My FIRST (AHHH!) half-marathon took place on May 19th beginning behind the Cleveland Browns Stadium (Go Brownies!) at 7a.m. -thank goodness because the temp was perfect at that time. I had gone to the expo the night before with my husband to collect my race packet and peek around at the booths. I had a meltdown. Everyone there seemed to be in a group with family or friends. No one was too friendly (participants, not event staff-they were great). Jake was not feeling well either, poor guy, so he was only half present from his allergy fog. Therefore, I let my emotions get the best of me and I felt alone and nervous and no longer excited. I didn't want to look around, didn't want to buy a t-shirt, I just wanted to go home. Childish? Of course, but I am being honest about how I crumbled in a moment of fear. Jake let me spew it out and cry some in the car on the way to my aunt and uncle's house (we stayed there for the weekend).
I did not pray at first, I admit. It was only later that Jake had prayed and I talked to God some for help with this panic I was experiencing. When we arrived at their house my brother was already there; he came to support me too, very neat. Seeing friendly faces and hearing their encouragement helped immensely and I decided to try harder to push these negative feelings away and enjoy this time with family. We went out for dinner- I loaded up on breakfast foods: veggie omelet, hash browns, a gorgeous and amazing pancake with just butter, and then we had to stop at Malley's Chocolates for my favorite- chocolate covered raisins; the chocolate to raisin ratio is 4:1 haha. I didn't want too eat too much chocolate the night before because sugar seems to really slow me down when I run or workout. Then we headed to Melt so the boys could get their XL fancy grilled cheese sandwiches (FYI: Jake had already eaten 3 pancakes, that's my man!)
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We got back to the house and just relaxed, which helped with my anxiety. We played ping pong, watched some of a movie and I crashed early, before 10p.m. I took half a melatonin, which I have not taken in a long time, just to try and help myself ease into a good sleep. It took me a little while to fall asleep but when I woke up at 4:45a.m. I felt good and the adrenaline kicked in. I ate a small bowl of Original Kashi cereal, loaded up on water (the night before also) and probably went to the bathroom at least 3 times. I wore a brand new thin yellow race tee and my favorite Nike capris with my, still new to me, Brooks Ravennas. My Garmin and Ipod were charged and I was as ready as I could be. I grabbed my GU and GNU bar along with a banana just in case, but the butterflies in my stomach made my appetite pretty scarce.
The boys dropped me off close to the stadium and I just had to walk a bit. Almost immediately I talked a little with two women running in the race and they were helpful, sweet and encouraging. SHEW! I was smiling inside and out. I went to the restroom again inside the stadium to avoid the lines outside. I met another two girls, sisters, who were also running the half. They were so great and helped ease my nerves, I was feeling better and better. Then, to top it off a women stretching next to me asked which course race I was running and if I was alone. When I answered yes she immediately asked if I wanted to walk to the start line together. She was genuinely one of the nicest people I have ever met. She was a solid runner and this was her first marathon. Her family were all out of town so she was running by herself and her sole fan was her cousin who couldn't run because of an injury. We even got a picture together and chatted till I had to move back to my 8:30min/mile pace compared with her 7:30min/mile. God blessed me so much with some amazing people and it lifted my spirits more than I could have hoped.
Then, it started. Was I intimidated? YES! People were decked out in the latest running gear, but hey, I was going to do my best. I told myself my goal was to not walk and finish under 2:20. The first 5 miles flew by with a >9 minute mile pace...and then the inevitable happened, I had to pee. Dang it. I ran off the to side and waited in line for a restroom, adding about 3-4 minutes to my overall time. After that I tried to pace with a girl in a super cute neon tank and hope I wouldn't make myself too obvious. The course was beautiful, we ran through downtown, over the two largest bridges, through old neighborhoods, Lakeside shops, and back through downtown near Tower City. The supporters were AMAZING and made the race 10X more exciting. Two of my favorite signs? "You trained longer than Kim Kardashian was married" and "This is the worst parade ever." I giggled. I was so grateful for the volunteers handing out water and powerade and the awesome gospel choir singing at about mile 8. I tried to scarf down some GU at mile 9-10 and only got about half of it before I threw it down...odd to keep throwing trash on the street, but everyone else was doing it! ;)
Then, there it was, mile marker 12. We started running across the old bridge leading into downtown. You can start to see Tower City, the Stadium, and the Skyline. Halfway through that stretch I saw my brother and Jake cheering me on and I threw my arms up to celebrate best I could, but I know I looked ridiculous. I began to see flags so I thought I would start my final sprint, but alas I had more distance to go than anticipated. My sprint wore me out and I ended up jogging across the finish line. But, it was no less invigorating.
My final chip time was 2:03 and my Garmin had me at exactly 2:00. I disproved myself! What a neat thing to do, beat your doubts away and prove to yourself you can accomplish what you believed to be impossible. Did I ever think I would run 5 miles? 10 miles? 13.1 miles? Heck no, but I did and it still makes me smile like a dork. I loved watching the other runners come across the finish line and their reactions. The boys met me and between chugging chocolate milk and eating a banana I rambled on and on about great the race was. It went so far beyond my expectations. I actually had fun and enjoyed myself. I pushed my body and beat my goal while being blessed with a day that was filled with awesome people, lots of sweat, good food, and the best feeling of accomplishment. This will not be my last race and I am excited to continue to improve my stamina.
The weekend ended with a good burger and fries, trips to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, a fruit tart, looking at pretty houses in old West End, and getting to hang out with my husband and brother without an agenda. I encourage you to push past what you think you can do and see what you are made of. You will not only surprise yourself but you will become an encouragement to those around you.
