I am such a lucky gal…..spoiled rotten I say.. I am sitting here in bed typing away on my ultra cool pink laptop that Joe gave me….he is such a sweetie…it’s also quite convenient since I am currently unable to bend, twist, turn, move or eject my legs from the bed…
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY….this past weekend was our anniversary… 18 blissful (cough cough) years of love and adoration…. with some breaks (cough, cough)… and then some… cool huh… ???!!.....well what to do to celebrate…???..... hmmm.. RUN a MARATHON of course… !!
Now I am certain... bets are placed...that you think this was my idea …and well… although I did bring it up…it really most certainly was NOT in fact my idea..REALLY… it was in fact Joe’s idea… see he got a bug up his butt that he wanted to run another marathon ASAP.. no waiting.. so of course how could I not be supportive!!!??.... I mean I am here for him!... so we booked a nice hotel on the beach, packed our bags, and drove the 2 hours to our anniversary extravaganza…
Joe should have known 18+ years ago that life with me would never be dull…. a freak “snowstorm” snarled traffic that morning…the plan was to go to work for a half day and then we could scoot out around noon… well.... it took me a new grand total of 3-1/2 hours to get to work...ARGH ..(my normal commute is around 25 minutes)… so I sit in traffic near famished for 3½ hours… so what to do??? ...take pics of myself.....and then sent them to folks...... lucky for you.... you aint one of those folks... !!!
So.....alas Joe and I got a late start for our extravaganza ....when Joe finally picked me up after work he was in good spirits....and well.... quite frankly....quite happy with himself....look he says with a smile, “I packed the hair cutting stuff”.... insinuating that ..IF...I had time I could cut his hair once we got to the hotel...… somehow ....never mind......
… by the time we got to Rehoboth, picked up our race packets and checked in to hotel.. it was dark... and we were exhausted….. the temp was mid 20’s with a stiff breeze blowing off the ocean, and oh yeah a light snow had started to fall……
Joe and I debated about what to wear the next morning when it was expected to be 28 degrees at the start.. and get no warmer than 33 degrees with winds around 17-20 mph…hmmm... so with wind chills in the teens......4 hours + in the cold... we opted for the full ninja look… including face gaiters..
.... lining up that next morning at 6:45am ... you have to question the sanity... there HAS to be something wrong with us...this is fun, because????
..... the plan was to run together... but if either of us felt good enough that person would just go ahead….. we had trained on parts of this course this past summer.. nice and flat…
.... thankfully... it didn’t take long until we were on our way.....500+ marathoners and relay runners...... I was glad to be moving... I didn’t start to feel my toes and fingers again until mile 3.... I got to say this was one great marathon.. if at any time there could have been a chance for a PR (personal record time).. it would have been on this course…oh if the body conditions were better...and oh yeah if we hadn’t raced a marathon just three weeks earlier....
(AND HE IS SMILING BECAUSE???)
.....the knees started to fail around mile 7….(no surprise)....I debated why I was doing this at mile 8…(that was a surprise)....I determined I was a sprinter NOT a distance runner at mile 9….(glad that is outta the way)......I looked at Joe pull away at mile 10….(ugh he left me).....I thought about hopping the return bus at mile 13....(whimping out)...I got energized by the 20+ mph winds at mile 16…(wow do I thrive on adversity or what)...
I threw away my nutrition plan around mile 17….(so what!)......my leg started to lock up around mile 18… (oh that why so what!..).....I did intervals around mile 19…. (because I was bored)....I had total left leg failure by mile 20...(guess I shouldn’t have done those intervals).......I was followed by a rent a cop volunteer on a bike at mile 21...(I mean I am sorry I was staggering it's because I had to drag my left F_ leg)…....
Mile 22 came and went… mile 23 came and went...( while people in walkers passed me -sick joke sorry… )
I am presuming at this time that my honey up ahead had already crossed the line in victory and that he was all pumped up with a new found PR…….…but alas unbeknownst to me he hit mile 22 and had nothing left… not in the terms of running.. in the terms of NOTHING left inside.. he ran his body completely out of all nutrition… .he questioned later how he could have made it when he had nothing left ….the mind is an incredible thing.. it can bring you or destroy you… his victory was a true victory… not in the sense of time but in the sense of demons… he actually made those last 4.2 miles on sheer will power... now that’s a TRUE VICTORY
...you know you see those people who collapse near the finish and you always say pathetic, sad, or whatever…. but you still can’t really understand how someone could get themselves into that kinda state or condition where it’s that bad..I mean if you train right... well I can honestly say I now understand… and you can’t explain it.. you have to experience it… about a half mile from the finish, my failed left leg that I was dragging… just gave up.. what a very strange feeling to feel nothing… nothing to hold the body up… . I was one of the luckier ones.. only ONE of my legs failed.. these poor bloks who collapse, BOTH their legs go .. no wonder they freaking crawl to the finish..
But it’s the hardware that gets me to the finish... and this finisher medal BETTER be FANTASTIC... there better be bells and whistles on it... it better radiate some new fangled ultra spectra colors.... ... or there will be some a_s kicking...see...I want to say that I started doing marathons and half marathons because of the personal pride and or personal satisfaction but alas NO... I started running them because they gave out “free” finisher medals just for finishing!! MAN YOU DON’T even have to place in your age group!! .......
OK so maybe I didn’t get any awards in high school.. or maybe I just like big shiny medals but heck... whatever motivates ..can it be that wrong?! ....over time I found out it’s something more... something I can not fully describe yet... something about what the marathons does to me personally ......it’s a whole world of amazing..
I made it to the finish.. ..and ok so it may have taken me 4 minutes to go the last 200 yards .. and it wasn’t pretty....and I am sure that is why the camera man didn’t take a finish shot of me...and yes a really wonderful 80+ year old lady volunteer...had to support me after the finish… and I love her… think about it.. a 80+ year old woman supporting a 40+ lady.... is that not cool or what!.... I love life… and people..….
When speaking to Joe after the event.. …he said he has to work on his nutrition..OH and yeah I know .... I need.. REST.. K.. yeah.. I hear ya...I am fine .. really… I feel super except I can’t walk..
Joe thanked me for a wonderful anniversary weekend,… he said he had a blast… me too..… I mean where else can you go away, run 4 ½ hours in the 32 degree weather… dragging your tired crazy a-ses over the finish line, drive 2+ hours home, be unable to walk and be happy!??
I am having too much fun ... Race Results
PS: Joe has Lojack on me now.. he says REST
PSS: But what about the Dirty Bird trail race next weekend!!!??? FINE I will take a rest but it will have to be after Brian's Run weekend… I have 3 races scheduled..IT'S MY BIRTHDAY for goodness sake!!
PSSS: I am not sure Joe understands my idea of fun.
PSSSS: I am asking Santa for two new knees and a hip... thanks WK for suggestion..I will order one for you too.
PSSSSS: PROMISE....two weeks in December..complete rest...
PSSSSSS: um..does that include mountain biking??
