Two weeks before the half I checked out some running guides from the library, that didn't help. Everything I read either scared me or confirmed that I was not ready to run for 2.5 hours or more. I spent the next few days talking to every runner I knew hoping for pearls of wisdom and secrets of how to finish.
My Wednesday morning women's bible study concluded the week of the run. I felt compelled to give my testimony, share what the studies have done for my relationship with God and admit that I had never heard the Holy Spirit speak to me until I started running, more importantly I was going to ask all the women to pray for my race. I was not sure I alone could pray hard enough but I knew God would not ignore that group. Unfortunately I could not attend the last session due to a family funeral. I got really worried because I was convinced I needed those prayers.
That week of the half I was looking for the perfect bible verse to carry me to victory. Last fall I studied the book of Esther which is filled with great stuff about strength and courage but I needed something new. In October of 2009 three of my friends, Holly, Kerry and Nicole ran the Chicago Marathon. My friend Autumn and I were so happy to express our support by making yard signs for the these brave women. I bought each of them a small token for extra encouragement. Kerry and Holly got a charm for their shoe but when I got to the third house I forgot to give Nicole the pebble with a bible verse. I felt very bad since Nicole was battling the flu and truly needed a prayer but by the time I found it I knew she was asleep.
A large group of us went to support them the next day. The energy level at the 22 mile mark was amazing. We saw people of all ages, shapes and sizes smiling as they tackled the last 4 miles. I started thinking that maybe I could run in 2010. I had only been running for about 2 months at that point, was I crazy? All three of my friends were awesome and completed the task with great times.
After the race I attended my Aunt Doris' 70th birthday celebration. When I saw her son-in-law Mark he looked like a different person. I was not shy about asking him what he had done to achieve such visible results. He too had run the marathon that morning in memory of his mom who he lost to cancer, I was truly inspired. I had no choice, I needed to run the marathon. I went home, taped a copy of the marathon route map inside my vanity and put Nicole's pebble in my top drawer, I would use it to inspire me but I forgot about it.
Fast forward to the week before my half, I kept telling myself that running a marathon was either the best idea I ever had or the dumbest but there was no turning back. I went in my top drawer looking for something, like I had done many times since last October but that day I found Nicole's pebble still in the package, I had no idea what was written on it, I had completely forgotten it was there. One side had the word STRENGTH and on the other, Philippians 4:13 - I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Bingo! I memorized my first verse and packed it in my bag.
Holly and Kerry decided to support a some newbies by running The Geist Half Marathon in Indianapolis, Indiana. Angela my sister's dear friend from grade school was our fourth. She had never run a half but she retired from the military and she is currently very active, I was the lone mushy-mom. When we picked up our race packets Friday night I felt like people were giving me "the surely-you-must-be-walking-the-5k look." On our way out I saw the medal and got excited, I thought we were just getting shirts, a medal was new reason to complete the race.
We ate a pasta dinner and headed for our hotel. At 1am my mind was still racing, all I could think was, if I don't get some sleep I am going to fail and what makes me think I can run 13.1 miles. My roomies were snoozing and I was wide awake, DOOMED!
The rac
e started at 7:30am so we were up at 5:30am (4:30am home time). I dressed in my specially selected outfit for the race. Kendis Chenoweth taught my most recent bible study where she reminded us that we children of the king making us royalty. Purple has always been my favorite color so I wore a purple top, bandanna and nail polish, I needed to feel anointed.The hotel offered a brown bag breakfast for runners, I ate everything. We drove to the shuttle as Kerry played the music that motivates her but I had to start my run like I always do, gospel on my Nano. For months I started my runs with "Count It All Joy" but I had recently purchased "The Battle Is The Lord's" so that was blaring in my ears, over and over.
As we lined up to start Kerry turned around for one last bit of inspiration, "Can you you believe we are about to run for over 2 hours?", I was looking for the exit. I heard an annoucement that one of the sponsors for the half was Comcast and Sponge Bob, I had a mini-beanie Sponge Bob in my fanny-pack for
Reagan. My 5 year old is one of the reasons I run, I want to stay healthy enough to keep up with him in his teen years. My longest run during training was ten miles so I declared the first three miles God's miles and I would run the last ten. About a quarter of a mile into the race I saw a yard sign, "Harvest Bible Church", we were 3.5 hours from my Harvest home, another message. Less then 10 minutes later I spotted a woman ahead of me with the entire Philippians 4:13 verse clearly displayed on the back of her t-shirt. I knew then this race was all ready run for me, it was on the books, no drop-out bus needed. The Holy Spirit claimed it, I just needed to ride the wave.Kerry and Holly took off, Angela and I were running about the same pace for the first few miles then she passed me. I learned months ago that I must do me and run at my pace. If I get a boost and past someone great but I want to finish uninjured.
The course was all hills around this small town of beautiful harbors. At one point I was running steady with a woman older than my mom who told me that after mile 8 it would be flat , I believed her. When I hit a mountain at mile 9 I was looking for her. It was about that time when I felt a funny twinge in the back of my thigh. I rubbed it and called out to God, "I have never felt this so please remove this pain", he did.
I turned a corner after mile 9 and to my disbelief Holly was right in front of me. I had convinced myself that she and Kerry were getting massaged by volunteer chiropractors by then but it was definitely her. I ran up to position myself directly behind Holly so that she would not see me, I figured real runners rarely look back. I decided to mimic whatever she did, she slowed down from a run to a fast walk I did too. She grabbed a drink, I did too. She stretched her arms, I did too, to an unknowing observer I looked like I was doing a Harpo Marx impression. Wow, I was running with the big dogs. I ran over the 10 mile sensor 1 second after Holly. I was feeling pretty good and I was now confident that I was going to finish, in fact I was so relaxed I took out my camera and took a few pictures. We had a little over a mile remaining and then I panicked, I knew Holly was about to make a fast break leaving me in the dust so I took to detour to a medical tent.
I stopped to have my blood sugar tested since I had never run that length of time before. The three volunteers were no familiar with that monitor, all the supplies were still in the packaging. Luckily it was the same machine I use so I grabbed it and quickly did my own test. I was shocked that it read 208, it was probably not calibrated or the Gatorade jellybeans I ate at mile 7 must have effected my levels. My fear of low blood sugar was eliminated but my thumb would not stop bleeding. I trained for months, road 3.5 hours, ran over 11 miles so a bleeding thumb was not going to be my down fall, no way, I stuck my thumb in my mouth and ran.
When I saw the black and white flags I could not believe it was over. I took a picture as I ran across the finish line and kept running until I got to the volunteers who removed the timing chip from my shoe. Holly and Kerry were so happy to see me but I was wondering why they were wearing medals. It seems that I had run past the table just after the finish line, duh. They walked me back, I was not leaving without my trinket. Angela soon joined us, yeah , we had all made it.
Back to the hotel, we showered then on to Red Robin. I tried to eat the burger I had dreamed of when I survived 4 days of no carbs during the last week of training but I couldn't. I informed Holly & Kerry that I was not going to be keeping them company on the ride home. I had a pillow, a blanket and the entire backseat to myself, "Good Night!"
I was so blessed to run with these women, Angela, Holly and Kerry. I am thankful that they sacrificed family time to be with me. A special thanks to Nicole and Autumn who sent me off with a great basket filled with special water, bananas and other running supplies. I could not have run it without the love and support from, family, inner circle, friends and my community. My sister Marvine kept Reagan for 2 days, without her I would not have had peace of mind.
Next stop 26.1 on 10-10-10, Yikes, am I crazy?
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