The Sweetest Run.

April 25, 2010 at 8:48 pm | Posted in And I ran (I ran so far away) | 32 Comments

I DID IT.

Today I ran 13.1 miles. And finished my half marathon in 2:18:18.

Truthfully, at about 7am this morning I was ready to throw in the towel, pack the family up, and just head home.

We had an AWFUL night. O went to bed fine, but woke up at 2am. And by 3:30, when he threw a massive crying fit – complete with SCREAMING – I was beside myself. J grabbed him (once we managed to calm him down), told me to go back to bed, and took O for a long drive in the countryside in the hopes that O would sleep in the car.

I did manage to fall back asleep, but when I woke with a start at 6:15 and they weren’t there, I flipped out. I was convinced that J had fallen asleep at the wheel somewhere and they were dead in a ditch. (Can’t say my first thoughts are rational, not at all.)

I called him and he told me that they had just got back to the hotel. And O was awake.

Not a good sign.

So when O threw another tantrum at about 6:45 when we were trying to pack, I nearly broke down and got in the car to go home.

Thankfully J again saved the morning – calmed O down and we drove to the race site.

It was a GORGEOUS MORNING. Chilly, but blue skies and lots of sun (take THAT, weather.com!). J and O went to walk down a bit to see the beginning of the race, and I used the portapotties one last time then lined up with the others.

There weren’t many runners – just over 500. Which is small compared to some of the races I’ve done (one where my number was 2 thousand something!). So when the gun went off, it didn’t take me long at all to get to the starting line. I waved at J and O and was off.

The course was, in a word – GORGEOUS. We ran through the center of Middlebury before we detoured through farmland. I felt GREAT – and at my first split at 3 miles I was ahead of my desired time by about 4 minutes. At mile 6, I was still ahead by 3 minutes and hadn’t had to stop ONCE to walk. I was feeling GOOD when I had my first energy gel at mile 6.

Multiple times along the course I wish I had a camera with me. Vermont is so beautiful – lush green farmland and pastures surrounded by this ring of the Green Mountains. I felt like I could run forever.

We wound back towards town and I got to see O and J at mile 7 – I was really surprised by them, and it was SO awesome to hear O yell “MOMMY!!!” and wave at me.

It was about mile 9 when I felt my legs starting to cramp. Just then we hit the hilliest part of the course (of COURSE, that’s how it goes, right?) and I started to struggle. The sun was in my face, I was hot (again freaking overdressed for the weather, ugh!) and I was THIRSTY. I knew there was a water station at just past 10, but I needed it now. So at mile 10 I grabbed two waters and tossed them down along with another energy gel.

The rest of the course was ROUGH. I was tired enough that there were a few moments where I thought I couldn’t run a step more. Some people call it hitting the wall. I knew I’d make it to the finish line, I just thought I’d have to walk the rest.

Then I got to about mile 12.5, and I could SEE the sign for mile 13. And when I slowed to walk yet again, an elderly gentlemen with whom I was leapfrogging (I would pass him, then he’d pass me when I had to walk) waved at me as if to say “come on! Let’s go chicky!” I took one of my headphones out of my ear and said “thanks.” He rsponded “I don’t leave anyone behind.”

I’m not sure where the energy came from, but I ran the rest of the way there. And I saw the finish line, and J and O waving at me like mad, and I sped up.

And then my throat closed and I teared up. Crossing that finish line was unbelievably emotional for me. I’ve worked so damn HARD. I’ve run through rain and snow and cold and dark and sun and heat. I’ve gotten out of bed two days a week at 4:30am and devoted hours of my Saturday mornings for it. I’ve lost 25lbs and changed my body and regained some CONTROL of my life again.

And even better? 15 years ago to the DAY was when my Grandpa Conroy died. And as I crossed that finish line today, I SWEAR I heard his voice in my head telling me that I could do it. I like to think that he’d be really, REALLY proud of me.

I’m REALLY proud of myself. Even if I didn’t manage to finish in the time I wanted.

I DID IT.

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