"It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great".

These were the words from the League of Their Own that Aleksandar had for me as I poured my heart over the phone to him about all the misfortunes that had happened to me during my Olympic marathon. Here is a quick re-cap.

Last night my stomach was upset, but I figured it's just nerves. I took some Peptobismol and went to sleep, hoping it will sort itself out. In the morning I woke up at 4:30 and went over my pre-race routine. I caught a shuttle and got to the start at 6:30. There were all the great runners there-Dena Kastor, Paula Radcliff, Catherine Ndereba, and I had a chance to say hello to Maria Portilla who has run the Salt Lake City maathon and Liza Hunter-Gullivan from New Zealand whom I had met in Minnesotta earlier this year. The start was magic though there were no spectators. The first kilometer I stayed with the group because, suprisingly, they ran slower than the pace I wanted to run (about 3:50). Then I ended up holding back as the group started moving forward. I ran side by side with a woman from Costa Rica-we agreed to take turns running into the wind so the other could hide behind.

At 10k I saw Aleksandar and his dad, which was great. With the security as was in place I did not think I was going to be able to hear or see them. The pace started feeling too slow (I was only running about 3:52s with the girl from Costa Rica) so I just tried to push harder and she dissapeared. My stomach started feeling all upset and I had to stop in the bushes (thanks Sasha for the great "pit stop" tips) at 18k and then in a road side porto potty at 22k. I lost time and had to make up the distance on all the runners I had passed before I had to stop (between the two stops it was about two minutes . However, I was feeling strong and found myself picking the pace up with each kilometer. At kilometer 29 (about 18-19 miles) my calves started cramping up. I was suprised because I drank at every station and had two gels. I remembered I had two ADVILS taped to my bottle at the 30k mark so I took them with water and gel. I was able to go stronger or at least not slow down to the 35k mark. The walking coach, Juraj Bencik gave me my last bottle, yelling out I was in the 59t place. I focused on the runner ahead of me and told myself I had to get to her by 36k and then to the runner ahead of her by kilometer 37. I did.

At kilometer 38 I started feeling my legs, especially my hamstrings getting really tense. I was suprised because I did not feel like I ran out of glycogen or anything like that (I was really really good about my drinks-like my friend Carre in the trials, I hang on to my bottle longer than anyone else....). Suddenly, at kilometer 39, my hamstrig just seized up in the worst cramp I had in my whole life. I screamed and stopped and kept on screaming and holding the huge lump in the middle of my muscle-I thought it tore - it was excruciating pain. I thought my Olympics were over for sure, but at that time I almost did not care- I was just freaking out because I had no idea what was happening with my body. Within a few seconds the medics were there (I was so lucky they were not far from me). One of them was holding me, the other was massaging me, and the third was stretching my foot. After about two minutes I was able to start walking and shortly after that I started running. The crowds cheered and I remember telling myself-"OK, the worst is over, you have three kilometers to go, you can do this, you can finish, you don't have to fail".

I was able to get back into an ok pace (no more running 3:45 pace-I think I was just too scared it would seize up again), but I was running at least a 4 minute pace. My breathing was easy and I wanted to go faster, but I just kept telling myself that the goal was only to finish at this point. Now, at 40.5 kilometers, with not even a mile to go to the finish line, the cramp came back. I went down immediately. I grabbed the big knot, seizing up and cramping with both of my hands. Tears of pain came to my eyes, but I knew what I had to do. I just needed to massage it out. Just do what the medics did a mile ago.

So there I was, completely pathetic, massaging my hamstring, looking jealously at the runners I had worked so hard to pass who were now zooming by me. They were paying back the words of encouragement I had for them whenI had passed them, but it did not make me feel any better. I looked to the stadium. It was right there. I was next to it, I saw the Olympic flame, only I did not know if I was going to make it inside of it. I pushed back the tears and thought to myself-if I have to sit here for half an hour until I massage this knot out, I will. After about tree minutes, I tried to get up and... SUCCESS! I was able to run again. I even tried to catch up with the last of the girls that passed me, but within half a mile, my muscles, especially the left hamstring was acting out again so I just let go of everything and everyone and just let the crowd in the stadium carry me to the finish line. At least that's how it felt.

I challenge anyone to provide a less flattering picture of themselves. Not exactly your typical finish line photo that media love. But I guess that's what them cramps do to you.... (I do hope I will have at least one other, less painfully looking photo from the race to keep).

In the finish, I went down again with pain, they massaged it out one last time and I walked off the race of my life. The day was perfect. The course was perfect. My race strategy was perfect. My body gave up on me, but, upset as I am right now, I think I will, with time, look back at this experience as perfect, too. I never had to overcome myself like this before. The time may not reflect my fitness and ability, but it is an official Olympic time and my name will not be mentioned in the Olympic statistics with a DQ next to it.

Thank you all for sitting by your TV screens, watching me, praying for me, wishing me success. I thought of you at different times throughout the race (ok, not between 11-22k when all I thought about was finding the porto potty :))). I cannot believe how lucky I am to have had so many good people behind me. Thank you!
Now, it's off to have some rest and I will write after our night at the track and field events tomorrow night (with Aleksandar).

Note 1:

Official results: http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/AT/C73K/ATW099101.shtml

P.S.: Novinari zo sportu spravu celkom dobre zhrnuli v Slovencine:

http://sport.aktuality.sk/oh-peking-2008/slovaci-v-pekingu/olympijsky-maraton-vyhrala-tomescuova-tomasova-bojovala-az-do-konca