I registered for my first Full Marathon.
Fast forward 6 months where training began. With the guidance of my running coach Lori I started pounding the pavement. 531 miles of it to be exact. You can read all about training in last week's post 26.2 Lessons Learned Training for my First 26.2. The support, the friendships, the love, the work, the time, the dedication....all of it. Training for a marathon is LIFE CHANGING on so many levels.
With 18 weeks of training behind us it was FINALLY RACE WEEKEND!!!
Race Weekend
Friday we went to the expo and got our Bibs and some other fun stuff...it's basically a place where 25,000 runners go to get their race day essentials and/or start to get the butterflies. And oh were there butterflies.
Friday night the Mother Runners and our Support Staff gathered at our house to go over race day details. Or at least that's what they told us. They gave us our last #SupportStaff card which was a framed picture with our babes hand prints and our favorite Mother Runner quote on it.
Laura gave us cards with words of love and encouragement. Jen gave us bracelets with a 26.2 charm on them....I mean the tears were endless. THEN Heather and Jo (aka Support Staff) said it was time for the last surprise...and blindfolded us. What the hell. I hate being blindfolded...and I really don't like surprises. I assumed it was something our kids were doing for us and Zack kept messing with me while I was blindfolded...If I could have seen him I would have donkey kicked him.
We all stood together and they told us to turn around and take off our blindfolds and standing in my kitchen was my sister, her husband, and my niece.
I HAD NO IDEA THEY WERE COMING!!!!!!!!!!!! All the tears....all of them...Those bitches..I mean friends of mine...had been planning this for MONTHS!! I had spent many a long run being all woe is me...nobody from home is coming to watch this HUGE event in my life. I even would be sassy with my sister when she would talk about my race and say things like, "Well it's not like I didn't tell you the date back in JANUARY." Oh yeah. I said that more than once.
But now they are here!! And my sweet little niece is HERE! And I'm running a MARATHON!!!!!
Saturday we went to Zack's soccer game then came home and I snuggled Baby Grace for the rest of the day...there is no better way to hydrate and rest the day before 26.2.
Saturday night we went to our favorite pre-race restaurant...Smokehouse 52 where #supportstaff strikes again. They all had orange shirts made for our run the next day so we could find them in the crowds.
Then it was home....slight panic about what to wear the next day because it was the first 30 degree day since February...drink more water...finish packing my bag for after the race...and to bed where I was joined by the littlest babe who THANK YOU LORD fell asleep in 5 minutes. 3:15 a.m. was going to come quick!
Race Day Morning
Alarm goes off. Feet hit the floor. Dressed. Coffee. Breakfast. Adjustment. Everyone gets to my house and we are out of the driveway at 4:12. Record time.
Dana tells me to look out my window.........and jumping up and down in our front yard are two of our friends...one who is 34 weeks pregnant...giving us an incredible send off.
We get downtown really easily. Park. And walk up to MGM Grand where it's warm and has clean, FLUSHING toilets. It's about a 1/2 mile walk to the start line so we stayed warm in there until 6:10 and then headed towards the crowds, music, and the start line of our first Full Marathon.
The Start Line
After a few more bathroom breaks we found our coral MUCH easier than last year where we stood and waited for the first wave to start. And by stood and waited I mean cried, laughed, danced, cried some more, and yelled WE'RE RUNNING A FEAKING MARATHON multiple times. There is nothing like standing on that start line with the friends you have spent the last 18 weeks training with. We all watched each other sacrifice so much to be able to do this, we supported each other, we believed in each other, and we pushed each other so we could be 100% ready to run these 26.2 miles.
Laura had some goals in mind she wanted to accomplish but was going to pace with us for the first half.
Jen and I had agreed on one of our long runs that we were here to have fun. We wanted to feel like we raced at the end but we wanted to soak up every single second of this race. When I race a half marathon I don't remember anything...I don't remember the course...the people...nothing. I am so focused on my time goal I don't really see much of what's going on around me. We wanted to soak up every second of this day. A seasoned marathoner told me "You can never run your first marathon again...so enjoy it...you have the rest of your life to race." And that's exactly what we were planning to do.
As the gun went off for each corral we kept inching closer to the start line. Our people were following us up to send us off. It would be another 8 miles until we would see them again. The countdown for our coral is almost over....I look over and see Dana and my sister one more time...the gun shoots and we are off.
Mile 1
All the tears. All of them. We are running a MARATHON. We are warming up our cold muscles. Taking it easy over the uneven streets and dodging all the clothes people have already taken off and regulating our breathing all while trying to stop crying. Jen is wearing a Batman headband and I am wearing a Superman headband...to take my mind off of the emotions of what we are doing I asked...."If Batman were to fight Superman who would win?" Both Laura and Jen said Batman but since this is my blog, my rules...I win. SUPERMAN!!
