The Day After

Yesterday was the "big day".  I had only one goal, which was to cross the finish line.  I accomplished that goal, and it was (physically) the absolute hardest thing I have ever done in my life.  It took me more than 6 1/2 hours to finish, which is an hour longer than I had anticipated.  By no means am I disappointed with my time, but I am astounded that it actually did take me that long.  I've been told that the Baltimore Marathon is a very hilly race, and it's definitely true.  It's not very noticeable, as the hills are long and slow and gradual, and you don't realize that you're on a hill until you try to figure out where the fatigue is coming from.  

By about mile 13, I was starting to feel my joints hurt, but it wasn't too bad, definitely tolerable.  I did, however, make a mental note that I was only halfway through at that point, and small seeds of doubt began to plant in my brain.  I shut them down, of course, and kept going.  By mile 18 or so, I was hurting more, mostly in my hips and knees.  This is where I started to take small walking breaks on the uphill portions.  By mile 2o, I was feeling miserable, knowing that as much as I wanted to quit, I would NOT allow myself to do so.  

All along the route, there were people -- race officials, police officers and ordinary citizens -- cheering the runners on.  That kind of support means a lot, and it is very much appreciated.  The last 5 miles were brutal.  More than once, there were tears flowing... I'm not sure why, but it was probably a combination of several things  -- pain, fatigue, and simply wanting to get to the finish line, thinking of my friends who were waiting there for me.  Miles 22-25 were spent mostly walking... although it hurt just as much to walk as it did to run, so I would keep trying to run if at all possible.  

I had a list of 26 special people, to whom I dedicated one mile each.  The last mile was set aside for Scott, and I knew I had to run, not walk, that mile, no matter how hard it was.  As I hit that last mile marker, I forced myself to run and to not stop, thinking of Scott the whole time, knowing he was running alongside me.  I kept hearing folks cheering me on -- "good job", "you can do it", "keep pushing", "you're almost there"  -- and although I couldn't actually say thank you to them, I did manage to acknowledge them with little waves of my hand.  That kind of support from random strangers is priceless.  

Special thanks to Craig for being my personal chauffeur and photographer and supporter for the day.  He picked me up in the morning, waited around all day (looking for me on several portions of the race, but not finding me), and met me at the finish line.  Sean and Linda were also there at the finish, waiting with big hugs and cold water to dump on my head... which felt sooo good!  

After a pasta dinner and an ice bath, I enjoyed 10 hours of much-needed sleep.  There is still pain today, but it's getting better... which is good, because I'm entering a climbing competition this coming Saturday!  I just don't stop, do I?  ;-)

I'll be shutting down the donations button on this site next Saturday, 10/18.  That, however, does not mean you can't donate directly to Yellow Ribbon Fund.  Please keep our Wounded Warriors in mind, and any time you see a soldier, take a moment to thank him or her for their service and dedication to our country.  The sacrifices they make are the reason we're here to enjoy what we have.