The End

And so this is the end.....



Six months of training.


250 miles run.


Almost 200 posts to this blog.


$4,536 raised for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.


One marathon completed.

I achieved all of the goals that I set for myself when I began this journey:
1. FINISH the marathon. Check.
2. Raise money and awareness for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Check.
3. Remember and honor my Daddy. Check.

And now this amazing journey has come to an end.

So, what's next? I've been asked that many times. There is a part of me that would love to try another marathon. But a larger part of me that doesn't. For several reasons. I don't want to train for it. To put in all the time that is really required -- the time commitment is just so major. Not just for me, but it was a sacrifice for my family too. (HUGE THANKS to Jodi for flying solo every Saturday for the last six months.) No training equals no marathon. The distance running really took a toll on my body. I didn't make it through this without injury. It wasn't anything major, but it wasn't pain-free either. I just don't think that long distance is what my body is meant to do. And, even if I did another marathon, there would never, ever be another experience like the experience I had on June 1. Never.

However, I think do see some running still in my future.

I would like to focus on some 5ks. What a great distance that might be for me. JUST three miles! I would like to work on my speed a little bit. While we were training for the marathon, we really didn't focus on time or pace. We just focused on distance, just completing the miles. So maybe now I can get a bit stronger and increase my pace.

I also see some half marathons in my future. I'm seriously thinking about the St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon in December. Or maybe the Germantown Half Marathon again in March. I'm pretty sure I can talk Jodi and my brother-in-law to run one of them too. The St. Jude Half is much larger; they are capping registrants at 8,000. Last year almost 6,000 ran the half and the final time was just under 5 hours. Kind of appealing to think that I would be at the front of the back of the pack.... I was thinking about the fact that after the Germantown Half in March, we practically ran a half marathon every weekend until the week before the marathon. So, a half marathon is pretty doable for me. I would like, one day, to achieve a sub-three hour marathon. That is shaving off quite a bit of time for me, but maybe after I build up some strength and speed and conquer a 13 minute mile on a regular basis, this would be feasible.

What have I been doing since June 1? NOTHING. I have taken these last two weeks off. Completely off. No activity. The week of the marathon, I was still so stiff and sore. And just TIRED. I felt like I needed so much sleep. This last week was much better. I still have a tight hamstring, but nothing major. And there is some occasional shin pain - I think it's just some leftover 'itis' that is continuing to rear its ugly head. My toenail is not looking very promising, but, like Tom said, if that's the extent of my marathon injury, I'm doing pretty good!

I do want to say that if anybody is ever interested in running or walking a full or half marathon, please consider doing it through the Team in Training. There is NO WAY I could have done any of this alone. Just having the coaches, mentors, support and teammates along the way is what made it possible. Plus being surrounded by all the purple on race day. I can never explain it - just the whole scope of it. But it was definitely a TEAM - from beginning to end.

I have developed a huge respect for the role of spectator. I *know* that is something I can do during a race!! Just stand on the side of the road and cheer. Maybe I can do that at one of the half marathons that I don't run in. During my runs at Shelby Farms, whenever someone would say "Go Team!" or some other encouraging word, that would be just the extra push I needed to keep moving. And I can't even tell you what it was like at the marathon. Twenty-six miles of people cheering for ME! It was incredible encouragement. I have learned the true value and power of all of that.

I think I would compare the whole marathon thing to childbirth. It is quite painful while you are going through it. But when it's all over, you have this wonderful result, this amazing accomplishment. And you forget exactly just how painful it was.

We had been told that we would experience a 'low' after the marathon. Maybe like a wedding or Christmas or something. It's just this event that you have focused on for so long. All of your time and energy - all your thoughts - every bit of you - is constantly thinking about this upcoming event. And then it happens and it is wonderful. But then it is over. Maybe I've experienced some of that. OK, maybe more than I want to admit, considering it's taken me two weeks to drag out the story of my marathon. I have just wanted it to go on and on. And there is part of me that is sad that it's over. And I'm sad that I am going to end this blog. I admit, I'm a little teary now as I write this last post....

But wait! There's more!!! While this is the end of the Gonna Run A Marathon blog, I have decided to start a new blog. HOORAY! It won't be as exciting as this -there isn't a big goal I'm working towards. (And I won't beg you for donations to the Leukemia Society!). But I have just enjoyed the whole blogging experience and I want to continue to be able to have that outlet. So, feel free to check out my new blog: Me and My Good Life (http://www.meandmygoodlife.blogspot.com/). I will just ramble about whatever happens to be on my mind. Me, my good life, my family, sports, weather. Who knows....

