Finish The Race

First, a picture of 2 of my 3 cheerleaders. They're awesome!

These past few weeks have been full of challenges. Physical, mental, emotional, you name it.

Time allowing, I'll only write about the physical challenge in this post. My heart is still trying to come up with the words for the last 2 challenges.

So I ran a half marathon - yes, I'm crazy (but really only half crazy).

The race took place on October 7th. Early. When all was said and done, I finished the race with a pretty good time: 2:12. My goal was 2:05 but I knew that wasn't going to happen right about mile 11 1/2 when my mind said, "pick up the pace" and my body said, "I'd rather fall down and die." It was also right about then that I passed a man holding out a giant box of doughnut holes to all of the runners. I almost threw up right then and there. It was a miracle I made it to the next water station. Donuts? Really? My stomach has been jostling and jumping around for 10 miles and I'm going to eat a doughnut hole? You must be crazy...

So, now that you've heard the end of my tale, I'll fill you in on all of the exciting race details, starting with the very early wake up call (the part I dreaded the most). Yes, I woke up at 4:15. That would be in the AM. And by the time my friends Mina, Valerie and I got to Long Beach and the sun was just starting to peek through the clouds, we were surrounded by 20,000 people who were probably just as amazed as we were that we had actually gotten out of bed that early. Then, after inserting ourselves into the mass of humans lining up to conquer the Marathon, we all got ready to start our 13 miles of torture exhilaration.

When the gun went off and we all started running (which kind of mirrored cattle running down a cattle chute) I was full of adrenaline and positive that I'd run the best race ever. It started out great! I was on track to run a 9 1/2 minute mile.

Around the 6th mile, I was greeted by 4 screaming/cheering fans that greatly resembled my children. I quickly realized that they were mine and they were holding up the lovely signs they'd created the day before at the Expo. It gave me me a second wind which blew me to mile 8, when I encountered my first roadblock. I was starting to slow a little when my friend, Mina, ran up from behind me, said a quick hello, and then disappeared in a cloud of smoke as she jettisoned off to run the last 6 miles at a record pace. It was right about then that I walked for the first time.

By the way, one of my favorite things to see along the course were the creative signs held by the bystanders.  My 2 favorites read, "Run like a fugitive" and "toenails are for sissies" (the last one didn't apply to me. I kept all of my toenails, thank you very much. The right shoes are a must).

Back to the race, miles 8-12 were tough, but doable, and I finally arrived at the giant sign that said, "one more mile!!" I told myself over and over, "you'd better not walk this last mile- keep running." I tell ya, that last mile felt like 50. All I could think about was that someone must have put that sign on the wrong building. I think they were off by a few blocks.

So, right about the time that I felt the race should have ended, I heard people chanting, "you're almost there!" Ok, "almost there" was not quite accurate but it did put a little fire in my step.

I also have to share with you one of the most interesting/ridiculous/whatweretheythinking aspects of both races I've completed. The photos. You runners know what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the photographers out there on the course with their long, zoom lenses, capturing all of the pain, sweat, and tears of each and every athlete who runs shuffles past them. I don't know whose brilliant idea this was but it must not have been a woman. No, it couldn't have been! What woman would want that kind of photograph of themselves? What woman thinks like this: "I have a great idea - let's get some photographers out there to sit on the ground and take photographs of  the runners- maybe one every few miles - oh, and especially one at that last mile! Ya! I want you to find the sweatiest, reddest, most agonized athletes and capture that attractive moment for all to see! Oh, and to make it easier to identify them, let's make them wear numbers. Better yet, let's POST the pictures online so that they can BUY them and hang them on their wall. I think everyone will want one, don't you?!! Who wouldn't want a photo of themselves completing such a great accomplishment?" Well, I can tell you one runner who dreads the email from "Brightroom" that tells me my photographs are ready to be viewed. I know what you can do with mine! You can burn them and then pat yourselves on the back because you've single-handedly reminded me that I probably never want to run another race again...especially if I looked like THAT.


Yes, I ended up finishing the race... but that last 100 yards was seriously the longest stretch of road I've ever experienced. Knowing I did the best I could do was awesome and seeing the faces of the 4 people who cheered me on every weekend during training was the best feeling ever. (Every Saturday, the kids would meet me in front of our house at the end of my 8,9,10 and 11 mile runs with water, a towel, and lots of cheering. It was all worth the pain!) My family was proud of me. I was proud of me. I had set out to accomplish a goal and I did it...again! Now I'm not sure if there will be any more half marathons in my future (to have to drag my butt out of bed every weekend, and run through places I've only every experienced from a car, was quite exhausting...oh, and the pictures don't help things, like I said).

I apologize if this was WAY more than you had anticipated reading. I'm sure it's more than anyone really wants to know about a half marathon but I thought it would be fun to record all of my thoughts. Well, it wasn't all of my thoughts...but you get the picture. :)

Oh, and, believe it or not, I haven't run a single step since the race...my alarm clock needed a break.