I have been excited about posting this particular post for several months now. The marathon is done!! All of the hard work, long hours of training, and perseverance leading up to the marathon all made crossing the finish line a goal worth training for!!
The morning of the marathon arrived after little sleep and much nervous excitement and before I knew it we were heading down to the start line. You know that moment before you're about to do something big and you're so excited your insides get quivery and excited too and then your bladder goes into overdrive and you think for certain you have to pee and when you do it's just a drop but 5 minutes later you have to pee again...yep that was me...in compression pants no less which makes putting yourself back together a big challenge and even harder to ignore your nervous bladder. Oh boy, what a way to start your day!
Ben had amazingly found us a hotel room just a few weeks before that was literally right at the start/finish line which we were all thrilled about. It meant less walking at the beginning and end...win-win for all involved! Sadly the week prior to the race the Tate's got a call that the house they are renovating had burned down and a large majority of their belongings with it. We weren't sure if they were going to be able to come down for the race so we felt honored that they still wanted to attend the race with us. As it was Ben, Kristen (who was 35 weeks pregnant at the time and had strep), and I had all been fighting nasty colds the week leading into the race which presented some challenges for all of us.
The crowd of people running the race was absolutely MASSIVE!! But it was absolutely amazing to be part of something so huge! I had registered myself in the blue corral which was the last group to start. They started us in waves because of the sheer size of the crowd of runners. We didn't cross the start line until 30 minutes after the race actually began. But I was pumped!!
I was determined to enjoy this as much as I could and to keep smiling. The above picture was taken around mile 12. We had met up with Kristen and Jamie at about mile 8 and then again at mile 13. We ran almost nonstop for the first half.
From there on things kinda went downhill for me and not in a good way. I wasn't sure if it was nerves, dehydration, or my body still recovering from earlier in the week but the nausea hit around mile 14. Ben was gracious enough to walk the last half with me. Every time it passed and we started to run again, the nausea kicked back in. I was absolutely miserable, but Ben kept us moving and thankfully never asked if I wanted to quit. There was several moments when I asked myself why I'd willingly do this and wondered just how crazy I was when I thought I'd try THIS as a goal. But we just kept walking...up those stinkin' hills, pushing through the pain, trying to just stay vertical. There were several points throughout the race when I just had to vocalize out loud to myself that I CAN DO THIS. I got the surprise of my life at mile 24...Papa Smurf was waiting there for me!! It was the pick-up I needed to keep my feet moving and because we were walking he was able to walk the rest of the way with us. It was so fun to share those last few miles with him beside me!
Finally...we crossed the finish line 6 hours and 55 min after we started!! That moment is one that will stick with me forever! It's a moment when you realize you can finally stop and what a sheer relief that is. I remember looking over to see my hubby, my parents and Kristen all cheering...they had wanted this as much as I did! And then EVERYTHING hurt!!! But it was a hurt I was happy to tolerate. I also have to mention that Ben stuck with me through the entire race!! I offered several times for him to run ahead so he could get a better time and every time he refused. He said we are running together and we aren't running for the time but we are going to just have fun. He wore his marathon maniac's shirt and we had several runners mention it and want to know if he was running with me. It made me realize how amazingly supportive the running community is. There were people cheering for us that didn't know us...runners along the way who told us to keep it up...police and emergency workers clapping and cheering us on.
We kept passing runners who were done, proudly wearing their medals, and I kept wondering if I'd ever get mine. And we did!!
It may just be a piece of medal and some ribbon but it represents so much for me. This journey in running wasn't just about getting into shape or running but it provided me with the opportunity to finally set a goal I could achieve...one I had, for the most part, control over. It just took me getting up off the couch that first time, putting on my running shoes, and saying I am going to do this! I am not the fastest runner, nor the world's greatest athlete, but I set out to accomplish something great and pushed through and did it. Each milestone along the way represented an achievement...a small victory towards achieving that goal.
I could not have accomplished this without the amazing support of my family and friends though. My incredible hubby who helped get me moving at the beginning of my training and was my biggest cheer leader. He run with me some days, listened to me whine, came out to check on me during some of my long runs, and made my dream a priority. The Tate's were amazing and gave not only time that weekend but time leading up as Ben was out running and training as well, while poor Kristen and Elli were waiting at home some days for daddy to get the Sam Hill done with his running.:) To have their support through this was truly a gift! Taryn, a co-worker and friend who not only inspired me along with Ben but also helped with my training schedule and was a wonderful resource and encouragement through it all. And my parents, who cheered and encouraged me every step of the way!! It was wonderful to have them there at the finish and to share this huge achievement with them. My mom was out there helping with my long runs...checking on me, pushing me, and allowing me to mooch her whirlpool tub after my runs. So many people were the backbone in making this a success!!! I truly felt blessed by the love and support I got through it all.
Here is a photo Jamie took after I finished running my first mile. I was so out of breath and could barely walk till I was done, but I ran the whole thing. I wondered then how I would ever get through 26.2!
Last but not least one of the scrub techs at work also ran the Philly half marathon that weekend. There were about 34,000 runners so we never saw each other there and we didn't realize we were both there until we were at work together that following week. At the suggestion of one of the nurses we wore the shirts we got from the race and our medals for a photo op. It was so fun to share this with someone else at work! Way to go, Stacey!!
My deepest thanks to all who played a role in making this happen for me and to the many who supported me through it! I definitely want to run another marathon and I'm hoping it's something Jamie and I can experience together sometime. To those who wonder if they can run or may feel inspired by this...I wasn't running 12 months ago, in fact it wasn't even a thought in my head at the beginning of the year. But I will say it was definitely the absolute toughest and coolest thing I've ever experienced. It takes motivation to get out there and train, and trust me I hugely lack motivation in my life, but if I can do it, anyone can!! There are also people who may never get the opportunity to run and have the use of their legs like I do. It just takes getting up the first time and moving even when you don't feel like it. The end result is worth the time and pain it takes!