I can't end this without thanking all of you who have been a part of this journey with me. There are so many of you and you all played so many different roles. For those who read my blog, made donations, encouraged me, ran with me, celebrated each little mile, waited for me, tolerated me, inhaled Icy Hot, remembered my dad, cheered for me, allowed me to whine, helped me heal, followed my progress, cared about my pitfalls, listened to me, rubbed my feet, shared in my victory. Thank you! I continue to be blown away by all of the support, love and encouragement I have received during this marathon quest. THANK YOU!!

It was amazing, unforgettable experience. I ran a marathon!!! And I think my Daddy would be real proud of me!!

Surprise!

Monday morning brought another fairly early wake up call for our shuttle to the airport. Many people checking in to their flights were wearing their RNR Marathon shirts. We were all moving fairly well, albeit a bit slow.

We arrived in Minneapolis a bit early and had time to grab some lunch. As we were heading back to our gate, they announced our flight overhead. Andrea said, "That's us ladies." The next thing we heard was "Passengers C., S., S., and W. please report to the gate for final boarding." OH DEAR!!! We moved faster than we actually thought we were able to and made it to the plane to head home.

Back in Memphis. The end of our marathon journey. We were all walking together, proudly wearing our medals, heading toward baggage claim. Laughing and talking about our experience - and how Nicole had RUN to claim an exit seat in the airport in San Diego! And then I had a great SURPRISE!!!

It was Jordan and Cooper!! With signs and balloons and flowers!!! My welcome home party!!! My mother-in-law had brought them to meet me at the airport. What a great surprise that was!! More tears from me.....

Cooper's sign says "MOMMY GO GO" and Jordan's says "Welcome home Mom. Thanks for runnin' with TNT and making us proud"

We definitely caused quite the commotion. I'm sure some travellers thought we were Olympiads what with our medals and all......

When the kids and I got home, Mom's car was in the driveway. "How sweet of her to come and fix my dinner," I thought. Well, she did come and fix my dinner. But they had invited tons of others to come eat too.

SURPRISE!!!!!!

It was a SURPRISE PARTY!!!! My kitchen was full of family and friends. I was so totally surprised I would just cover my eyes and scream. Then I would open my eyes and see somebody else and scream. And I would open my eyes and see somebody else. And scream. Some major emotion when I finally got to see and hug Jodi and Mom and Connie. And then again when I saw my uncle, Dad's brother. Here we are having a little moment and he's telling me that he knows Daddy was watching me and was so proud of me. It really just choked me up.

I think what started as a "let's meet her at the airport" turned into a "let's have a cake at home" which turned into "let's have a full blown surprise party"!!!! They had decorated the kitchen with balloons and streamers and posters. Connie and Anne were very sneaky and pulled all this together along with the help of my mom and my aunt. So, thanks to EVERYBODY for making this happen. It was so special. I had already told Sherrill and the kids at the airport that I would need to get everybody together soon so I could tell my whole marathon story. Jordan just said "Good idea Mom".

Look, I even had a congratulations cake!

So, I got to tell everybody all my stories about my marathon weekend. It was just a special, special, special night.

Oh no...

I just took off my toenail polish. My big toenail looks like it's turning black. A quick email to Coach George about my condition garnered this response: Yaaahooo. Now you have passed the final initiation.

Sadly, I think he's actually quite proud of me.....

Strike a pose

Just what you all wanted to see....more pictures of me from the marathon. I felt very compelled, apparently, to throw both of my arms up and flash the peace sign to every cameraman. Except there was one picture where I must not have noticed the camera because I appear to be actually running and not striking some sort of pose......

Victory Party and Recovery

Meanwhile, back at the hotel.....







By this time, I was stiff and sore and starving. I ate something and was *dying* for a hot shower. However, Julie (my mentor and roomie) had other plans for me and my aching legs. Ice bath first. She said it would do wonders for my soreness. So she filled the hotel wastebasket with ice, told me to run a cold bath, pour in the ice and GET IN. EEEEE-YOOWWWWW! My goal was 10 minutes but I only made it 7 minutes before I was literally shivering and could hear the ice clinking around in the tub.

(I am really grateful for Julie and everything she did, not just during our training, but also the night before and the afternoon after the race. She really helped me out and took care of me. She's done several marathons and her experience was greatly needed and appreciated. Thanks Julie!)

The original plan was to meet in the lobby at 5 pm to head to the Victory Party. We had gotten back to the hotel at 3 pm maybe, something like that, and I told George and Dennese there was no way I would be able to make it by 5 pm. I could hardly walk for goodness sakes. But after my hot shower (Which followed the ice bath and was one of the greatest showers of my life.) and a little rest, I was up for the party.

