Suntrust Richmond Marathon: Check

Friday morning I went shopping.  Perhaps I shouldn't admit this, but it's what I do when I am nervous, worried, anxious, etc.  Don't worry, I didn't buy anything.  That would constitute a serious problem.  But, it helped take my mind off of the task at hand.  That small task of running 26.2 miles the following day.  Eh, nothing serious, just a little stroll through Richmond, right?!

My friend Ashley's family lives in Richmond.  They were gracious enough to host my running buddy, Kristin, and myself this weekend.  Ashley even chauffeured me to and from Richmond and all over the city.  We departed our city around noon and ended up in Richmond a few hours later.  We went immediately to the race expo at the Arthur Ashe Center.  I found my race number, picked up my bib, and activated my chip.  All timing is done electronically and there is a strip on the back of the race bibs that are activated by running over these speed bumps.  I am a bit OCD and I walked over that speed bump several times just to make sure my name was showing up on the computer.  Can you imagine running 26.2 miles and there never being a public record that you completed it?  Yea, me neither.  Don't worry, my name showed up every time.  I proceeded through the cattle call to the next "stall."  I was on a mission-I wanted to pick up my t-shirt and goodie bag.  For those of you who don't run races you really should.  You get the best t-shirts and goodie bags full of helpful things like travel band-aids and water bottles and antibacterial hand gel.  It's like Christmas.  And you don't even have to RUN the race to get all of that stuff!  Well, these Suntrust Marathon people were clever.  The inside of the convention center was like a mass flea market full of running gear and it was impossible to get my t-shirt without passing said gear: re-fuel belts, NOT to be confused with fanny packs, shoes that promised to be 40% off, $1 running socks and gloves and hats, and my personal favorite-everything you could possibly imagine stamped with 26.2.  I tried to be strong, but remember I shop when I am nervous and well I didn't buy anything Friday morning, so I confess, I purchased a "few" items that declared the mileage I planned on completing the following day.  Among the items:

• a car magnet and sticker--I figured the magnet may fall off, and the sticker may fade, but between the two of them my car would always declare my accomplishment.
•  a travel coffee mug--Truthfully, I need a new travel coffee mug like I need a hole in the head, but I can carry that thing with me everywhere-full or empty-I don't care.  I just care that when I put on the lid I position it carefully enough so that the part of the mug that says 26.2 faces out for everyone else to see.
• a Christmas ornament--Well, because they didn't make wall hangings or blankets or anything I could sit around my house for anyone who comes over to see. I figure if it isn't Christmas time I will just make sure my coffee mug is in plain sight whenever I have company.

After my (impulsive) purchases I signed the "I Run Richmond" sign.  My message was simple...26.2 and DONE!  In other words, you Mr. Marathon Training, will no longer control my life! 

I finally found the place to pick up my t-shirt and goodie bag.  The race shirt was great, but the goodie bag would have been sorely disappointing if it hadn't included another 26.2 sticker.  (I am still trying to decide where to put that one.)  They did include a course map and Ashley agreed to drive me through it.

It was about mile 11 when I realized we had been driving for a REALLY long time and we weren't even half way through the race course.  I still don't know what the right choice was-run it blind and not have any idea what was coming, or feel somewhat "prepared" by seeing the course, and by course I mean the hills, before I ran.  Regardless, as we continued to drive I became more and more nauseous.  I sent out a text to a friend or two simply declaring, "I may puke."  After the course Ashley and I made our way to Kroger to pick up a few last minute items (pre-race carboyhdrates, Advil, etc.).  Upon entering Kroger I immediately made my way to the restroom and proceeded to undo all of the helpful hydrating I had done throughout the day.  In the midst of losing my lunch a nice male Kroger employee chose to do a "restroom check."  I tried to tell him someone was in there, but I think he figured it out the hard way.  Believe it or not, I felt better after that minor incident, did my shopping, and headed back to Ashley's for a quiet evening of pasta, ESPN, and poster making.  I received some much-needed encouragement Friday evening from some great friends via phone calls and texts and got a decent night's sleep. 

Saturday morning I was nervous, excited, anxious, terrified, giddy, and my stomach felt like Bella's must have when hers and Edward's vampire baby tried to eat its way out of her womb. (Twilight reference in honor of the release of "Breaking Dawn.") I knew I had a few friends waiting at specific mile markers, and I knew Ashley was making a fabulous poster that would await me at mile 21.  I had my Goodwill "throw-away clothes" (don't worry I washed them in hot water and added some bleach) so that as the weather warmed and I got too hot I could shed layers without having to worry about retrieving those clothes later.  My gels and gummies were packed, my water bottle was filled (half water, half Powerade), my race number was pinned to my shirt...I was ready to go. 

As we approached the start line the weather was beautiful, blue skies, crisp air, sunshine.  When I say crisp I mean freezing-as in below 32*.  People were all standing around, huddled in groups, attempting to stay warm.  I noticed an alarming trend-people were wearing garbage bags.  Apparently I missed the memo that black plastic garbage bags with a hole cut in the bottom and then draped over your head like a trendy poncho keep out the cold air.  Kristin and I found the man changing the trash bags in the city trash cans, but his bags were clear, and because I was a marathon newbie, I wasn't sure if the clear trash bags served the same purpose.  So, I refrained from asking him for a bag and chose to keep moving to stay warm.  Next time I will remember to pack a black trash bag.  (Haha, as if there might be a next time!)

