Week 10-Race Day

There are few things in life that I want to spend ten weeks preparing for and then push through intense pain resulting in more pain the following day for the "fun" of it, but running this marathon was one of  them, and boy, am I happy I did!  I have to say 5:30 AM comes very quickly when you are up all night with a sick toddler and I really wanted to "call in sick" this morning instead of running, but I was awake anyway, so I thought, what the hell!

Walking towards downtown Columbus in 40 degree weather when you are sick and exhausted really isn't all that inspiring, but once I arrived at the starting corrals for the race, words cannot express how humbled and excited I was. There were so many people there (15,000+) in the cold, dark, early morning to run this race for the pure pleasure of running, and I have to say it was awesome! In no time at all it was time to start and they herded us into the corrals like sheep out to pasture.  It was 7:37 when I finally hit the starting line and there were so many people that you had to dodge not only people but also their various discarded clothing, which acted like little land mines along the way. My heart was pounding so hard that I would have sworn that the runners near me could hear it.

My adrenaline was pumping so fiercely...and then reality...the first water/Gatorade station. Typically I try not to drink too much water because my tiny pea-sized bladder cannot accommodate anything while I run, but that being said, I do need to stay hydrated, so as I passed the first station I tried to imagine how I would grab my little shot of water while continuing to run and not end up drowning in it as well.  I watched as other runners expertly snag a tiny cup and then took the drink in one shot and tossed the cup to the ground.  OK, I thought...I can do that and when in Rome...  So around mile four I decided to test my run/snag/drink/toss ability.  Suffice it to say that I ended up very wet and still very thirsty, and by the end of the race I was still very thirsty and very wet, but it was all part of the experience.

I am still in shock that I managed to feel so good for the entire run, but I am sure that adrenaline played a pretty big role in it.  Starting out I was passing hundreds of people and feeling really good about it, by around mile 6-7 I had settled in, and by mile 10, I did feel my body start to slow.  Then my competitive drive came out, and let me tell you, it isn't friendly.  Nobody but nobody was going to pass me, so I sped up and before I knew it (after 2 miles straight up a hill) I could see the finish line.  Then I hit a dead sprint to the end...I crossed the finish at 2:04:46 (a number I will never forget)!!  They put a medal around my neck and I pushed through the crowd to find my family.  When I finally find them after what seemed like hours, my baby reached out to kiss me and my husband put his arms around me and said, "YOU DID IT!"  Talk about a sweet ending to a long, exhausting journey.

Even though I am crossing this journey off my bucket list, I don't feel like I am done with this chapter in my life. Will I run again? Without a doubt!