OK, so we actually took a cab to the party. It was only a few blocks to the trolley stop and just several more to the Convention Center, but our dogs were really barking. So cab it was. The Victory Party was fun - everybody was proudly wearing their medals and limping around in flip-flops. There was some great music and later people actually danced. I have no idea how they were shaking their groove thing. It was all I could do to make it to the buffet table. The food was good and we all just ate like we hadn't eaten in six months. I was STARVING. They had big screens and were showing pictures taken throughout the weekend. It was a fun way to celebrate our accomplishment.

I heard from Jodi and Connie that my preacher had announced to the entire congregation that night before his sermon that I had completed a marathon for the Leukemia Society for Dad. I also got word that I had received 2 additional donations. Thanks to Glenda P. and Jennifer S. for making a donation to my fundraising efforts!

But soon, we were all ready to call it a night. We decided to take the trolley back. While we were waiting for the trolley, a Burlington Northern Railroad train came by. Jessica said "Oh that's where Jacob's dad works." Well, that was one of Dad's accounts but I knew it was a big place so it was doubtful that he would know my dad. Then I found out his dad worked in MAINTENANCE and PURCHASING. Jacob called his dad and he TOTALLY KNEW DAD!!! How about that!?!?! It just seemed like the perfect little end to my amazing day. After waiting *forevever*, we ended up limping all the way back to the hotel.

I had brought various forms of pain-relief and aid. They were all utilized and greatly enjoyed. With a hotel room reeking of Icy Hot, I crashed in my soft cozy bed, watched Password, and then conked out. Sweet dreams of my awesome day.

The Finish Line

The entrance to the Marine Base was at about Mile 25.5. There were Marines at the entrance in their camo fatigues. I think some of them were clapping maybe....

As we entered the base, the course went down a little drive and then turned to the left. People still cheering and clapping. "Just half a mile to go!". So we trotted on. Then the next person up ahead "Just half a mile to go!". Forward motion. And the next person "Just half a mile to go!" That was probably the longest half mile I've ever seen. I remember asking George several times "Where is it? Where is the finish line? Where is it?" - because I could just not see it or anything that even looked like it. But I knew we just had to be close. Just another half mile, right? The path made a major right turn at this yellow concrete building and we almost immediately went under the arch.




Looking back now at this picture, I can see the 26 mile mark sign. See it there on the right? I didn't see it that day. Because I saw something else.....I saw THE FINISH LINE!!!!! There it was up ahead.



You can see from this picture how 'long' (or not long....) it was from the building arch to the finish line. I guess it was only .2 miles.......





People lined up everywhere - lined along the fence on that last little stretch. Cheering for me - BY NAME! And then I saw Jessica, Jacob & Dennese right there - cheering for me too!!! Jacob took this very flattering photo of me......Seriously though, I'm grateful he took this picture of me. And I'm so glad they were right there just rooting me to the finish line. (That was so sweet of them to even stick around for me because Speedy Jessica finished in 5:30:00 and hung around to see me finish! Thanks y'all!!) I wonder now how I ever even heard them or picked them out of the crowd. There were just TONS of people there.





There I go......another view of my best side.....




And then, I did it. I CROSSED THE FINISH LINE! I FINISHED THE MARATHON!!!!!!!!



It did get a little foggy right after that. I remember crossing the finish line and just continuing to walk on ahead. Then George came up behind me and was just smiling and laughing and really just seemed so darn proud and excited for me. Big hug and some tears. He brought me an ice cold towel and man oh man did that feel good. I hung on to that thing the rest of the afternoon.

Then I got my medal. There were several people lined up passing them out. A young girl - maybe 8 or 10 years old - put my medal on my neck. YEA FOR ME!!! A finishers medal!!! (Can you read the back? It says 'Finisher. I ROCKED!')






Then we headed to the spot where the 'official race finish photo' was taken. I was kind of crying and smiling at the same time.



Next on the finish line agenda was getting the chip cut off our shoe. They had a little metal step thing that couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 inches off the ground. It was all I could do to just lift my foot up there so the guy could cut it off.

We headed to a medic tent just to get in the shade for a minute. That's when I called Jodi. He answered the phone "7:00:53!!!". He and Jordan had been watching online and had just seen me cross the finish line. Major tears here when I talked to them. (Cooper was asleep.)

I picked up my gear - again, a little haul since 'W' was the VERY last truck...UGH. I had to "check out" at the TNT tent. Just so they could account for all the runners. Can't leave any bodies out on the course. I was presented my 26.2 TNT pin which I PROUDLY pinned to my ribbon on my medal.



We passed a few Marines and I said "I just ran a marathon!!!" and they said, very stiff and official, "Congratulations Ma'am" And I told them my daddy was a Marine and that was why I did it and thank you for serving our country and were they allowed to high five me or not..... And of course they were - so they did!

Then we found the rest of our team! Andrea, Dennese, Julie, Nicole & Jessica and their families were all there. More big hugs!!! Yea for us!!!

