I don't even know where to begin when I discuss the race. I'll start with the beginning: The night prior I was so worried I wouldn't get a wink of sleep. I was fortunate enough to have a place to stay in the city - with Courtney and Dave. After I picked up my bib # from the expo I went back to their apartment and set up shop on their couch. As I was laying all my stuff out for race day Courtney says, "Oh my gosh I can't believe you're actually doing this." She said exactly what I was afraid to say. But here we go, was all I could think - I've come too far to quit now. I was laying down by 9PM and needless to say - I passed out. I slept so well.
5AM alarm goes off, and I'm feeling very rested. Let's do this. Right before I leave to meet up with the Naperville Running Company at the Hilton on Michigan Ave., Courtney tells me she has a surprise for me. She hands me a stack of homemade cards from her 7th grade students. She said, "I told my class you were running in your first marathon and they asked if they could make you cards." Tears came to my eyes immediately. My students in Olney didn't even really say anything to me before the race - and here perfect strangers were wishing me luck. Talk about a wonderful friend.
Me with my cards - ready to go to the Hilton!
Cards in hand, I got in a taxi and headed to the Hilton. I met up with the Naperville Running Company in the basement of the Hilton. So good to see those faces again. Everyone was so excited/nervous. My running buddy Anne was silent almost the entire time and it made me realize what we were about to do. I on the other hand was nervous talking like crazy. I sat and read my cards from Courtney's class and they had me laughing and crying. It was the first time I realized I could do this. After about 6 trips to the bathroom we were ready to walk to the start line.
The sun was already out as we made our way to the start line. This made me nervous - I knew how hot it was supposed to be on 10.10.10. I watched that 10 day forecast like a hawk all week and I saw the high keep creeping higher and higher as I checked daily. Either way- I knew I didn't have control over the weather so I wasn't going to complain. Anne (a phenomenal woman) from my running group and I decided we would start off the race together. We knew we'd probably get separated, but it was good idea to pace each other from the beginning.
Start line. U2's "Beautiful Day" playing over the speakers. Chills. I thought I would be a ball of nerves at this point. Instead, I was the calmest I've ever been before a race. I think this was due to the fact that I wasn't trying to reach some spectacular goal - my goal was to finish - with a smile on my face. No matter what - this was my PR - thanks Natalie! The race begins and it took us about 15 minutes just to cross the start line. Not as bad as I thought. Anne and I are running well - she was pushing me at this point, and I was a bit nervous of starting out too fast (a common mishap of mine) and I kept backing off. For the first 5 miles or so I was consumed by the fact that I wanted to stop and pee. I decided it was all in my head and I was not stopping (and I never had to the entire race!).
Anne and I were doing a lot of catching up for the first few miles - heck I haven't run with the group in weeks - so it was a great distraction. Mile 4 is when I saw my mom, Bob, and my sister (who flew in all the way from Seattle). They totally surprised me and had signs. I was so relaxed and in mid-conversation I almost missed them. I was so shocked to see them I didn't even get a chance to read my signs. Mile 10 is where I saw them all again and got to read my signs. This time I had a huge grin on my face. Also at mile 10 Courtney and Dave had signs for me too. I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Having people there makes a world of difference - adrenaline just keeps pumping.
Mile 13.5 I knew my dad would be waiting for me. I kept looking at the mile markers because I knew he was coming up. This is such a huge deal to me because I've never been outside of a hospital or nursing home with him in 4 years. I saw his wheelchair and I began running hard. I was so excited. I ran right up to him, gave him a HUGE hug and told him how good it was to see him. I knew I still had half the race to run, but this gave me some serious motivation. I'm still shocked I wasn't crying my eyes out. I felt tears welling up, but I think I was sweating pretty hard at this point that my body was reserving any and all fluids. (Now I know a surefire way to not even be able to cry - <3 the world's biggest crier).
