All winter. All looonnnnggg...cooooollllddddd....snoooowwwwwyyyyy...winter I've been running.
Why? Life. Life is why.
But also I knew after my half last fall I wanted to do another distance race in the spring to kick off the running season and keep me moving all winter long. So when I found the Grand Rapids River Run and read some of the awesome reviews I had a goal. I knew it was a 25k...I did the math....and by did the math I mean used my calculator...and figured out it was 2.4 miles farther than a half marathon. Perfect.
So I ran through the fall when the weather was BEAUTIFUL.
I ran through the holidays when I really just wanted to sit on the couch and eat mashed potato sandwiches.
I ran through snow storm after snow storm after snow storm.
I ran early in the morning trying to dodge the next snow storm.
I ran through 3 polar vortexes.
I ran when it was -22 degrees.
I started my spring training in February when it was still snowing. and freezing. and there was ice covering everything. But I still did it.
I conquered The Winter of 2013.
All to get ready for my first race of the year. A 25k...15.5 miles.
I had followed my training schedule almost perfectly accept my last long run was 12 miles instead of 14...I had to skip the last weekend of my training due to my sister's bachelorette party...though I could make an argument that the amount of dancing in high heals that commenced COULD pass for 14 miles of running. Just sayin.
So in reality...if I was running a half marathon I would have been GOLDEN. However this was 2.4 miles FARTHER than that. I just figured I'd tackle that little bit of information when I got there.
The night before the race was unlike ANY other I've ever experienced. I ate an amazing dinner. I drank all the water. I closed my eyes at 9:15 and opened them at 4:22...8 minutes before my alarm...I wasn't woken up by any children...or dogs...or stampeding husbands....or my intense fear of my alarm not being set. It was amazing.
I woke up..and went downstairs and found my wonderful husband making me breakfast and my coffee already started. He is the coach for our son's t-ball team and they had a game that morning so he wasn't going with me. I showered. Got dressed. Drank coffee. At my wonderful breakfast. And right as I was about ready to leave a car pulled in our driveway...I was riding with a friend that was going to watch her mom but I told her I was picking her up..I thought since I was running a little late she must have decided to come to me. I opened the door and found my most treasured babysitter...I knew she was suppose to be coming later that morning to help Dana with the little kids while he coached t-ball but why was she here at 5:00 in the morning....I actually said..."Hi...I thought Dana said 9:30." She said, "SURPRISE!"
I turned around to find Dana fully dressed and ready to go. HE WAS GOING WITH ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had NO idea. I was so so so so surprised. I cried. Running is a big deal to me and to my friends and family that don't run (my hubs is NOT a fan of running) I look like a crazy person. But what means the most to me is when these people that think I'm completely looney toons support me. And that's exactly what he was doing.
We hopped in the car...Picked up our friend that was going with us and we were off.
Easy drive.
Coffee worked like a charm.
Found packet pick up.
Got my gear checked and bib on.
Found this guy.
Found the founder of a secret group of running Goddesses...note the wicked awesome headbands.
Made my way to the area between the 10:00 and 10:30 mile pacers. And started my music.
Instant tears.... All the mountains that I moved to be standing at the start line. All the time I sacrificed with my family to be able to train. All the hours in the freezing cold....All of the runs I dodged snow piles and ice covered sidewalks....
It was finally time. Time to run. Time to put all of that hard work to the test.
I had an incredible playlist made with songs that remind me of people or events in my life...I had superhero tattoos on my arms for my babes....
I was ready.
There were THOUSANDS of runners. So It took about 8 minutes to get to the actual start line after the gun went off...I started to compose myself about 4 minutes in but then passed my husband and friend on the sidewalk and cried again. I still couldn't believe he was there.
As the actual start line got closer and closer I continued to pull it together.
I crossed the mat and we were off. The hardest thing about races is not starting to fast when the adrenaline is PUMPING.
I had gone into this race with really no "plan"...I know...very not type A of me. But this was a distance I had never ran....From training I knew what my body could do but my mind is a POWERFUL thing. Ask my husband...........................................................
So I decided to run between a 10 minute and 1030 minute mile and then give it all I had for the last 3 miles.
Let's break it down.
Mile 1: 9:53
This mile consisted of lots of tears, awesome crowds cheering us on. Little kids holding signs that said things like, "Run Mommies Run" and "My Mom Has Superpower!" Not gonna lie...I'm crying while thinking about it. There is nothing like being a mom. NOTHING. And being a mom that is a runner is a whole other animal...and these little kids holding those signs missed their mommies on long runs...and waited in the windows to wave as she ran by their house to give her that little boost she needed to finish those sometimes never ending miles. Mile 1 was awesome.
Mile 2 - 7: About a 10:15 average
This was simply beautiful. Totally shaded...all along the river. Aide stations every 2 miles. I made a deal with myself that I could walk through the aide stations because trying to drink water and NOT swallow a bunch of air which causes incredibly loud burping.........................is not easy to do while running. The volunteers were AMAZING. I mean for real...cheering us on. High fives. Reminding us to smile every mile. Just amazing.
I kept the crying to a minimum BUT there were these teams of 3 or 4 runners pushing handicapped kids in these awesome chairs...all of them were dressed in red, white, and blue, and everyone would whistle and woop it up when they would run by....got me every time.
At mile 7 was the turn around...I had just managed to consistently stop crying and then boom. A huge group of kids giving high fives. Though through all of the spectator spots this far I had not seen my husband...I didn't think he would come quite this far out on the bike paths but I was hoping to see him soon.....I needed a familiar face.