I managed to sit down on the grass and couldn't wait to get my shoes off. Aaaahhhh. That was much better. I was not hungry AT ALL. Nothing sounded good at all. I just wanted water. I saw George chowing down on a turkey sandwich and I thought I would just be sick right there on the spot.

I got a text from Connie: "you did it!!!!! i'm so proud of u!!! how do u feel?" and another from my friend Patti: "CONGRATS! U did great! Can't wait to hear about it".

I think then Connie called and we talked. Both of us bawling. Then I called Mom. Continued crying. I just remember saying "I did it." Over and over and over again.

And then, it all just hit me. The marathon. The finish. I had done it. I FINISHED. My dad. My accomplishment. MY DADDY. And I just wept. That's really the only way I can describe it. And I get a little teary right now just thinking it - just thinking about that moment and remembering the huge amount of emotion that I was experiencing. I will never forget that.

Slowly and painfully we made it to the bus for the shuttle back to the hotel. I never realized how steep bus steps are.... oh my.....Everybody on the bus was just high-fiving each other and congratulating each other. Because we had all just FINISHED THE MARATHON!!!


And yeah, we all just totally rocked it!!!!!

A funny thing happened on my way to the 8 mile marker.....

The Race - Miles 13-25

Miles 13-15 - Half way! My time at the half was 3:22:12 which put me on a nice 15:25/mile pace. There were tables of salt packets here. I grabbed some and had a little more. Yuk. But I was feeling ok- no cramping or pains or anything. I was just hot and thirsty. I was DYING for some water or PowerAde. George kept assuring me the next water stop was up "just up ahead". Right before the cut-off for the half marathon finish line, a TNT coach asked if I was running the full or half. When I told her the full, she told me to get some ice from the next medic station and put it in my hat. I am wondering what I must have looked like at that point for her to tell me that. I'm sure my face was beet red.

Toward the end of this leg, I was just not having as great a time. I was thinking there was no way I would be able to finish this. Here I was JUST half way and I had another 3 or 4 hours to go. There was just some doubt and question in my head.

Here's a shot of mile 15. Obviously this photo was taken well before I arrived on the scene. I think some of the wheelchair finishers did the race in two-something hours. But it's just another picture that shows you the course.




Miles 16-18 - Left Brain continued to rule here. We were approaching the Mission Bay area, so I knew pretty scenery and cooler breezes weren't too far ahead.

I had taken the advice of the TNT coach and was grabbing any ice I could find and was putting it in my hat. Aaahhhhhh....... A few times I would also get water and pour it down my shirt or on my head. How hilareous that is to me now - like I was a real runner or something.

Somewhere right in here there was a guy on the side dressed up like Scooby Doo. He had to have been burning up in that costume. But nonetheless, a little high-five from ol' Scoob.

I was continuing to fret about the next cut-off at mile 19.2. At this point, I was walking a lot more than I was running. And I was worried that it may have slowed me down enough to have to get on the bus. I didn't want that to happen. There were 2 TNT runners from Florida that I had been kind of keeping pace with and he assured me that if I kept my current pace, we would be just fine.

One of the neatest parts of the course was around mile 18 when we went through a neighborhood. They had their own water stations set up - card tables and styrofoam cups. Many of the houses also had their sprinklers set up to spray on the road or there were kids holding the hoses. It was just really a cool section. It's probably a big deal for them every year to help out. That was one of my favorite parts.

Miles 19-21 - Andrea (LLS staff member) was waiting at the 19.2 mark. Big hug and high five! I had given her a baggie with 2 gels and a bag of green apple sport beans. I still had one or two gels with me, so I wasn't interested in those. But I did want the sport beans. I also had ripped off my iPod and gave it to her. I had been listening to it off and on throughout the day, but at that point I could not stand to have it on my arm any more. Get. It. Off. My. Arm. She trotted along with me for a bit. I apparently had almost 45 minutes to make it about 2 blocks before the cut-off. So I was safe. HOORAY! No bus for me. I went on ahead and she said she would see me at the FINISH LINE!!!

(I found out later that there were several TNT runners that Andrea and other coaches and LLS staffers ran up and told them "You've got to run with me to that stop sign or you'll be getting on the bus." And they would go up and back, getting more and more people and speeding them up past the cut-off point. If you missed the cut-off point at this mark, you didn't even get to cross the finish line. The bus just took you to the 'finish area'. How heartbreaking that would be.)

This part of the course was so pretty because we were right on the bay. There were two sections where we went over a bridge so we saw the water on each side. Sailboats, etc. Very pretty.

From mile 20 and beyond, was brand new territory. I had never run anything longer than 20 miles before.....

I think this picture was taken somewhere along this part.