We found our Corral (4) as in the slow pokes and waited for the rest of the pack to start.  I should have known this was not going to go as I had planned when the pack was running long before the start line.  By long before I mean about 100 yards, but come on, when you have 26.2 miles to go that extra 100 yards is significant!  We were off and we were freezing.  But, it was only about 2 miles in that I shed the black Goodwill fleece.  We made a friend at the beginning of the race.  I don't remember her name, I just remember she had 3 children and had run the Baltimore marathon a few weekends before.  Good for her!  For the first 13.1 miles Kristin and I had a blast.  It was like paparazzi with all of the cameras, we smiled and waved to each of them and even did a little dance when we ran by the bands, singing along with the music and smiling-yes, smiling. 



Mile 4

I can't wait to see the professional photographs from the race.  The first half I will look like a crazy person, the second half-I will look like the dead walking/running.  It wasn't a wall I hit, I don't know what happened, I just know that about half way through I was no longer having fun.  I was less than impressed with the course, less than impressed with the bands (Apparently they stopped playing after 13.1-or we had a sign on our shirts that said take a break when we run by...towards the end I believe I may have even questioned one band if "anyone around here actually PLAYS music??"), less than impressed by the water stops-really only one flavor of Powerade-my tongue will be blue for days from stinkin' blue mountain berry, I was just less than impressed and I was DONE.  Problem was we had half way to go.  I got sick at 13.1 and by 15.5 my knee was no longer functioning.  Apparently it had been hurting me for awhile (although, everything hurt so badly it wasn't as if the knee stood out) and I had altered my running form.  Therefore, not only was my knee hurting, my calf began to charlie horse with each step.  At mile 19 there was a wonderful surprise...my friend Amy and her little beauty, Katie.  I considered asking Amy if I could borrow Katie's baby stroller and trust me I would have figured out how to ride that thing to the finish line.  There was a hill right past 19 so I hugged Katie, got a picture with Kristin, and on we went.  I should point out, I have no recollection of how I got from mile 15.5 to 19.  At mile 21 Ashley met me with her sign.  For those who don't know, my favorite football player is Tim Tebow (and for those who do know you are all chuckling and rolling your eyes as to what an understatement THAT is).  Anyway, Timmy was waiting for me at Mile 21.  Well, at least a photograph of Timmy with some encouraging words. 

"Tebow says 5 Mo' to Go"

That (and the banana she brought me) spurred me on for a bit, and by bit I mean approximately a quarter of a mile more.  Again, I don't remember 22-24, but I do know at about 24 I told Kristin to go on.  My calf was in knots, my mental condition was rapidly deteriorating, and I knew she could have gone for miles more (she is a rockstar and I am so proud of her:).  About that time a pregnant lady who had been near us the entire race leaned over to "encourage" me by telling me if she could finish this thing then so could I.  I am certain she meant well, but it DID NOT encourage me.  It ticked me off.  I would like to think it was the low blood sugar irritability talking, but I am just not sure-after all I had recently eaten a banana. 

Kristin left at a litle over 24.  I remember passing "Wonderland" with her.  And about that time some man said we had 1.5 miles to go.  But he was a liar and so were the "Wonderland" signs (which we assumed meant we were in the "1.whatever" miles to go) because we still had 2.5 left.  At least if my calculations were correct, and come to think of it, they very well may not have been since its becoming more and more obvious my brain was oxygen depleted.  Anyway, the tears started with about a mile and a half to go.  I never considered NOT finishing.  Seriously, that thought never crossed my mind.  But, I did consider that I may NEVER reach the finish line because with every step it felt further and further away.  And, with each step my knee was growing in size.  With approximately 300 yards left I spotted the pregnant lady again-ahead of me-and the last bit of competitive nature I had remaining kicked in.  I took off-well, it felt like I did.  To those spectators looking on it may have appeared as a slow jog, but in my mind I was running with everything I had left so that darn encouraging pregnant lady DID NOT beat me.  (And she didn't I might add;) 

However, the man who jump-roped the entire 26.2 miles, the man who juggled 3 balls the entire 26.2 miles, and the man who juggled 5 balls the entire 26.2 miles-yea, they all beat me.  I crossed the finish line in hysterics.  Seriously sobbing like a child, shoulders heaving, nose running.  I heard my sister and other friends who were so sweet to come support and cheer for me urging me on.  My friend and running buddy, Johnna, met me at the finish line and I collapsed into her arms. 

Johnna and me at the finish line (look closely and you'll see my tear-stained face...)

She thought these were tears of relief and extreme emotion until I "politely" informed her that "These were not tears of joy...these were tears of get me to the freaking medic tent."  Which she did-pronto. 

Looks like I am doing better than the person on the ground beside me.  At least I made it to a cot!

In the midst of the tears I told everyone that was "AWFUL" and I will "NEVER" do another one "EVER AGAIN." Apparently some people are deliriously happy from runner's high when they finish.  I was just horribly mad and had stopped having fun hours ago.  Which, in all actuality, wasn't true.  And, even in the 2 short days I have had to think on it, my feelings have changed a bit.  I am still processing exactly what it is that I did on Saturday.  It hits a little more moment by moment, especially those moments where I have to get up from my couch or climb my stairs:)  Give me a bit longer to gather my thoughts (and I'll give you a few days to recover from that long post) and I will share the incredible things I learned from running for an ungodly amount of time.  For now, I am going to take 4 more Advil and get my ice packs from the freezer. 

My sis, Jessica, me, and my medal