Mile 8-10: 11 min mile pace
I knew I wanted to kick it in the ass the last 3 miles so I wanted to save some energy for them. But shit was getting real. My muscles were starting to get tired and that dirty little voice in my head was starting to speak louder than the music I had blaring in my ears. And then...like I had planned it...which I swear I had not...The song, "Living on a Prayer" came on right as I was coming to this sign. And out loud with every ounce of my being I sang "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH YOU'RE HALF WAY THERE OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH LIVING ON A PRAYER!! TAKE MY HAND....WE'LL MAKE IT I SWEAR OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LIVING ON A PRAYER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" There may have been some jazz hands and fist pumps going on as well.
Shut that little voice RIGHT UP.
Mile 10 - 12: The hills....oh the hilllllllssssssssssssssssss. I walked some...I ran some....I wanted to crawl some.
But then you see this. And you just keep going.
I FINALLY saw my hubs. It was the perfect time. I needed to see him. Needed to see him give me that "I have no idea why you torture yourself with this sport but I love you anyways" smile. I loved knowing that he was there...somewhere...and he was just there for me. To show me how much he loves me...and supports me even though he has absolutely no idea why I run. He was still there. I needed to see him....and he was there.
Not to long after that I saw it...a giant sign that said 13 MILES. I was in pain. I was ready to be done. And if this was a half marathon...I would have been almost there...but because this was 2.4 miles LONGER than a half marathon I still had work to do. Work I did not want to do...For the next 2 miles that little voice in my head would.not.shut.up.
WHO WANTS TO RUN MORE THAN A HALF MARATHON? She said.
YOU REALLY ONLY TRAINED FOR A HALF MARATHON DISTANCE. She said.
LET'S WALK. WALKING IS BETTER She said...so I walked and tried to stretch my hips out but it didn't help. I ran again. And now we were running through subdivisions where there were sidewalks and tons and tons of signs in yards and signs spectators were holding. And the kids....oh the kids...There were kids all over giving the runners high fives and holding AWESOME signs. Every time I would see a line of little humans holding their hands up for a high five I would cross to that side of the street and woop it up with them. That's when I said to myself.....SERIOULSY....if you can jig and jag through these runners to high five these sweet little kids you can finish this race like a freaking rock star. As we were nearing downtown aka THE FINISH LINE there was a sweet little boy holding a sign that said, TOUCH FOR POWER.
I did.
And then I ran.
Right as we rounded the last corner my music stopped and I'm so so glad it did.
A man standing on the corner looked me right in the eyes and said, "YOU CAN DO THIS!! LAST CORNER!! YOU'RE ALMOST THERE!"
The crowd was cheering so loud.
With tears streaming down my face I ran as fast as I possibly could up the last hill. I looked at my watch and it said I was doing an 8:30 pace. I KNEW I could finish it strong...It wasn't the last 3 miles like I had planned...but it was the last quarter mile. And I ran that quarter mile with more strength and determination than any other step I've ever taken.
Their was no more little voice telling me I couldn't do it.
No more self doubt.
The only thing I heard over and over and over again is YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT!
And I did.
I crossed the finish line. And it was worth every mountain I had to move to get there.
I was handed my medal by a man that said, "You earned this sister!"
You're damn right I did.
I hobbled to the water and food and then I found it...Watermelon..........The best post race food I've ever tasted.
I called Dana to see where he was and sat down to wait for him to come rescue me. I thought about the race....I was dissappointed that I walked. I was dissappointed that I didn't run negative splits. And as I was sitting there thinking about what I did wrong I looked at my legs...These legs that used to be my most hated part of my body. These legs that just carried me 15.5 miles. These legs that are built like a brick shit house.
15.5 miles. I've never ran 15.5 miles. WHO GIVES A SHIT ABOUT NEGATIVE SPLITS AND WALKING UP SOME HILLS AND STOPPING TO STRETCH!?!??!?!??!
Then the tears started again.
Once I composed myself again I checked my watch to see how I did...Since I love numbers...and goals...and always seeing if I've done better..................TYPE A.................. Even though this wasn't a half it still timed me for that distance...and this started the tears all over again.
Last fall I ran my first and only half marathon in 2 hours and 41 minutes. During this race I crossed the 13.1 mile mark over 20 minutes faster than that and I still had 2.4 miles left to go.
My pace was around 10:49/10:59 per mile...my watch says 10:49...The running app says 10:59...whatevs....Because my pace for my half last fall was 12:41/mile. Yeah. Do the math.
A year ago RIGHT NOW I could run ONE mile in about 12 minutes...I just ran 15.5 miles with a sub 11 minute mile pace.
The numbers don't lie.
That little voice in my head does.
Afterward I met up with a group of Running Goddesses.... loved getting to talk to these women. We've supported each other for months but never met in person until now. It's like we had been friends forever. And we ate a lot of delicious food like this.......................mmmm...............................
My friend, hubs, and I drove back to our sweet little town where my babes were waiting for us.
That friend that drove us all the way to the race THEN invited our family over for dinner...UGH>>> I seriously don't know what I would do without the wonderful people here.
I was in bed by 9:15 and slept like a rock...or like a runner that just conquered the world. Same thing.
The next day I had enough strength and energy to get up with the kids and the crack of dawn, cook them breakfast while the exhausted hubs slept in EVEN THOUGH it was Mother's Day...I think he earned it....and then take the herd to church, grocery shopping, and to the park.
When we got home it was my turn to relax. And it felt oh so good.
Every race is important. Every race means something to me. This one was a lot more than just running faster and farther than ever before...This race almost didn't happen. I almost didn't go. I almost gave up. I almost let that little voice take over before I was even at the start line. I'm so thankful I didn't.
Left: First 25K...May 2014
Right: First 5K...June 2013
JUST>KEEP>GOING
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