Somewhere along this part a girl started talking to me about my knee braces. It was nice to chat with her. For a bit. Then I was just tired of talking to her. I was really walking a lot here, but I also felt like she was walking quite a bit slower than me. So I wished her luck and trotted off.

These pictures were taken at mile 21. My time then was 5:31:32. That was a 15:47/mile pace. Still decent.






Mile 22-25 - UGH. Definitely the WORST part. I don't know if I hit the proverbial 'wall' or what. But it was just awful. It just ugly. I walked this entire part. My time definitely slowed down here. Maybe to a 17:00/mile or something. I just remember the course being so 'concrete' and 'gray' and not pretty. It was much less scenic. Part of it was on a frontage road I believe. I was just not enjoying it at all. But I was continuing to move. I never EVER stopped - even at water stations, I just grabbed it and kept going.

There were local cheer squads that rooted us all along the course.




I did run into one very zealous cheerleader who was doing this to apparently everybody...




She ran along beside me screaming my name and shouting "Run Angie! Run! You can do this! Move! GO GO!" I had been out there running for about 6+ hours at that point. And I figured she had been out there about 1 hour - 2 hours tops.... I told her to just "Come on then! Run with me!". I was very, very apprciative of their cheering and giving their time to encourage us. But at that point, all I really wanted to say to these peppy little, non-sweating, perfectly made up girls was SHUT UP.

These are actual quotes I said to George along this stretch:

• I'm ready to be done.
• What mile are we at?
• My feet hurt.
• I'm out of gas. There's nothing left.
  
• I want a shower and my bed.
• What mile marker did we just pass? (Simple math and basic counting were VERY challenging at this point.)
• My feet feel like a size 12.
  
• I want those pillows in the bed at the hotel.
  
• You are an idiot for doing these marathons. (Yes, I called my coach an idiot. I'm sorry George. It wasn't the real me talking during this part.)
• How much farther?
• My feet are killing me.
• I'm ready to finish this.
• I want to take my shoes off. (An emphatic NO from the coach at this request.)
• My. Feet. Hurt.
  
• I'm not having fun any more.

This glorious thing was waiting for us at mile 24. I could have stayed there all day long. If I thought I could have carried one of them with me for two more miles, I would have lugged it along......




I remember just trying to count it down to single miles. Just 4 more miles....just 3 more miles.....just 2 more miles......It seemed so darn DOABLE. But at the same time, just so far away.

Mile 25 took us down a street that would lead toward the entrance of the Marine Base. And the finish line. There were quite a few more people along the road here. There were people walking the opposite way wearing their medals. Everybody screaming and cheering "The entrance to the base is up ahead." "Just one more mile." "You're almost there!" It was becoming very real that the finish line was just up ahead. I was almost finished!!!

Ships and flags

Forgot to mention that at about mile 6, we ran past the USS Midway. Way cool. And way big.




I also saw Running Flag Man on the course. So did Jacob apparently, because he took his picture.



And so did the San Diego newspaper, because his picture was online too...



How on earth did he run with that flag stuck in his shorts?!?!? He must be speedy fast because his bib number is 831.....

The Race - Miles 1-12

I'm going to try to break the race down by miles - what the course was like, what was going on, what I was thinking, etc. However, I may be confused on some of the exact locations, and what happened when, etc. But I'll give it a shot. Just know that everything I tell you DID happen, I just can't be completely sure exactly WHEN or WHERE it did......

You can follow along on the course map if you want to. Here's a larger version.

Miles 1-3 - Got off to a good start. I still couldn't believe THIS. WAS. IT. Decided to run a 6/2 interval. There were people already lined up along the road cheering us on. A spectator on the side took my picture and I shouted "I'm being pursued by the paparazi!!" It was amazing and the adrenaline was pumping for sure. I started getting a cramp in my right calf. Just like usual. So I was trying to walk and stretch it out. I knew that after one or two miles, it would leave me alone. And sure enough it did.

George had been running along with me. He ran up to check on Lindy at one point. He instructed me that if we got separated, he would always wait for me under the next mile marker sign and I should try to run toward the right side of the road. You would think it would be easy for us to find each other, but there really were lots of people and tons of us had on purple jerseys.

Miles 4-6 - I actually said to George at mile 4 "I think I may want to do this marathon thing again." He laughed and said I would change my mind about five more times between then and the end of the marathon. (He was RIGHT.) I was feeling really good during this leg of the race. Had a nice pace. It all just felt really good. Looking back on it, this was probably the part where I felt the best and was doing the best. We ran through the Gaslamp Quarter and went right by the restaurant where we ate on Friday. Most of these miles were through the downtown area of San Diego.

Check out this picture. (Thanks again to Jessica & Jacob for letting me use their pictures....) -- there are runners as far back as you can see......

