26 point 2

About a month before the marathon we decided to take the Amtrak to DC so that we could easily stretch our legs before and after the race.  It was a great idea and I will certainly look into train travel more often.  The weeks leading up to the marathon were tough.  I was so busy at work and the marathon was all I had on my mind. I just wanted it to be here and I really just wanted the train ride to be here so that I could relax for 8 hours with some of my closest friends.

We finally got to DC right on time and found our way to our AWESOME Brownstone located on Capitol Hill, just about 5 blocks from the Eastern Market metro station.  Word to any travelers: don't get a hotel when you go somewhere ever again.  Going to VRBO and finding a place to stay is definitely the way to go.  You get all the comforts of home (full kitchen, laundry, sofas to lounge on, etc) and everytime we've stayed in one, it's been way cheaper per night than a hotel room would be. 

After settling in a little, we found an amazing place for dinner in the Eastern Market area called Trattoria Alberto.  They had a table for 6 and so we feasted on pasta, bread, and carafes of wine.  It was a perfect evening.

On Saturday morning, we got up early for the expo.  I had in my mind that I didn't want to do much walking on Saturday because of the race the next day.  WE were at the expo pretty much all day.  I was over it by the time we left.  I'm just not a fan of too many people and trust me when I say, there were too many people.  Friday night we'd found a grocery store (complete with an F-bomb throwing foster mom) so we got all the stuff we needed for dinner the night before the race.

The girls went for a "shake out" run while the guys started getting dinner ready.  That run was key for my sleep on Saturday night.  We only went 2 miles but any exercise makes a big difference in my sleep habits.  Not only that, but it definitely helped ease the nerves for me.  I was reminded that the first mile of most runs just kind of sucks.  Even though I'm a marathoner now, I can still say that there are miles that will always suck and for me, it's usually that first 1 or 2 of any run.

We came home (see? The Brownstone feels so much like home, that's what I call it!), ate a yummy dinner and started trying on outfits and setting things out for the next day.  I had my alarm set for 4:30 so I knew I needed to go to bed early.  I finally turned off all my electronics at around 9:30 p.m. and went to sleep.  A good sleep! Not even a toss and turn worrying about the alarm. Success!

I bounced downstairs to find not only Hilly but also Hilly's hubby.  Got dressed, drank coffee and watched CNN for a while before getting dressed.  Every long run has to go this same way.  Coffee, CNN, coffee, breakfast, coffee, potty, dress, run. 

We scooted out the door around 5:50 after the obligatory freak-outs about not having enough supplies, food, water, snot rags, etc. 

We were dressed to impress in snuggies and bathrobes (it TOTALLY matched my shoes!), got onto the metro and headed to the Pentagon station.  From there, we had to walk a damn 1/2 marathon to get to the race. Not kidding.  I wanted to be upbeat and positive but the walk sucked.  Sure, there was excitement and energy and the bestrunningbuddiesever but still.  Again, snapped obligatory pics and headed to the port-a-johns.

Ick. I can still smell and see the things we saw there.  So bad.  Nervous runners are not nice to port-a-johns.  Let's leave it at that.

Finally we got to the corrals and oh, the race had started a good 15 minutes prior.  Hilly (or someone?) got nervous that we were going to close to the start (i.e. fast people) but the start had started. So we kept walking.

And then we started. And then I was like. HOLY SHIT I am running a marathon, WTF?!  Really.

Before I start counting out the miles here's something that kind of sucks about running a marathon.  You ready for it?  Are you sure?  Running a marathon is just like running a 5k. Or a 10k or even a half. Except it's a shit-ton longer.  Not kidding.  Now I know you are probably like, "ooookkkayyy... and?" but I don't know. I kind of expected it to be different.  Like MARATHON!!!!!!!!!!! I expected people to look different and the crowd to feel different and I don't know? Have like gold plated start lines?  Or glitter coming down from the sky as we started?  NO idea what I expected I just didn't expect it to be like every other race I've run. 

