! 10 K left. And I heard for most people that was the hard part knowing they had six miles lefts. Or they would say the six miles were there toughest, me, knowing I had that only that amount left was the easiest. I think the small adventure races I have done have given me training, because you don’t know when you are going to end. Knowing there was an end in sight was glorious.

The only sad thing was the last six miles I saw a few deaths. CPR. A man on life support and one on our teammates in ambulance after the race. 200 people throwing up and many on the ground with space blankets waiting for ambulances.

I took it slow. I did pee blood from a kidney infection half the course and am on antibiotics. I tried holding pee-ing for and hour and half before the race. No bathrooms. Team didn’t want me to leave out of line. Then I ran 45 minutes before I could pee. That was the worse of it.

The close down the marathon after 540 but they left it open until 6:11. Me watching anyone coming in afer 5 to 611 looked like a death march. I heard this is abnormal. Because kona is even hotter and less sick racers.


This is not my best report and will be edit with better details. Exhausted and bought small wi fi time.

However as teammates came in they were praising me on the nuun. I was like a god. I am either insecure or a god. Notice? The carnage on the last six miles of the course was lack of water and electrolytes. Very unsupported race and they weren’t expecting the heat and VERY unsupported race. Except spectators. It was like a parade. We were the parade. A little French girl with a cute little accent yelled right at me “I believe in you” I cried so many times for happiness and sadness when people were down. I also need to write about Austri, the most amazing girl I have ever met and I ended up running with her. AMAZING.

A woman Elise I met on our team said at mile 17 she decided to quit. She had an empty water bottle. A fireman filled it up (lucky her, eh?) and then he said “your freckles have no more color maybe you should stop.” Then she said she remembered the nuun – and put it in. She swears it changed her life. She got up and finished the race. I have no reason to pump up nuun…no sponsors, I am pumped about the fact she loved me for it and my status was raised by my teammates. NUUN –GOD SEND!


This is what you look like when finish a race is Paris. Ok truth, this is what you look like when you won’t take your medal off. All waiters “did you win?” “oui” really? No. I heard another girl say (because I wasn’t dressed American –wearing like four inch heals, jeans and lingerie shirt –when in Paris (I was taller than all the men I walked by) and sitting with a couple who I met who kept speaking French to the waiters –so these American’s said, “I bet she has to keep that on” HA.

I have some of the most amazing photos in the world through the course.

This will be edited with more fun events and better grammar, just wanted a post a thanks to all my friends who I race with and send out love to all that supported me emotionally or donated. I will send the link of the running pictures. Ran the entire city of Paris.. Amazing.. oh and it was not 26.2 miles. I am in Paris. It was a 43K. My next goal is a 50K trail run. But that I will train for.