Miles 7-9 - We ran right by our hotel at mile 7. A guy was running beside me, kind of limping. I don't think it was a race-related injury of any kind. I just think he had a limp. He said "We're half-way to half-way." OK, a nice way of looking at it. Somewhere around mile 8 (maybe it was sooner than this, I can't remember exactly), I had to find a porta-potty. Unfortunately the first one we came to, had a pretty long line. But there way no way to wait until the next one. So I had to stop.

It may have been at about mile 8 or so that I got a text from my sister-in-law. "How did it go?!" Sweet of her to think of me right then.....but wowie - a long way to go yet......

Remember that all along the way there were people on the sidewalks cheering and clapping. And rooting for me BY NAME! Spectators, water stop volunteers, TNT coaches. Just lots of people cheering for me. That was just the neatest thing. And it's definitely what kept me moving. "Go Angie!" "Looking good Angie!"

The only big hill started at about mile 8 and continued through mile 10. The race actually started on this hill and we ran down to begin, then around, and then basically back up the hill where we started. It was on Highway 163 and while it was hilly, it was also slanted, sloped. The road was tilted - does that make sense? It was hard to run on that uneven road. Here's a pic from that 'highway' leg of the course. You can't see the slopey road though. Just the moderate hill.








Here's the elevation chart so you can see where we started and then where it rises at miles 7-10.

Miles 10-12 - This is where it got a bit dicey. There are two course cut-offs on the race. This is what it said on the race website:

In order to ensure that the roads reopen at the published times, there will be cut off points enforced along the course. These times and locations are as follows:

10:35 am at Mile 13.4 - This reflects a 17:26/mile pace
12:15 pm at Mile 19.2 - This reflects a 17:26/mile pace

Participants not upholding a 17:26/mile marathon pace at mile 13.4 will be rerouted to the finish line and complete an 18 mile course. Participants who do not uphold a 17:26/mile marathon pace at mile 19.2 will be stopped and transported to the finish line.

OK, no problem, right? Even when I'm walking SLOW, I'm faster than a 17:26/mile pace. BUT, George wasn't sure if they were timing the cut off from GUN time or CHIP time..... Hmmmmmm. It had taken us about 12 minutes to cross the start line. That's the difference between gun time (6:30 am) and my chip time (approx. 6:42 am). So he is calculating and adding and looking at a race pace printout bracelet he had on. And he tells me that I needed to pick up my pace or it may be questionable at the 13.4 mark for me. OH NO!!!!!! There was NO WAY I was getting on the bus. Are you kidding me?!?!? I. Am. Not. Getting. On. The. Bus. So he runs on ahead to wait for me. And I must have put it in gear because when I got to him and asked him - totally out of breath - "Are.....we.....pant pant......ok......pant pant pant........did......I......pant pant pant......miss.....the.....pant pant........bus???" And he said I had made up over two minutes and we were just fine. Thank goodness. What a speedy turtle I must have been! That would be a bad scene if I had to get on the bus. I spent the remaining 6 miles asking him and everybody around me if we were on track to miss the NEXT cut off at mile 19.2.

Some of the signs that I saw along the way:

• Thanks from a leukemia survivor (There were several of these along the course. And THAT is what made it all worthwhile.)
  
• Free beer (The spectators at this little 'unofficial refreshment stop' looked to be guys in their early 20's. And yes, 2 girls running right beside me stopped to chug a beer. Oh my. Now, I'm not a beer drinker. And I was very, very hot and thirsty. But I cannot imagine anything that sounded less appealing at that exact moment in time than a beer. This was maybe around mile 14-17 maybe. Can't remember. But it was *well* into the race. I later saw those girls a few miles ahead laying in the grass. Looked like they were stretching. Maybe they were RETCHING.....)
• You're farther now than you were
• Sweat is Sexy
• I wish we weren't here (saw that on a TNT runner's shirt)
  

Race Day! From the start.....

Early morning wake up call when the alarm went off at 3:30 am. "It's today!" I couldn't believe we were finally doing it. The marathon was today.

I took a quick shower and tried to eat a bagel with peanut butter. It just didn't seem to want to go down, but I knew I *had* to eat it. Rubbed Body Glide everywhere. Rubbed sunscreen everywhere. And we headed to the lobby.

As we left our rooms, we found that our coaches and mentors had decorated our door the night before. There were lots of doors of other TNT runners decorated throughout the hotel.

The lobby was full of purple TNT jersey-clad folks. Everybody was so excited - you could just feel it. More hugs and high-fives. "Are you ready?" we just kept asking each other. One quick team picture, and we headed to the bus.