So the miles just started ticking by.  Easy peasy.  Around mile 6 we came out of a gorgeous park and ran by water and then headed up a hill to Georgetown.  If you are reading this and from my city I can tell you what - D.C. has NOTHING on our hills.  I felt very prepared for these hills.  Very easy and short.  But, this hill with the narrowness of it and the fact that there was a water stop at the top made me lose my girls.  Oh, sad day.  I was with another girlfriend so we waited, we ran backwards, we risked our LIVES looking for them but we just decided to go anyway.

The next miles were okay.  I thought I was going to see KT at mile 10 but I didn't.  I really needed a banana and I think around mile 14 my running buddy knew I was fading so she told me a story.  There's nothing better than when a fellow runner says, "Do you need a story?" "Or, let me tell you something. It'll take a full mile." YES PLEASE.

Finally around mile 17 I saw one of the husbands so I knew KT was close.  He was! He smooched me and said he was proud of me and what a great job I was doing.  Told me he loved me, handed me my banana (and one for my running buddy) and we took off.  Such a nice uplifting moment when you see the one that's there for you.

But, that only lasted like 3 miles.  Ha.  I knew I'd see him again at mile 23 so at mile 20 I asked my girl if she minded if I put my ear buds in so I could just zone out for a little while.  I needed some kind of mental time to be alone.  Even though obviously, I wasn't alone. I was with like, 8billion other people.  I definitely equate that feeling to being at work all day talking, talking, talking and then finally just getting home and wanting quiet.  I was over all the people at this point. Over talking, over listening, over over over it all.

As soon as I started listening to music, the miles ticked by.  Not like they normally do in a shorter run but more quickly than they were.  I kept trying to push myself harder. I'd go a few feet hard and then slow.  I just couldn't move quickly.  And then, the first full song that came on (my ipod was playing all along since I didn't know when I'd need it or if I'd know how to turn it on.) was Expressway to Your Heart by the Soul Survivors.  The song my dad and I danced to in the car as a kid and at my wedding. 

If there's anything I believe more than anything is that I have signs of him being with me.  This was a sign.  He was showing me his encouragement and I couldn't help but sing it OUT LOUD and tear up as I was running.  If my dad were here, he probably wouldn't encourage me to run that far but he would be supportive and I KNOW he would be proud.

Around mile 23 I started looking for KT again but didn't.  I took my ear buds out in case he was screaming for me.  He wasn't.  Sigh.  I was so hungry and tired but I kept hearing my pastor's words, "don't stop for anything. Unless you are injured, no stopping."  And so I didn't.  I tried hard to take my mind off things and the crowd helped significantly.  During this time I was talking to myself.  Telling myself about the people this run was for.  Charlie, Will, Kenny. Charlie, Will, Kenny. ME. This was for ME.

At mile 25, you go down an exit ramp thing and as I looked around,  a lot of people were crying.  I know now that it was because we were going past the Pentagon memorial.  I didn't know that's why they were crying at the time. I thought it was the emotion of being at mile 25 and starting to see marines cheering us on.

Finally. Mile 26.  Thank you God.  I pushed hard.  Then, at 26.1 there was a freaking hill that took all the wind out of me.  So hard.  But, I push and guess what? I finished.  I crossed the finish line.  I threw my hands up (even though I swore I wouldn't.) and started to sob.  There were marines lining the walkway to the medals all shaking hands and congratulating.  And in that moment, I just stopped and sobbed.  Thinking about how far I'd come and mostly thinking about my dad.  I miss him so much.

I made my way through the crowds. Waited for my running buddies forever and never saw them so just went on in case they were ahead of me.  I got my medal from a marine, a paper jacket, lots of food and drinks and finally found KT and the boys.  They were on the other side of a chain-length fence so I kissed KT through the fence. He was visibly proud.  He kept saying "You were too fast! I couldn't keep up with you!"  Yeah yeah.  Nice way to cover that I ONLY GOT ONE FREAKING BANANA! 

Will I ever run a marathon again?  Not sure.  I'm going to think about that and will get back to this blog on that one.  For now, I'll just keep enjoying the feeling of being able to do anything.