I know I left you all hanging for a week but girlfriend had serious issues getting it together. I did not miss a minute of work this week and I dropped my computer on my foot sunday evening, breaking it. It's dead waiting for new parts. So here's a synapse of my 3rd full Marathon from sunday 9-15-13.
Saturday night getting to Erie and trying to scrape together my wits went ok. I wasn't prepared 50 percent. It had been busy adjusting to the start of school at my house, dealing with the kids and the new change in their lives will change everyone elses as we attempted to do first grade homework and figure out a routine we have been met with some resistance, naturally. I hadn't really packed, or shopped. By saying this we even had to buy soap in Erie because we were out, busy, amen. I describe myself as pigpen doing the freak, I have been, disorder heightens my anxiety, girl has been trippin'. So at the dinner table, we chose Boston's restaurant, I cried. I felt guilty all year really for my new job, it's been rough on mom, the kids are well adjusted now I still feel kinda sad, I am sure I was put up to the marathon to really snap me out of it, but sometimes it makes feeling guilty amplified...So I cried talking about it. I bring it up because I think that's what's changing my whole demeanor. I am trying so hard, the running hasn't hurt me, it's helped, but everything still a little off. Thus my quietness. We went back to the room sullen and quiet, hubbs stayed up for ever trying to update my playlist while I slept.
I woke up with my alarm, we got up like firefighters dressed and jumped out the door only to arrive super early. We heard enrollment went way up we wanted to be prepared. We had time to sit on a picnic bench and freeze in the dark together, it was fun. The race started and we all ran down the road like we normally do. The first 10k was pretty good. I loosened up finally. After the first 8 miles it became a party. It was a lot of fun, I think this is the point I just started to sing aloud with my head phones. Not just a few words I mean just belting it out. I think something temporarily snapped, I let me be me and it had been too long. I was getting eyebrow raises and smiles, yes this girl just IS crazy, and HAPPY. At the halfway point before I crossed over the chip timer there was a crowd I slowed a little to look for my family, they kids might be there at that point, but they are small 6 and 4 years old I wasn't getting my hopes up, I didn't see them I crossed the timer pad -beepbeep and kept on, figured they had to go potty or wanted to see the water. And then, I saw them. Sitting on a curb with hubbs and my mom and I let out a sob. A dry one, but a sob. It was so good to see them. They didn't look bored at all, they were excited. I stopped and kissed each one and all of the sudden I just felt great. I kept singing the whole way. I was never alone the whole race there was always someone to talk to, I met some really cool people. When they would ask me how I was feeling I would tell them "I am great, my babies are here today"! It charged me up. At the 3rd 10k point they were there too. As I continued at that point I met a lady named Laura, she was a marathon maniac she tours the country on the weekends with her husband and is in a club that runs all 50 states. Her husband has MS and they are just running as long as they can, he wasn't with her, he's faster. She really made mile 22 and 23 easy. She was cool, I can't believe she does all that, I think one marathon a year is tough. I would like to share she is 60. I think she is tough as nails. At mile 23 my personal favorite water stop with a winnebago and a sound system was playing club music, I actually stopped and shook my groove thang for a moment. At this point I thought my GPS watch was not working right, I was making ok time, probably just pushed a wrong button like at Pittsburgh. I kept on, I felt great, I sang the whole marathon. And I became a cheerleader at the end. I was cheering the others I passed waving my arms. It was great.
The Finish was the best part for me. The kids were there and my mom and husband let them run with me through the finish line. The both had blackeyed susans pulled out by the root for me and they were so excited. I will never forget that. And I hope they never do either. They made it so much better than finishing any marathon could ever be. I just hope that maybe think someday they can do big things too. I don't think I can find the words to express how cool it was or how much I love them.
I just want to thank my husband and my mom for being there and helping me pull this off.
I also appreciate my in laws for watching our dogs while were gone, that's a whole other rodeo!
ps. I was faster this year. My chip time 5:12:55. Over all clock 5:14:01. last year was 5:28:31. Very impossible seeming to me, I trained like shit. But I was just on fire that day. :)
<3
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