Wednesday, October 30, 2013

I run for...the thrill of the race.

You've probably noticed that it has been awhile since my last blog post. To be truthful, I have been feeling superstitious. As if talking about my marathon too much would jinx me, destine me for injury or illness. Yes, I am still planning to run a marathon. I have been preparing for this since May. I AM READY! Countdown is 9 days!

So I thought I would talk a little bit tonight about the thrill of the race. When I first started running, racing was never something that entered my mind. Running was for me and me only. I needed that time alone on the road. My only competitor was my former self. Then I got the crazy idea to run a marathon. It probably would have been a good idea to run a few small races throughout the course of my training but I didn't do that. And so, marathon day, October 21, 2012, was my first race. Since that time I have run two more races - the UMCH Turkey Trot 5K and the Go! St. Louis Half-Marathon.

My running is still just for me. I love doing it and it keeps me mentally and physically fit. However, I have fallen in love with the thrill of the race. There is just something about race day that is so magical. Take for instance my first marathon experience...

The whole morning I was a bundle of nerves. I ritualistically followed my morning run prep and then tried to psych myself up mentally. I had no idea what to expect. My husband and I stayed in a hotel only a couple blocks away from the start line so we walked to where I needed to be. As I walked, runners were coming out of the woodwork from every direction. My anxiety was quickly replaced by utter excitement. It's hard to NOT feel like part of an amazing community when you are surrounded by so many wonderful runners.

I lined up in my corral still feeling unsure about what the next 26.2 miles would hold for me. Waiting for the race to start I tried to move around (as much as my little 2x2 foot space would allow) to stay stretched and warmed up. When the race began, everyone cheered. The wave start meant that I had to wait another 10-15 minutes. As we moved closer and closer to the starting line, it became more real than ever that I was really doing this.

I will NEVER forget this experience. Along my first 26.2 mile journey, I remember the two African American women that I stuck by in the beginning. They had on bright purple tutus so they were easy to spot. I remember each band (a feature of the Rock N' Roll series), each water stop, each cheer squad, each person on the sidelines with an encouraging sign. I remember the individuals giving out beer! To which I politely declined. I remember the individuals giving out popsicles! Hallelujah! I remember coming up on mile 13 and seeing my precious baby boy (and my husband, my mom, and my little sister) on the sidelines cheering for me. That image stayed in my mind and provided me with the motivation to finish the last half of the race. I remember miles 17-21 in Forest Park that were especially hard because my right knee blew out. But I remember the very supportive and encouraging woman at the medical tent that gave me ibuprofen and tips for how I could continue. And I remember the wonderful old man that stopped to walk with me when my knee hurt because his knee hurt too. I remember being so close to the finish line at mile 24 and feeling like I wanted to give up and feeling HOT. But I also remember a nice gentleman at that last water stop that obliged when I asked him to pour a cup of ice water over my head. Then I remember him saying "You've got this. Only 2.2 miles left." And guess what. Those last 2.2 miles were somehow the fastest miles that I ran that day. Ironically, I don't remember much about the finish line. Apparently, there was a nice announcer lady that tried to high five me down the chute. I unknowingly dissed her. And I don't remember seeing my family on the sidelines at the finish line either. But I will NEVER forget the feeling of finally being able to say "I did it. I ran a marathon". Despite the exhaustion and the pain, I loved every minute of it. That is also why I ultimately decided to run another marathon. To say "I did it again. I ran my 2nd marathon." Can't wait!!!!!