Mile 2
The bridge is coming. Remember the article about it not being safe? Whatever...I'M RUNNING A MARATHON!!! Towards the end of mile 2 we start up the incline to the Bridge to Canada. You see the sea of runners that are already on the bridge, the sun is rising behind it, you can see Detroit on one side and Windsor on the other. We are about to cross that. As we're on the ascent a runner flys by me...arms out...head high...yelling "GOD IS GOOD EVERYONE!! LOOK AT THIS!!! LOOK WHAT YOUR BODY CAN DO!! GOD IS GOOD!!!"
Mile 3
We're on the Ambassador Bridge!! We head out of the U.S.A and into Canada within this mile! Coming into Canada is one of my favorite parts of the entire race. The announcer is amazing and the Border Patrol guys are.......HOT..........As we're running through the border the announcer starts the "GO GREEN-GO WHITE" cheer.....If you're not familiar with the Michigan/Michigan State rivalry or the outcome of the game the day before you may live under a rock. The runners and the crowd start either joining in on the GO-GREEN-GO WHITE or start yelling GO BLUE! Lots of energy in Canada....LOTS OF ENERGY!
Miles 4, 5, 6
Have I mentioned how fun Canada is? The crowds along the way...The signs...The music...Those miles flew by. At mile 6.5 we stop so Laura and Jen can enjoy tporta potties from hell and so I can take off a layer of clothes before going into the sauna...I mean tunnel back to the U.S.
Mile 7: The Underwater Mile
Jen and I did the International Half last year so we knew what to expect going into the tunnel...But Laura was a first timer and the dripping ceiling gave her a medium amount of panic. We joked and laughed through the whole thing. Partly at Laura's expense which ended in multiple middle fingers.
1. We took a picture with the HOT border patrol guys...something I would NEVER have done while racing a shorter distance (BONUS FOR DISTANCE RUNNING) .
2. I jumped to touch the USA banner. I missed by what felt like a centimeter. I'm hoping the photographers got a picture of it so I can see the insane level of my hops at almost 8 miles into a marathon.
3. Dan Budd was the first one of our people we saw and his sign that said, "Smile if you peed a little." Seeing his 6 foot 7 inch self holding that sign is a sight that will be ingrained in my memory forever.
4. The rest of our people were waiting for us just past the water station with an entire wall of signs that said "Run Like a Mother!" "YOOOO HOOOOO" and "My Marathon My Rules I Win." They had hugs and love for us that was going to carry us for another 5 miles.
Miles 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
This is the part of the first half that last year seemed to take forever. The first 8 miles are SO exciting and there's so much going on. Then there's miles 8-12.
I turned on my music around mile 10 and just kept going. We felt good. Our pace was consistent. I knew there was no finish line in 5 miles. But our people would be there...ready to send us out for the second half. And that's all I needed.
Mile 13
The part of the race I was most afraid of. At mile 13 the announcer is yelling "International Half Runners to the Right - Marathoners to the Left" That's us...we're the marathoners this time. I said to Jen..."Remember when we said this would never be us?" We run to the left and look over our right shoulder to see the balloons and the finish line 2 blocks away. We yelled SEE YOU IN 13.1 MORE!! And split off with the marathoners.
Our people were another block up and it was SO GOOD to see them. I saw my sister jumping up and down yelling "RUN LIKE A MOTHER!!" I hugged and kissed Dana, grabbed my GU and high fives from the rest of our people, and headed out for COMPLETELY uncharted territory.
Miles 14, 15, 16, 17
I knew this was going to be the longest stretch of the entire day. I knew it was going to feel like we were running on a deserted island compared to the first half. This is where I knew I would hit a wall if I didn't stay focused and keep moving forward. We had only walked through water stations and to choke down GU until this point and I was not going to change that now. We kept our pace consistant....around 10:50-11:00 minute miles. And just kept going. Around mile 16 I got a text from a friend of ours that said, "Thinking of you both this morning! Way to kick ass and get it done- your boys are so lucky to have such amazing, strong, determined moms." This mom has conquered WAY harder things in her life than 26.2 miles. I read it out loud to Jen through all the tears. It was just the boost we needed. One foot in front of the other. Just keep going. I kept counting down the miles untill we would see our people. 4 more miles. 3 more miles. 2 more miles.
Mile 18
We were in Indian Village at this point...aka...beautiful houses and beer stations as far as the eye could see. This is a part of Detroit I didn't even know existed and it is incredible! Those houses were something out of a magazine and the people were so positive and encouraging. Laura was ready to pick up her pace for the final miles so she started to kick it. We sent her off we all the yells of WE LOVE YOU!! RUN LAURA RUN!!! SEE YOU AT THE FINISH!!! One more mile to our people.
Mile 19
Towards the end of Indian Village was my favorite cheer station. The homeowners made a HUGE brick wall cut out...big enough for us to run through with the words THE WALL at the top. We were running through The Wall. Not hitting it. We were running through it. We will be at our people in less than a mile.
A few minutes later we saw the bridge to Belle Isle. It's a 4 mile hike for our people to get there so we weren't sure how many of them would have made the trek.
