Rock 'N Roll Marathon (Part 1)

It feels like a dream.

I can't believe that everything I had worked so hard for, researched and obsessed about, is now finally over. It felt like race day was never going to come. But it did.

My family carb loaded together the night before at my nephew's birthday party. After the party, my mom took my kiddos with her and they had a sleep over at my mom's best friend's house...shout out to Barbara! My mom (and Rick) had to work on race day, and so "Grammy Barb" was going to watch my kids while my mom was at work. Before the kids left, I had them each draw a picture on my arm with a Sharpie marker. I thought the idea was brilliant. I was surprised that I had come up with the idea on my own. I was shocked that in all of the books and articles I had read on marathon running, and in all of the conversations I had with other marathoners, and at the few races that I have actually participated in, NO ONE mentioned having their loved ones "tag" them before the race!?!? I quickly realized why. My kids drew their sweet little pictures on the tops of my hands and up my arms...and after I had left them, within a couple of hours, the smell of the Sharpie ink on my arms was making me nauseous. After I had gotten home from the party at about 8pm, I was completely amped about the race the next day...I couldn't sleep. All I could think about was the race...and the smell of the Sharpie...not a good combination. I decided to take a bath in an effort to help calm my mind and my stomach. It worked.

Eventually I felt tired, I went to bed, and at about 10:30pm, I finally looked at the clock for the last time. Overall I slept way better than I had anticipated. I definitely woke up a few times though and glanced at the clock...12:30...1:30...3:00. My alarm was set for 3:20 so when it became 3:05 and I still hadn't fallen back to sleep, I decided that it was just time to get up.

In addition to the kids drawing pictures on the tops of my arms, I had also wanted to write 2 Bible verses on the underside of my forearms so I could read them while I was running. For sure I wanted the verse, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."...that had been something I had told myself over, and over, and OVER throughout my training when things got tough! But on race morning, I was too lazy to get my Bible in the other room, and so I was searching in Rick's Bible for the actual verse and couldn't find it. I was SO bummed. Instead, on that arm, I just wrote, "You never quit."

And then, I had been praying for a week or so about another verse I wanted to write on my 2nd arm. I had recently read the Bible from front to back, and I am now in the process of reading the Bible from back to front. I have gotten through all of the New Testament, and now I am in the Old Testament again. Unfortunately though, I am in some really tough books like Amos, Obadiah, Micah, etc. Since I have been in the Old Testament, I have found these particular chapters to be difficult to apply to my current life situations. I have been struggling with getting "fed" by them. I had recently thought about abandoning my path in reading the Bible in this order, and just jump to a different book, but I didn't. I just kept plugging along. I am so glad I did. Because one day, early last week, I came across my 2nd-arm-verse! I'm in the book of Joel, and after a long painful drought in the land, God had mercy on His people and the verse reads, "Be glad..and rejoice in the Lord your God...He has poured down for you abundant rain..." (Joel 2:23) As soon as I read it, I thought, "That's it!" When I am out running that race, it's going to be hard. I'm sure there will be moments when I feel like I can't do this....I can't go on. I needed a reminder of God's mercy. His kindness. His abundant love for His people. THAT verse made it my arm! :0)

After writing on myself, I got to work on getting dressed. Even though I had laid out my clothes the day before, and packed my "checked bag" for after the race, there was still a lot to do on the morning of. While I was getting all of my gear on, I also ate a plain toasted bagel. Eventually it was time to leave, and I was ready. I left to go pick up my fellow runner, and long time childhood friend, Ms. Haley. I picked her up at 4am.

We then headed to the trolley station to meet up with all of our other runners, and equally as important...our "shuttle" driver! That was the BEST idea ever! Katie (my other friend, and fellow marathon runner) had heard from her running coach that it is a nightmare to try and park with all of the other runners, and take the provided shuttle service to the starting line. Her coach had suggested that you find someone who could drop you off at the starting line. Coach was RIGHT! Our friend Michelle is an EARLY riser, and while 4:30am is not as early as she is used to getting up, we knew that it was at least in her range of consideration. She was kind enough to accept our plea. We saw cars on the freeway stopped for MILES going nowhere, and we were passing them all! I felt like I was playing the game "Chutes and Ladders" and I was lucky enough to land on that REALLY TALL ladder at the bottom of the board, that lead you aaaaaaall the way up near the finishing square. Stopped traffic drives me bonkers, and I was so blessed to not have to have the traffic stress me out on race morning!

Michelle was able to drop us off within a block of the race festivities.

To be continued...