Day 112 - MARINE CORPS MARATHON!!!!

It's finally here!!!!! 2+ years of dreaming, 111 days of training. I can't believe I'm actually going to run a marathon.

I have never woken up with such a feeling of panic as I did that morning. It was one of those, "Holy cow this is really going to happen," feelings. But after the initial shock of waking up to my alarm clock and realizing what day it was, I pretty quickly calmed down and just tried to keep focused on whatever I was doing - washing my face, getting dressed, etc.

6:00 AM - ready to leave

We had about a half mile walk to the shuttle stop - they had tons of shuttles (charter buses) lined up to take everyone to "Runner's Village" which was in the parking lot of the Pentagon. Even still, we had to wait in line for about 20-30 minutes before it was our turn to go.

Waiting for the bus - at least it's undercover

Check out my awesome tear-away jacket!

Shuttles to Runner's Village

It was nice to be on the bus because it was warm and dry - while Hurricane Sandy hadn't hit yet, it was still sprinkling and very windy outside. The bus ride was actually pretty short, and before I knew it, we were at the Pentagon. Before entering Runner's Village we had to go through security, which meant getting patted down by a Marine and then having your bag searched. Since it was still dark outside, they were using flashlights to search... it added a dose of creepiness to the process.

Once we were in Runner's Village we made our way over to one of the many tents that were set up and sat down on the ground - I was quick to take the chance to get off my feet, and hoped huddling in with all the other runners would block some of the wind... it was windy and cold! Then we ate our pre-race breakfast: a peanut butter and jelly sandwich plus a banana. Once we were done eating... it was time to use the bathroom.

Porta Potty lines to the left....

... and lines to the right

I came prepared with my our toilet paper!

It took forever to wait in line for a porta potty. While we were standing there, 2 planes did a flyby overhead to kick off the marathon celebration.

Andy with the planes in the background.

At 7:41am it was finally my turn to use the porta potty. When I went inside I saw one of the worst things I've ever seen before. A giant gob of liquidy poo was ALL over the toilet seat. The "contents" of the porta potty were also incredibly full and on the brink of cresting the lip of the seat. I know. I know! So incredibly gross. But when the alternative is having an accident in your pants while running 26.2 miles, well... I made it work.

With ten minutes left to get to the starting line, Andy and I hustled to get there. The race started on a highway, and the closer and closer we got to the starting line, the more and more clothes were laying on the side of the road and in the median. It was almost comical to see how many things people were willing to ditch - I count myself in with those people... I left behind a nylon drawstring backpack and one of my favorite long-sleeved running shirts (I was sad to say goodbye to it). The highway got so crowded, we weren't able to wiggle our way up to the sign that marked our estimated finish time, so we were lined up with people slower than us, but there really wasn't an alternative. We decided to stop fighting our way forward... then it was only a matter of minutes until it actually happened.

The Start of the Marine Corps Marathon

I can't even begin to describe how it felt to be standing at the start of the Marine Corps Marathon. There were THOUSANDS of runners. The music was blaring. The announcer was getting everyone excited. All of those months of training were about to pay off. I knew I put the work in, but still... I couldn't help but feel amazed that I had actually made it to that point. I was about to be a marathoner.

The race started!... and we stood there, haha. There were SO many people that it took us 15 minutes to cross the actual start line. And then we were running. The pace for our first mile was pretty slow (10:40/mi) but the roads were so crowded you simply couldn't run faster. Amazingly... it never thinned out. Ever. I mean, it did a little bit, but I was weaving through people for 26.2 miles. I wonder if we had been able to line up closer to the start line with people from our real pace if it would have made a difference, but who knows.

Honestly the whole race was a bit of a blur, but I'll do my best to recall the things that stuck out to me. The first part of the course was rather hilly, and by hilly I mean it seemed like we were always running UP hills, never down them. In fact, the course didn't level out until around mile 10. What happened to the flat marathon course I though I had picked?! Almost right away I saw a "runner" dressed in one of those heavy duty bomb deactivation suits... helmet and all. And about two minutes after that I saw a blind woman running surrounded by 4 guide runners. If they can do it, so can I.

I'm sad to say Andy never felt good during the race. He described his legs as feeling like stumps and his feet like clubs. Those times definitely happen, but I was so sad for him that it happened on race day. I was lucky in that I felt great - no real issues from my knees, ankles, back, hips... it was a miracle!

