Marine Corps Marathon - the last 6 miles

I saw my family again at mile 20. I was so elated inside, but having a hard time expressing it fully outwardly - I was wiped! I am caught on camera walking. No shame I tell you, knowing how the cramping was making me feel. I hugged them and headed off to go a distance I've never gone before.
(video won't load but I'll try again later...)

Each step here after was one further than any other run. I was thrilled about that. I had something else to look forward to as well. My childhood friend, whom I've known since I was 4, had been keeping in touch with me on FB through training. He sent me a message a few weeks ago, and offered to jump in and run with me around mile 20 or so. I had not seen him since our senior year at college. Right before I got to "the bridge", I saw this guy clapping and cheering me on. It was my friend W! He found me and jumped in, and we picked up where we left off. He filled me in on life since you can only catch up so much on Facebook. That helped the miles go by fast. He let me know in great detail what turns, slight inclines, crowds, sights, etc, would be coming up. It was like having a tour guide. He ran the MCM 3 times if I remember correctly. As each last mile went by s-l-o-w-l-y - my calves got tighter and tighter. They felt like steel rods. My arches and toes started to hurt bad. My side stitches lightened up as other things started to hurt. My heart or chest got really tight again and this time I felt like I could not breathe for 20 or so seconds. That happened one more time around mile 25. (Still trying to figure out what that was all about but my man thinks it may be exercise induced asthma. Why didn't I have that during training?!) We walked for a minute here and there but it seemed like 5 seconds. I was hurting but so determined to finish. And my friend W was an awesome support to me and to others who could hear him around us. He has run 7 marathons, finishing all of them in the 3 hour time range. Just awesome! But despite my snail pace, he got me to mile 26, told me what to expect going uphill the next .2 tenths of a mile, and left me with a surging energy to conquer the home stretch. I ran those last .2 strong - slow - but strong. I heard my name being called and there they were- my♥family! I could not see them very well but was so glad they saw me cross the finish line. I threw my hands in the air, knowing the cameras were all around.




My heart rejoiced as I crossed over the mat. I was flooded with emotion but too drained to cry. I abundantly thanked God for helping me achieve this goal. The marines were all around, smiling, congratulating us for finishing. I kept walking up the chute and finally a marine walked toward me, put the medal around my neck and congratulated me. In return, I hugged him and thanked him for his service and sacrifice - a truly grateful moment. I continued to walk around, got an aluminum blanket, and felt so good when I wrapped myself in it. I found the Iwo Jima Memorial and got my picture taken in front of it, then walked a little more and called my man. It took us about 25 minutes to meet up. We had no idea where each other were. I ran into my friend from 10th grade again! We talked about the run briefly and parted ways again.

I finally found my family. We all hugged but I noticed my 16yo had a slight 'tude going on. OK, this is funny...He's a good son, and by God's grace, not a typical teen as society would define. So I was asked what was up with him? He said to me, "i'm tired". Hahahaha!  Are you laughing like we were? It's not what you want to tell a person who just ran 26.2 miles! We have a good sense of humor and love telling our family and friends that liner. :)

Since we took the metro into DC, we had to get out via Metro. Let me tell you, this is the only thing I thought the race could improve. Having signs to the metros on each end would have been very helpful. The masses went to the one metro station where all the tents were. The line to get on the metro was an hour long. And it was going downhill. I decided to lay down on the sidewalk and prop my legs against a tall building while my family decided what to do. Some Red Cross volunteers hovered over me to make sure I was ok. They were persistent as I promised I was just fine and tired. :) We decided to walk to the Arlington Cemetery station. In total, we walked over 2.5 to 3 miles after the race. At least there was plenty of room on the train when we boarded! Let me make note here - bring flip flops or sandals post race next time!

the time we got home!

We finally got to our car around 3:45 . We ate at Quizno's. I wasn't really jonesing for anything special. I thought about Chipotle but wasn't sure if my tummy would appreciate salsa after 26 miles. So I settled for a French Dip. First time I had one. And a cup of broccoli cheese soup. I ate half and saved the other half for when I was in bed. I figured I'd wake up hungry and didn't want to go up the stairs. It served me well around 11pm. :)

It's taken me over a week to write my thoughts on the race. My quads were so sore the next day. My left knee was a little swollen and stiff for a few days (behind the knee, on the back side of the leg where it bends). We drove home Tuesday and stopped many times so I could walk a little. It was hard to lift my legs! Wednesday, I got a post race massage. By Thursday, I was feeling normal. Will I run another marathon again? You betcha'!! I love the training and miss it already. It has taught me so much and has created sweet memories with my children now that they can tag along on their bikes. I've got my sights set on one in March, here in Atlanta. I want to beat my time more than anything, and run it even better the second time around. Until then... I'll continue to be thankful for the gift and ability of running - and run happy!