digging deep
Every so often, I have one of those runs that I will never forget. Last Sunday, I had the great fortune of participating in the Twin Cities Marathon. Approaching the race, I decided to run only half of it (13.1 miles) due to some dizzy spells earlier in the sumemr and a crazy grad school schedule. I trained with this goal in mind.
Days before the race, the wheels in my mind started turning, "Maybe I can finish the whole thing...I feel good, healthy, strong...we'll see..." The night before the race, my mom took Mike and I out to dinner at my favorite pizza place, Punch Pizza. I had a vegetarian pizza with eggplant and sun-dried tomatoes. We shared a carafe of good merlot between the three of us. I wasn't worried about drinking a glass of wine or two before the race...I thought it might actually help me get some sleep!
I woke up around 5:45am the following morning. I needed to eat breakfast at least two hours before start time. I polished off a raisin walnut roll with cream cheese, a cup of coffee (a little caffeine won't kill anyone), and a large glass of water. Mike rolled out of bed, put on his church clothes, and drove me to the start line in downtown Minneapolis.
From that point on, I was lost in a crowd of runners. After the first mile, the drizzle turned into an all out storm- complete with thunder and lightening. Soaked, runners were dodging puddles, but the tone was still pretty positive. As for me, I was smiling for pretty much the whole race.
After running through Minneapolis downtown, we ran past the Walker Art Museum and through Loring Park neighborhood. Around Lake of the Isles, Lake Calhoun, Lake Harriet, Minnehaha Parkway, Lake Nokomis to the half marathon mark. At 14 miles, I saw my mom. Grinning, I told her I would see her in two more miles. At 16 miles, heading north on west mississippi parkway, I yelled, "two more miles!" At 18, "See you at the finish line!" She tried to get me to stop...but as she said later, "A firm grip couldn't have stopped you." It was true; I was doing great and I wanted the glory of the finish line!!!
Heading into St. Paul, the rain had stopped. From Lake Street Bridge to the cathedral, the marathon route was all uphill. Still, my legs were holding up just fine and I could still smile. I yelled at a bunch of Macalester student fans, "Go Mac!" They all exploded into cheers!
Making my way up Summit, I thought about Grandma Jean, Greg, my family, my boyfriend, my dogs, my friends (not necessarily in that order). I thought about Macalester, the beautiful old houses, the other runners, what it would feel like to cross the finish line. At mile 23, my legs started to feel wobbly, but I felt worse when I tried to walk. I trotted back into an easy pace and turned the corner. The great cathedral came into view, and then, in the distance, the Minnesota capitol. Running hard down the hill, I entered into the finishing zone. I could see Sara and my mom screaming for me. Pumping up a fist, I crossed the finish in 4:48. I couldn't believe it. An older runner placed the medal around my neck; I felt a little emotional to say the least. Mike came running in his church suit, hoping he could catch the finish. Unfortunately, he missed me but he did get a big, sweaty hug! I was so happy!
My mom, Mike, and I celebrated later (when I finally got a little appetite back) with my old time favorite, French Meadow carrot cake, a handful of candy pumpkins, and some red gatorade.
Nearly a week later, I can't wait for another race!!! I'm hooked. I feel more confident about my running, health, and athleticism in general. It's been hard to relax this week...I've been swimming and walking, but it just isn't the same as a good run. I'm going to start up slow this weekend as long as everything feels okay. I am planning on running a 5K in December, so that's my next training goal.
All in all, I'm simply thankful for such an amazing opportunity to discover a plethora of strength and heart that I didn't realize I had inside of me. I have so much to learn.
Days before the race, the wheels in my mind started turning, "Maybe I can finish the whole thing...I feel good, healthy, strong...we'll see..." The night before the race, my mom took Mike and I out to dinner at my favorite pizza place, Punch Pizza. I had a vegetarian pizza with eggplant and sun-dried tomatoes. We shared a carafe of good merlot between the three of us. I wasn't worried about drinking a glass of wine or two before the race...I thought it might actually help me get some sleep!
I woke up around 5:45am the following morning. I needed to eat breakfast at least two hours before start time. I polished off a raisin walnut roll with cream cheese, a cup of coffee (a little caffeine won't kill anyone), and a large glass of water. Mike rolled out of bed, put on his church clothes, and drove me to the start line in downtown Minneapolis.
From that point on, I was lost in a crowd of runners. After the first mile, the drizzle turned into an all out storm- complete with thunder and lightening. Soaked, runners were dodging puddles, but the tone was still pretty positive. As for me, I was smiling for pretty much the whole race.
After running through Minneapolis downtown, we ran past the Walker Art Museum and through Loring Park neighborhood. Around Lake of the Isles, Lake Calhoun, Lake Harriet, Minnehaha Parkway, Lake Nokomis to the half marathon mark. At 14 miles, I saw my mom. Grinning, I told her I would see her in two more miles. At 16 miles, heading north on west mississippi parkway, I yelled, "two more miles!" At 18, "See you at the finish line!" She tried to get me to stop...but as she said later, "A firm grip couldn't have stopped you." It was true; I was doing great and I wanted the glory of the finish line!!!
Heading into St. Paul, the rain had stopped. From Lake Street Bridge to the cathedral, the marathon route was all uphill. Still, my legs were holding up just fine and I could still smile. I yelled at a bunch of Macalester student fans, "Go Mac!" They all exploded into cheers!
Making my way up Summit, I thought about Grandma Jean, Greg, my family, my boyfriend, my dogs, my friends (not necessarily in that order). I thought about Macalester, the beautiful old houses, the other runners, what it would feel like to cross the finish line. At mile 23, my legs started to feel wobbly, but I felt worse when I tried to walk. I trotted back into an easy pace and turned the corner. The great cathedral came into view, and then, in the distance, the Minnesota capitol. Running hard down the hill, I entered into the finishing zone. I could see Sara and my mom screaming for me. Pumping up a fist, I crossed the finish in 4:48. I couldn't believe it. An older runner placed the medal around my neck; I felt a little emotional to say the least. Mike came running in his church suit, hoping he could catch the finish. Unfortunately, he missed me but he did get a big, sweaty hug! I was so happy!
My mom, Mike, and I celebrated later (when I finally got a little appetite back) with my old time favorite, French Meadow carrot cake, a handful of candy pumpkins, and some red gatorade.
Nearly a week later, I can't wait for another race!!! I'm hooked. I feel more confident about my running, health, and athleticism in general. It's been hard to relax this week...I've been swimming and walking, but it just isn't the same as a good run. I'm going to start up slow this weekend as long as everything feels okay. I am planning on running a 5K in December, so that's my next training goal.
All in all, I'm simply thankful for such an amazing opportunity to discover a plethora of strength and heart that I didn't realize I had inside of me. I have so much to learn.
you rock. seriously.
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