Saturday morning! Race Day! I woke up in Indy and focused on what needed to be done. Jaime and I went to pick up Betsy and Kelly and then we were on our way. As we drove along we laughed over our crazy dreams and our insecurities about the race. Then Betsy got a text from my dad which simply said, "Stop laughing, you're wasting energy!" He knows us too well. Laughter was just what we needed to get this day started.
Quite honestly, I remember driving to the convention center but I do not really remember parking or going in to warm up. My nerves were starting to sneak up on me and I wanted to stay completely focused on what I needed to do. I was running this race solo. My sisters and Kelly were running the full marathon so unless I wanted to keep up with them until mile 7 I knew I was on my own. I definitely needed to mentally prepare for that and make a plan. I came here not only to start this race but to finish it so when Betsy told me she planned to stay with me until mile 7 when we split I told her to go ahead, stay with Jaime and Kelly and don't worry about me. My pace has improved over the past year but I knew that keeping up with them would take all the energy I had and leave me with nothing for the last 6 miles.
Shortly before race time we left the warmth of the convention center and lined up with all the other runners. I lined up with my girls near the 10 minute pacer and hoped for the best. I knew I could drop back if I needed too. The music was loud and we were jumping in place to stay warm. It felt like a huge dance party but I remembered my dad's advice to not waste energy so I plugged into my ipod and found my place. Right before we reached the starting mats Jaime looked at me and said, "Don't worrry about winning this thing, the Kenyans are already done!" And with that we were off!
I quickly settled into my stride and took it easy. My entire focus was on pacing myself. I lost sight of my sisters and friends and realized that I truly was on my own and this game was going to play out on my terms. At that moment I decided to run the race backwards in my head. Since my longest run had only been 11 miles I knew adding those last 2 miles at the end would be a mind game. If I pretended to run the last 3 miles of the race first, I would only have 10 miles left to go. Since I had trained with several 10 mile runs I knew completing that distance was no big deal. Those last 3 miles went fast and I took off for mile 4. Looking back, I may have run mile 4 too quickly because at the end of that mile my right achilles was throbbing and sending a pain up the back of my calf. At the end of the race I was able to review my time mile by mile and I ran that mile with a 9:21 lap. While it was a personal record that I am very proud of it could have caused me quite an injury.
To work through the pain of my achilles I began my mind over matter mantra and kept telling myself that I could get through anything. Because my left calf wasn't hurting as it usually did on long runs I began to focus my energy on the achilles in order to keep going. It worked and by mile 10 I was nearly pain free. However, somewhere between miles 10 and 11 my sock was starting to bunch under my right toes. I made the decision to run through a water station and sit down on the side of the course and adjust my sock and laces. Big mistake! I didn't think about how cold my hands were and the possibility that I wouldn't be able to retie my own shoe. My hands had been freezing all morning and I had made the unfortunate decision to not wear gloves. I knew I was in trouble when I couldn't open my energy gels with my fingers and had to use my teeth while continuing to run. Gloves had littered the course as people discarded them along with other articles of clothing but I didn't stop to pick any up because a) I didn't want to lose my pace and b) ewww! Looking back, I should have worn gloves...another rookie mistake. Being just past the water station I looked back and realized there was no one near to ask for help. Tying my own shoe was up to me. I stared at my hands and willed them to move. I looked for my friend Karie because she had hoped to be near mile 10 to cheer me on. She is a Ragnar TuTu who was here to cheer Jaime and Kelly on but when she heard I was running she took some time to cheer for me too! Unfortunately, no Karie. I was on my own and I was wasting valuable time. I managed to readjust my sock and loosely tie my shoe. Crisis averted, back on track!
Next came the commotion of the Kenyans. As we neared the end of the race we were rejoined by the marathoners and as I was finishing the half portion of the marathon they were completing the full. Now that's showing off! I watched them pass in awe and kept going. Mind over matter, you can do this, finish strong, over and over and over!
I'd love to say I saw the beautiful monuments for which this race was named but in order to complete this race I stayed focused and really missed out on the scenery. Along the way I recognized people who had passed me earlier, people who ran ahead, walked and then started again. Near the end we definitely challenged and paced each other. Being a little competitive I didn't want to fall behind those I had stayed up with for most of the race. I followed a pace team of 2:30 but knew I could finish a little ahead of schedule if I moved beyond them so I did. As we neared the finish line I picked up my pace and as I saw the finish line I sprinted to the end. Unfortunately, here is where I made another mistake! After crossing the first blue mat I thought I was done and slowed to almost a walk. I heard the crowd screaming, "Go! You're not done!" Oops! The finish line was still in the distance! I began my sprint again and finished in 2:26:49. I did it! I beat my goal!
At the finish line I was alone. I couldn't find my dad and I was freezing. I called Bob and told him I was done. And then I found Karie! Oh thank God! Seeing her smile and hugging her was amazing! We ran all those Ragnar miles together and I was so glad to see her. After a brief visit she was off to mile 23 to run with Kelly and Jaime for a bit. I managed to find a warm tent and sit down to eat my bagel and drink my chocolate milk. I found my dad and family and changed at the Westin. I headed back to the finish line and watched for my sisters. I watched each person round the corner and saw the pride in their faces. Some walked, some hobbled, some ran but they all did what they came here to do. They completed a marathon! And then I knew...I'm not done. October 20, 2012...the Kansas City Marathon. I'll be there, Chasing Pavement!
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