The much anticipated and awaited weekend arrived with a
great flourish of fanfare. After months and months of training in the bleak,
cold winter that wouldn’t end, Scott and I traveled to Charlottesville, VA with
my parents for the big race.
The first thing we did upon arrival was go to the Expo to
retrieve our race packets including our bib (race number with timing chip) and
race shirt. We then carb loaded at a fancy local eatery in the pleasant
downtown area of Charlottesville. The restaurant was located on a street turned
pedestrian only street with fun restaurants, used book stores, guitar playing
students look for quick cash and other hipster type relics. It was really cool
and we very much enjoyed sitting and observing the crowds. (Special reader note:
Charlottesville Virginia is the home of University of Virginia also known as
UVA. The students attend their football games in preppy fashion. For guys:
collar shirt with tie or bowtie, blazer, khaki shorts, Sperrys and sunglasses.
For gals: sundress, flip-flops or sandals, sunglasses and pearls. In a
nutshell, rich kids go here. Knowing this is important because for all my BYU
friends, C’Ville, as it is so lovingly referred to by the locals, is NOTHING
like Provo! However I do think Provo could use some sprucing up…)
After dinner we started to drive the course, per my request.
It was getting dark and the directions were difficult to understand but we
tried for about the first 10 miles until I finally decided I’d gotten a decent
sense of the course and wanted to go back to the hotel to get some rest.
(Actually I was getting increasingly overwhelmed by the amount of hills I was
seeing and needed to get my anxiety in check.) It was a good thing we came back
when we did because as we were prepping our things for the next morning (wakeup
call at 5am), Scott realized he forgot to pack shorts. Back in the car for a
quick run to Walmart where he bought his shorts and we got back to the hotel in
a decent time for bed.
Here are the highlights of how I slept before the big race:
One room shared with parents (thanks for paying
for our room! Much appreciated!). One King bed for them, one pull-out couch for
us. Pull-out couches can be comfortable but this was not one of them. We could
feel every spring. And it was small.
Fell asleep around 10:30 and woke up to noises
around 11:45.
Tried to sleep on the floor.
At midnight, I went into the bathroom to sleep
in a separate room. I’m a light sleeper and some things keep me up, i.e.
noises, nerves, anxiety, etc.
3am I decide to get out of the smallish tub I’ve
been sleeping in (yes, I mean bathtub) and try the spring loaded mattress
again.
5am comes much too quickly and I had managed to
get another 2 hours of sleep.
Total amount of hours slept: approx. 5
At 5am, we get up. I stretched and ate breakfast and we get
in the car to go to the start in downtown Charlottesville. The race started at
7 but we got there early to warm up, use the bathroom and do other necessary
prerace things. My parents and sister-in-law Sandra were there at the gun to
cheer us on. The race is capped at 3500 runners for the full and half marathon
together and I imagine there were about that many runners present.
 |
| Before the race began. Oh how naïve we look... Just wait! |
We were in a
huge mob for the first 5 miles and then we split to see
the difference between the boys and the men, as it were. About three-fourths of
the racers were for the half-marathon and the rest of us trailed off, single
file to the left through campus. We felt good for the first half of the race
(13 miles) and then we started to get tired and hurt but we pressed on. We took
advantage of every water station, sucked down energy goo like candy and pressed
on to the end. It didn’t really start to hurt until mile 20. I kept hearing and
joking that if you can run 20 miles, the last 6 are cake. *Vigorous shaking of
the head* That is just not so! Two things you should know: the course was
INCREDIBLY hilly and getting from mile 20 to 21, you cross paths with people
running the last .2 miles of the race! So you can see the finish lie 2 blocks
away but you still have 6 more miles to go. EVIL!
Mile 23 was the hardest one for me. I think my sleep
deprivation and overall exhaustion finally got to me and I started to cry. Yes,
I cried. A little. Scott at that point became my brain telling me when and what
to do. He said, “You need to conserve your water. Stop crying. Just calm down
and we are going to walk right now and then we’ll run for 4 minutes and then
walk for 1 and just keep doing that cycle until mile 24.” Let me say this, I
was doing great the entire race. I was happy, I felt great on the uphill
portions and we were hitting 10 minute miles like clockwork for the first 9-10
miles. The turning point was somewhere around mile 17-18. We were in a
residential neighborhood with long hills and my foot and knee were killing me.
Scott and I had been doing a great job keeping up with each other. We were
always within eye sight of each other if one of us surged ahead. At mile 22, I
grabbed water and began walking longer than I had previously. Scott passed me
and I struggled to catch up with him. When I did, it was around mile 23 and the
meltdown started. I mentally, physically and emotionally didn’t thing I could
run another 3 miles. I am so lucky to have a husband who was there to push me
when I hit that wall.
Mile 24, we walked the entire mile. It was definitely
needed.
 |
| This was taken during Mile 24. And this is how I felt. |
Mile 25, we started to run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute until
some of the hills became unbearable. (I’m sorry if I’m complaining about the
hills too much but seriously! It was sick!)
We started to perk up because we knew we had one mile left.
Once we hit the 26 mile marker, we ran together as dignified as possible for
two injured, first time marathoners could. We crossed the finish line together,
holding hands and joyous that we had finished and we weren’t last (which were
our goals). 5 hours 6 minutes was our finishing time.
Post race, we chugged down chocolate milk and went back to
the hotel for a very welcome shower. Next, we ate dinner at Red Robin with my
parents and brother Brad, sister-in-law Sandra and niece Ashlyn who were all
part of our support team complete with signs, high fives and a
‘Congratulations!’ balloon.
 |
| Our niece, so proud of herself at the after party. She did a great job of keeping me motivated. Love that smile! |
Big milkshake, burger and fries hit the spot.
Finally we drove home, and I got some much needed sleep, dreaming about running
and continuously moving my feet with the images in my head.
Race highlights (and noteworthy moments):
Mile 4, running through and around UVA campus,
so pretty
Mile 5, splitting from the half-marathon runners
Mile 8, finding a porta-potty at someone’s
renovated lot (not associated with the race)
Mile 10, seeing my parents jumping up and down
with signs
Mile 10.5, seeing Brad and Sandra with signs and
16 month-old Ashlyn grinning at us in her stroller
Mile 14, seeing everyone in our support team
jumping with signs and cheering us on
Mile 15, finding Marathon Man in full on spandex
and red cape (think Superman)
Mile 17, seeing a man coming the other direction
running and juggling 4 balls
Mile 18, seeing support team again with
different signs and Ashlyn smiling us on
Mile 20, support team coming again in the clutch
to cheer us through
Mile 23, seeing a pregnant woman (not in the
marathon) run past us going the other direction
Mile 24, WALKING
Mile 25, having the same pregnant woman pass us
going the same direction as us
Mile 26.2, seeing my Mom jump up and down with a
balloon in hand so excited to see us finish
Mile 26.2, FINISHING OUR FIRST MARATHON = Priceless
