MARATHON recap and a GiVeAwAy announcement

I did it!!!! I. AM. A. MATHONER!!!!!!! enough said right?  Not really, just like child birth there is always a story, a journey of how your life was changed.

I spent Saturday with my family.  Watching my tiny dancer take the stage in the most beautiful dance I have ever seen, stopping at the greenhouse and enjoying the flowers, celebrating my neices 2nd birthday and then doing things that well as a runner getting ready to run a race you are never supposed to do.  I went to Target and bought myself new running clothes to wear FOR the race.  After training all winter, the only clothes I had worn were warm ones.  I needed something that would help keep me as cool as possible for the forecast of 85 degrees.  Then, then I ate pizza and onion rings.  Yep, take out.  Not really something I would normally do and especially not before a race but I did it.  Then I went to bed at 11.  Yep, late.

The day dawned for me at 12:37 am, to the lovely sound of puking, crying and moaning that "my belly hurts it really really hurts".  My heart broke for my oldest who was clearly extrememly sick.  My hubby was amazing and dealt with all the clean up and calming her down but as a mama I just couldn't go back to sleep with her so miserable.  At 5am, I was up packing and worrying about my mini.  She was insisting she still see mama race, and considering the race start was a drop off and I never bought a shuttle ticket because the plan had been for the kids and my husband to drop me off we had no real choice.  Since I had gotten my bib Friday night at the expo (If it can even be called that?  It was pretty much just a packet pick up with two vendors there not even trying to demo their stuff), we held off putting the kids in the van until the last possible second.

I walked out my door and the humidity hit me.  It was already thick and warm, 60 degrees.  I could already tell that things were going to get HOT.  As I walked around the van I came across the best surprise I  ever!!!! At some point in the middle of the night, without anyone in the house knowing some of my wonderful friends had lined my driveway with homemade race signs for me.  I just stood there and read them and cried.  It was truly the most thoughtful thing that could have ever had been done for me right there in that moment.  This was the start of what would be the reason I finished that race.

We drove the 20 minutes to the race start with my mini puking in a bowl and then smiling at me and telling me she was ok.  I wanted to stop go home and just snuggle her but I also knew that I really needed to do this or at least try as selfish as that made me.  My husband dropped me off with 20 minutes to go before the start.  He wasn't sure what his plan would be with Princess Pie throwing up so much but he gave me a kiss told me he was so proud of me and out the door I went to stand in line for the port-o-potties.  I tried one more time to eat something while I was standing there but I couldn't do it.  I was sick to my stomach and no food would go in.  Looked like I was relying solely on that take out pizza the night before.  In line I was surrounded by runners talking about all the other marathons they had run, which ones were better to BQ at and which ones to avoid.  I felt alone.  Never have I felt so alone at the start of a race before.  I used the potty and slowly made my way to the line.  

I made the decsion to run naked.  I didn't want any time pressure on me.  I just wanted to finish so I stood and I waited and then the gun went off.  We were warned the route was only closed to traffic

for the first mile and to not run in groups after that.  I was at the back of the pack and trying desparetly to find someone who looked friendly and wouldn't mind chatting for a few minutes but no luck.  I ran the first mile, and wished I was already done.  I knew that if my husband stuck around to cheer that I wouldn't see him until mile 4.5 or so and that seemed so far off.  Then as luck would have it a runner decided to run down the center line even when the road opened back up to traffic.  He didn't budge and those of us behind him kept yelling CAR, and because of this I found my opportunity to talk to someone.  It started with a "can you believe this guy?" and ended with chatting about anything and everything.  This was exactly what I needed to shake that alone feeling.  We ran together until I veered off to use a port-o-potty.  I was alone again but I was ok.

At mile 4.5 I was delighted and excited to see my small little family standing there, with specially made Mother's Day race signs and I tried so hard not to cry.  I stopped and gave them all a small kiss and off I went again to my husband yelling you look great keep it up!  This was the pattern that kept me going.  Each time, I was feeling like I couldn't do it, I happened upon surprise support.  At mile 6

my sister-in-law drove by screaming and waving.  At mile 8 it was some page followers/friends out there cheering me on and making sure to grab some pictures so I would have some part of my journey documented.  At mile 10, a friend jumped in and ran with me for 3 miles.  Some where in there my other sister-in-law and cousin drove by screaming and yelling.  At mile 13.5 I met the whole group of them cheering for me with signs and smiles.  I stopped here to apply some more sunscreen.  It was getting hot and there wasn't an ounce of shade out there at all.  Here yet another friend jumped in to run a bit.  She had a Sunday long run planned and thought why not run with me.

At mile 15 things started getting REALLY hard.  The heat was insane and I was starting to get so sick. I was unable to drink or fuel without wanting to throw up.  Having Annette out there with me then was pure magic.  She kept me calm, going and making sure I was sipping water as much as I could.  At mile 16 my sister-in-law and cousin had ice cold water for me to drink and dump over my head.  At mile 16.5 I came across the best cheerleader ever.  A random lady standing out there with a sign and a bowl of ice for the runners.  Truly a God send.  I grabbed a handful and dropped it in my bra. At mile 18 I found the page follower/friends again and couldn't have been more excited they were still out there tracking and cheering for me.  Then came, my husband again AND one of the sign
making friends who had lined my driveway.  My fan base was growing.  They were all leap frogging each other so that I had someone cheering me on every few miles.  I found them a few more times each time MORE friends had joined them.  These people had all taken time out of THIER Mother's Day to be out on the side of a hot road holding a sign waiting and waiting for me to be spotted.  At mile 24, Annette who was only going to run 10 miles with me was still there.  It was here she suggested that she put music on her phone and we run one song, walk one song.  This is how, I finished the race.  Focusing not on how sick I felt but one song at a time.  People were now starting to lie and tell me I was almost there.  I guess in the grand scheme of things yes I was.  But when you have 1.5 miles left DO NOT tell someone it's just a mile now.  The last mile lasted a lifetime and I started getting dizzy and even more sick.  Thankfully, the last aid station at mile 25.2 had cups of ice.  I was able to chew on the ice to get some liquid in and cool off some.

At the finish line I ran in to the cheers of my mini family and my sister-in-law and cousin who had stayed to see me through the whole thing.  Honestly, I do not remember much about the course.  They say it is a beautiful one.  The sites are specataculr.  I don't remember.  I don't remember the aid

stations or which was my favorite as I am supposed to vote.  I don't remember how many people passed me, or the time I finished in.  I don't think I even looked as I crossed the line.  All I remember was the support and encouragement.  I remember feeling loved and believed in.  The specators I had both there physically and from away.  All of the notes, texts, messages, signs, smiles, hugs, ALL of that.  That is what I remember.  That is what made this race so special.

Those signs in my driveway that morning, those signs were a foreshadow of how I was going to get through that race.  I was going to get through with a little help from my friends.


For me this race wasn't about the running, it was about the friendships, the believing in myself and the love that can get you through anything.



Speaking of believing in yourself, and fantastic role modeling look for a giveaway coming soon!!! One I am very VERY excited to be a part of!!!!  One that will definetly have your little ones on the Go GO... Anyone care to guess what it is?