It wasn't too long until we got to the start area. Balboa Park. It was still dark, but there were already tons of people milling around. We found a good spot right under a big tree and claimed it as our own. We had brought garbage bags to sit on and/or wear. I also had brought a long sleeved t-shirt. That morning, however, it didn't seem cool at all, so I never put the sleeves on. A few trips to the porta-potty. The lines were already growing.

Then, out of the blue, a band started marching down the street toward the start line playing a song. But it wasn't just any band. And it wasn't just any song. It was the Marine Corps band and they were playing the Marine Corps Hymn. Instant tears. MY DADDY....

I managed to catch Jodi and the kids by phone as they headed to church. I was glad to hear their voices before I started. "GO MOM!" A few text messages from Connie too. ("Good luck! Keep 17 min pace or they will drive u! I love you! Dad is proud!")

We took our gear bags to the row of UPS trucks. They were in alpha order by last name. Mine was all the way at the end of the row. After my hike back to our spot, it was about 6:15am and time to head to the corral.

We all weaved our way through the people and found a spot in Corral #19 (out of 23). There was a sea of people in front of us (remember, faster runners toward the front) and still tons of people behind us. We were all just so excited and nervous. Hugging, crying, holding hands, laughing, squealing - you get the picture. I can't tell you the emotion that we were feeling at that minute.

National Anthem. And then we heard the announcer start the race. Jessica (tallest member of our team) said she could see people ahead moving. And then a few minutes later we started walking. Slowly. We'd walk a bit and then stop. This went on a few times and then we were walking and walking. A bit faster and faster. And then there it was - the start line - and we crossed it! *SCREAMS* You could hear the beeps of the chips on our shoes being recognized as thousands of feet were crossing the mat.

We started running!

The marathon had begun!!

Saturday Part Deux

Right after we all got back to the hotel from the emotional Pasta Party, we had our team meeting in the lobby.

Andrea congratulated all of us on everything we had accomplished - from just deciding to do it, to training, to raising our money. She said we were already heroes no matter what happened tomorrow. George also congratulated all of his chicks. (He really did just seem so proud of us.) He talked about how far we had come and how we had trained and prepared and now it was here and we were ready for it. He gave us some race day pointers and also told us we would need to eat salt packets before and during the race to prevent cramping. That was a new one for us - none of us had trained with salt - but he assured us, it wouldn't make any difference in a negative way. George also said that on race day, every TNT coach would be OUR coach - not just him and Dennese. All the TNT people were there tomorrow for us.



They just kind of gave us a run down of the morning. Meet in the lobby at 4:30am. Head to the park by the start line. We would claim a little area that would be our spot until the start. Julie was going to run in front with the faster ones and George would hang in the back with the slower ones (i.e. ME). Andrea was going to be at the 19.2 mile mark (which is the 2nd cutoff point on the course - more about that later). She offered to hold on to anything that we may want later during the race, but not carry all during the race. Good idea. Julie and Dennese gave us a goody bag with bottled water, snacks, bandaids, green apple sport beans, TNT tattoos and purple pom-poms and a card signed by all the coaches and mentors. Julie had also purchased two cases of water which we all divided and were instructed to drink during the remainder of the day.



George wanted all of us to carry our cell phones on the course. I had not planned on doing that, and I knew it would cut into my space in my belt. I would have to refigure how to get all my stuff in my belt. But since Andrea was going to hold on to some things for us, I could split some of my stuff up like that. It later proved to be a great idea to have the phone and I'm glad he made us do it.


Here's our team! Me, George (coach), Julie (mentor), Lindy (she's a 2 time survivor!!), Jessica, Nichole, Dennese (coach), Anne. GO TEAM!!!








We had a little time to rest before dinner, then we all headed out together. We enjoyed a nice dinner together and cheered ourselves and our great team! During dinner, we realized it was TWELVE HOURS UNTIL THE START OF THE RACE!!! After we ate, we walked down to a Ghiradelli's Chocolate candy and ice cream shop. (Connie, it would have been heaven to you - you would have just *died*.) It smelled great in there, and I'm not even a big chocolate fan. None of the marathoners were allowed to have ice cream.....and we all upheld under the temptation. We just watched everybody else eat it....We did enjoy a tiny little free sample of chocolate though.

Back to the hotel to try to get some rest. I laid all my stuff out for the next day. And, in my OCD way, checked and rechecked and checked again.....

We set the alarm for 3:30 am and I think we turned the light out at about 9:30 pm. I slept pretty well. Much better than I expected. Although it's hard to "get a good night's sleep" when you have also been told to "drink water all day long".....

Tomorrow was it. Tomorrow I WAS GONNA' RUN A MARATHON!!!

He's proud of his peeps!

A congrats email from George this week:

Dear Rock n Roll Marathoners:

My heartiest congratulations for everyone participating and FINISHING the San Diego Rock n Roll Half or Full Marathon!