Before I saw my dad, I heard a race official say the heat advisory was bumped to yellow. Green, yellow, red, and black (black=race shutdown). We weren't even halfway through the race and I was getting nervous. Luckily right before the race, I put my Nike hat (that I NEVER trained with) on my fuel belt and it was such a saving grace. The sun was brutal. I kept Caroline's advice that you want to stay "happy" during the race, so you keep hydrating before it's too late - I jogged through most of the water/Gatorade stations and kept sipping fluids. Weather I could not control. Hydration I could.
Mile 19 - so, so hot. Anne told me she was going to walk. We had run the entire way together - way longer than I had expected, and she said she was going to walk. She had been pushing me for the entire first half of the race, and now I had began to push us. I didn't want to walk - for fear I wouldn't run the rest of the race ;) so she told me to go on. So that's what I did. I knew I needed some major crowd support at this time, because even though Anne and I weren't talking much at this point - just having her there was huge. I ran right along the crowds just to hear my name called. All of the sudden after about a mile of running "alone" - she caught back up with me. I was so, so happy to see her. She did this about 3 more times through the end of the race. I was ecstatic every time she was right by my side again. At one point I saw a sign that said "Calm and strong" that became my mantra through the rest of the race. I kept commenting on how strong she looked. I needed to hear this for myself too. It's amazing how you hear the word "strong" and you begin to feel it.
Mile 20 or 21. Saw Courtney and Dave - huge grin and laughs on my face - they were so awesome throughout the race. I'm pretty sure I yelled something inappropriate to them.
Mile 21. Hot. Sunny. Less crowd support. Tired. Pain. I remember thinking - I can't do this. Anne and I were not saying a word. My ankle was hurting so bad (new injury). More people were walking than running. Someone in the crowd then shouts "You're almost done". Anyone that runs long distances knows this is not true - and that is the last thing you want to hear. Even if I would have had just 1 more mile to run, that was the LAST thing I wanted to hear. I had about 5 more miles to go - you may as well have told me I had 100. This entire time I had a secret goal of trying to run the race in 4 hours and 30 minutes. As I looked at my watch, I knew that wasn't going to happen anymore. I saw a temperature sign read 90 degrees. Excuses, excuses I know. Another secret goal I was hanging onto was this: Run the entire race, without stopping to walk. In February, when I signed up for the race, I was talking to a certain someone and when I told him this goal, he doubted me and said "You will have walk during the race, and that's fine." Well now at mile 21 I realized I had never stopped - not even through water stations. I made this my new goal.
Mile 23. WALL. The infamous wall. Everyone talks about hitting it, and I don't know what made me think I wouldn't hit it but I wasn't worried about it. Well, I hit it. My thoughts started becoming delirious. I kept hydrating, but I could tell I was about to lose it. I'm a fainter by nature (hello groin injury), so I was getting nervous this would be my fate - being in a medical tent. I kept looking up, praying. "I need Your help - I need Your strength to get me through this." All of the sudden, I realized it. I was hungry! I hadn't had a Gu in over 10 miles. I grabbed a Gu, took it slowly and felt wonderful for the last few miles. (Well as good as you can feel after running for 20+ miles.)
The last hill, not as bad as I had heard. After the hill, and the heat - you see the finish line. Emotion was welling up inside me unlike any other. I had Anne with me the whole way. I never stopped running. I was going to see my family. I was excited. 4 hours, 48 minutes, 59 seconds. I finish. I am ecstatic. Ran the entire way - goal accomplished.
After Anne and I get our 312 beer, take photos, grab food. We head to our families. Walking like turtles, I cannot help but have a huge grin on my face. I see my family. Tears. This time full-blown crying (you were worried I wasn't going to cry, huh?) I give my mom a huge hug and I'm crying and all I mutter was "I'm so tired." My mom starts crying. Lindsay starts crying, and word is Bob almost started. You have no idea how humbling it is knowing your family and friends came all that way to see you, only for a few seconds at a time. It was a hot day, and they stood and watched me just to see me run past them. I tear up just writing about it. Blessed doesn't even begin to describe.
The pain didn't matter anymore, and I can honestly say that was the biggest feeling of accomplishment I've had up to date. (Stay tuned for a post about what I've learned about myself and the human sprit soon).