We come around the corner heading towards the bridge and there they are...a sea of orange shirts and a HUGE sign that said, "Finishing is your only FUCKING option." EXACTLY what we needed to see. Hugs and kisses for the hubby and the Baby Grace. When I registered for this race I told my sister the date RIGHT AWAY and told her that I NEEDED her and that baby (who wasn't even born yet) to be at mile 19 as I was going onto Belle Isle. And they were there!! Our #supportstaff had killed it again. Heather, Jo, Ali, Heather Stemm, Rylie, Spencer, Katie, Dan Budd, and Baby Grace made that hike for us...to send us off to the final push. The next time we would see them would be at the finish line.
As we were heading out onto Belle Isle I said to Jen..."We are going to do this!! We are really going to do this!!" We are going to be Marathoners.
Mile 20
We stopped at the aide station to use the MUCH cleaner porta potties (fewer full marathoners = porta potties not from hell). A few feet away is the mile 20 marker and the timing mat that will show our people we are a 10k from the finish. As we are adjusting our clothes because sweaty clothes NEVER go back in the same spot...............This amazing volunteer from the aide station comes up to us and looks at our green bibs (that's what means we are first time marathoners). She says this......
"You two can do this. You are 6.2 miles from the finish line. That means you are 6.2 miles from being MARATHONERS! Run, walk, whatever you have to do get to that finish line. When you cross it they will put a medal around your neck and YOU WILL BE MARATHONERS! No one will ever be able to take that away from you. You've earned it. Now GET TO THAT FINISH LINE!"
I will never see this woman again in my life but I will NEVER forget her words.
Miles 21 and 22
Around Belle Isle Jen and talk like we do on any long run. She asks me if i'm ok with our pace and how we are doing and I am...I am 100% happy with how I feel and the experience I have had. We are having so much fun and I know I will remember every step of this day for the rest of my life....and that was exactly what we had set out to do. We listen to our two favorite songs...Shut up and Dance which is a song that sums up my husband to a T, and Honey I'm Good which was written for hers. We laugh. We joke. She dry heaves over a GU that has been smashed on the ground. I make fun of her. She flips me off.
There is not another person on this earth I would want to be out there doing this with. We have suffered together, sacrificed together, and grown as moms, wives, and friends together. She lets me be me and I love her so much for that.
Mile 23
We have 3.2 miles to run...a 5k. Jen says, "we have a 5k left." I am CHOKING down tears at this point. I didn't want to walk now...we hadn't walked yet. But crying makes me have a side ache and I was tired...and sore...and there was no time for crying. I compose myself as much as I can and say, "There was a time in my life I couldn't run a 5k." She knows...she was there...she has watched how hard I've worked to be able to run. And she has done it too. Her first 5k was not pretty. But we let those experiences push us to be the runners we are now....A 5K away from being Marathoners.
We get to run along the river front for the next mile and it was beautiful. I just let my mind travel...all positive thoughts. All things about how far we both have come since we started running such a short time ago.
Mile 24
We walk through the aide station and there is a guy that has already finished his marathon that has walked back to cheer on the rest of the runners. He looks in my eyes and yells, "2 more miles!!" I give him the THAT'S A LONG WAY RIGHT NOW BUD look and as I'm running away he's yelling, "You 24 miles down and 2 to go. YOU HAVE EARNED THIS!! RUN!!!"
Mile 25
We pass the Mile 25 flag. LAST MILE! ONE MORE MILE until we see our people. ONE MORE MILE until the finish line. ONE MORE MILE until we are MARATHONERS!! During training we always kicked the last mile to see what we had in our tank. We didn't run 25 miles to walk the last one but we didn't have a lot of kick left in us. We agreed to run it the best we could. We round the corner and ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!??!? A hill. A BIG ASS HILL at mile 25?!?!? We ran that hill because we are less than a mile from that title that no one can ever take away from us.
We go under a bridge and I check the ECHOOOOOOO...it was good. I can tell we are getting closer. There's more people. More finishers that are coming back to cheer us in. We are almost there.
Mile 26 - 26.2
I can see the mile 26 flag only a block ahead of us and the hill that goes up to turn to the finish line. There was a man right by the flag that looked right at us and said "THIS IS IT! THIS IS WHAT YOU'VE TRAINED FOR!! GET UP THAT HILL AND FINISH YOUR MARATHON!!!"
Up the hill.
Around the corner.
There it is...The finish line we passed 13.1 miles ago.
I hear our people SCREAMING for us.
We kick it with everything we had left.
We get closer.
Our people get louder.
I don't even try to stop the tears.
Run. Run. Run.
I look over at our people one more time.
And just like that....WE ARE MARATHONERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Laura was waiting for us right on the other side of the finish line and we all celebrated together.
We are Moms. We are Wives. And we are MARATHONERS!
Laura finished in 4:48 and Jen and I finished in 5:07 which is right where I thought we would be!
Post Race
We smile. We yell WE ARE MARATHONERS a million times. We laugh. We take a million pictures. We go to back to MGM Grand to use the clean bathrooms. Then off to EAT and finally HOME TO SLEEP!!
There is not a single part of the race I would have done differently. I loved every single second of it. I would even say it is most defiantly up there with our wedding day in the "Best Days of my Life."
What's next? The sky's the limit...I'm a freaking marathoner.