I know the huge sacrifices you and your families have made since January in training for this event, as well as the tremendous effort required to raise the funding required, and surpass it. But you all DID IT!

I am so honored and proud to have been a part of this process, and to think that many of you went from 0.0 to 26.2 (or 13.1) in a matter of 19 weeks is a phenomenal accomplishment! And from $0 to $4,000+ WOW! I suspect all of you had your share of both supporters and doubters all the while, but you have proven the supporters right and the doubters wrong. Me, I never had any doubt that each of you would stick it out and cross the finish line upright!

I hope all of you are taking that well deserved rest break, eating all the rewarding foods, and nursing any lingering maladies. I saw some attractive blisters on some, and perhaps for the really "special folks" maybe there are a few black toenails or missing toenails by now . . . the price of a TNT marathon warrior!

And certainly I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge and thank the mentors who were instrumental in this program - without them taking charge in a hundred ways, and covering my absences, none of this would have happened.

Thank you again for the opportunity to coach - it's been a rich and rewarding experience for me and will be cherished for years to come.

George

Saturday's Pasta Party

The day before the marathon.....

The odd hours and the time difference were playing with me a little bit and I had decided the extra rest would do me good. So I slept in. Until 8am (which is 10am Memphis time - wow!). We were instructed to take it easy on Saturday - not a lot of walking. And to drink a LOT of water. Julie and I had a nice little breakfast and then I went down to an outdoor mall area and just looked around a bit. It wasn't long before we had to take the shuttle to the Pasta Party.

The Pasta Party.... It was just beyond amazing. I really didn't know what to expect, other than some pasta for our carb-loading. But it turned out to be an event that I will never, *EVER* forget. It was at the Town & Country Resort & Convention Center.


As we headed toward the entrance, we were greeted by a huge 'TNT cheer line'. All the coaches and LLS staff and mentors were lining both sides of the walkway. They were cheering and screaming and clapping. They had horns and cowbells and airhorns. It was the neatest thing. It was loud and just totally electric. I've got chill bumps right now as I type just thinking about it.

Nicole and I grabbed hands and just walked through the hundreds of purple clad, wildly decorated people. They were cheering for US. "Just think what tomorrow will be like," we kept saying to each other. I don't know how, but I saw George on the other side of the walk. He pushed through all the people and gave me a big high five. Ever play Where's Waldo? Let's play Where's George? ....

Then, I saw a younger woman holding a sign that said "This survivor thanks you." And she was just crying and smiling and saying 'thank you'. And that's all it took. Because then I was crying too. I honestly don't think I'll ever forget that image of her. Then I saw Andrea - big hugs. And then there was Lindy - our teammate, a leukemia survivor herself. She was the only person I had not seen yet since we arrived in San Diego. Big hugs and more tears.

Thanks to Jessica and Jacob for sharing their pictures with me. I was so totally overwhelmed by the whole thing, using my camera never entered my mind.....




The line ended at the pasta buffet. So we filled up our plates with good carbs and headed to the ballroom to find our assigned tables. There must have been 2500-3000 people in that room. All TNTers and their friends and family. WOW! But then I realized that this was just the first seating for the Pasta Party - there was another seating that afternoon at 5pm. So we're talking 5,000 people. We heard from John "The Penguin" Bingham. He's a writer for Runner's World and also a spokesman for the TNT. He was so hilareous and gave us an overview of what to expect on race day. Sadly, all of funny, silly, crazy things that he said would happen during the race, totally did.....He's called the penguin because of his 'no need for speed' approach. My kind of guy. Penguins are apparently still faster than turtles though...Our other speaker was David Monson who is the husband of Susan Butcher. She was a champion Iditarod sled dog racer who fought and lost a battle with leukemia. He was excellent. He said that the LLS had asked him to come and speak to the runners, to be an inspiration to us. He said that HE was not the inspiration, that WE were the inspiration. You could have heard a pin drop in that room. And there wasn't a dry eye in the house. I was crying so hard that I was just hoping I wouldn't make some kind of choking noise or gasping sound or have some sort of audible sobbing. Wow - he was something. Our last speaker was a VP from Elite Racing (the company that puts the race together). He said he was probably the only person in San Diego that had on a suit at that moment. And the reason he wore a suit is because his mother told him that when he met important people, he should put on a suit. (That's us - important people!)

They recognized an 84-year old woman who would be participating in her 11th marathon on Sunday. And there were several fundraising awards. The national winner raised $51,000! Wowie. They also announced that we had all raised $12.5 million!!! $12.5 MILLION. Isn't that awesome?!?!?

We left the Pasta Party totally charged. It was an incredible experience - full of emotion. Truly an unforgetable event.

Next on our agenda was the Team Meeting.....