We stopped after about 3 miles for Andy to readjust his knee strap. It was so crowded that it was difficult to find a hole to jump back in the race! After a few more miles, we were in Georgetown where we stopped again so Andy could pee (I needed to go too, but there weren't any porta potties). I've never seen more people peeing outside before in my life - people didn't even make much of an effort to find cover... even some of the girls!! Running through the Georgetown area was nice (except the hills). There was one part of the course that was an out-and-back so I was able to catch a glimpse of all of the speedies. Wow they are fast! There were also a couple of bands playing along the course, including a bagpipe band!

By mile 10 we could see the Lincoln Memorial, which was very cool. My parents were by it holding up signs. I was so excited to see them! We stopped, refilled our water bottles with water my parents brought with them, and then we were off again!

You'll get this if you've ever driven through South Dakota

"Beauty knows no pain" - one of my Mom's favorite sayings!

The next stretch was not my favorite. We did several miles going alongside a river. There were no spectators and the course was pretty narrow, which made getting around slow people more frustrating. At this point my positive attitude and patience were wavering. One girl ran by with her iPod playing out loud instead of through headphones. I wanted to punch her. Sidenote: I ran the first 20 miles without music. Anyway, the one good thing about this stretch was that there were REAL bathrooms every so often. Around mile 15 I couldn't stand it anymore... I had to go! Thankfully Andy was willing to wait for me. He stretched while I stood in line. My bathroom trip killed a lot of time, but I felt sooo much better afterwards, so I'm glad I went.

My parents were at mile 17 again, this time with different signs!

This is a good one!

My favorite sign of all!!! So fitting for me ;-)

We briefly stopped for more water and then were off again. Now we were running around the Mall in DC. I thought running by the monuments and all would be motivating and exciting. By this point, I honestly didn't care about them at all, lol. Around mile 18.5, Andy was really hurting. I really wanted to stay with him, at least until mile 20 (to "beat the bridge" - where they pick up all the slow people and don't let them finish), but he told me to go on. I know in previous races when I've told people to go on, I really want them to go on... misery doesn't always like company, haha... so I left him. It was hard to do, and I was really worried about him, but I just had to keep going.

I saw my parents one last time at mile 19 - I told them Andy was right behind me and to make sure he was ok. I knew the next time I'd see them would be at the finish line! Once I made it to mile 20 I put in my headphones and just tried to focus on my music and not pay too much attention to my body. I never felt awful, but I mean... after a certain point you sort of just want to stop. Miles 20/21 were over a bridge on a highway. The scenery was boring, there were no spectators cheering, and by that point the majority of the runners were walking. That was a tough stretch. But I kept running. I didn't want to stop to walk because I knew I could do it - plus Emily told me not to stop running because I would never want to start again if I did. Good advice Em!!!

Miles 22 through 24 were in Crystal City. This part was pretty fun - the streets were lined with colorful flags and there were speakers blaring music through the streets, plus lots of spectators...some were even handing out beer and candy! I took my headphones out to soak up the energy of Crystal City. I even sang along to "I Love Rock n Roll" which was playing at one point, haha. And then it came... the last water station, where they were also handing out donut holes. Friends... I did NOT have a donut hole! My stomach was feeling a little iffy and I decided it was best not to chance it. Instead I ran straight to the water.

Water Stations: These were every 2 miles and always had Gatorade first and water second. Every single cup was handed out by a Marine. You would not imagine how many cups were covering the ground at the water stations. And because you would run through those cups...some which had Gatorade in them... you're shoes got sticky. It is a really weird feeling to run with sticky shoes. At two different points they also handed out orange slices. After running (and trying not to slip and fall) through all of the orange peels, then your shoes got REALLY sticky!! And because there were so many people, the water stations were so crowded, it was impossible to "run" through them. You basically moved to the side of the road and had to walk through each water station. I drank at every single one of them, even the first one at mile 2. I'm glad I did too. :-)

Ok, back to the last water stop. So I grabbed a cup of water from a Marine, looked him in the eye and said, "I can do this." And he yelled back at me, "YES YOU CAN!" Ooo!! Ok! And I was off. It was a really emotional feeling to know I wouldn't stop again until I crossed the finish line. The last two miles weren't that bad, simply because I knew it was all about to be over. In the distance I could see a group of runners (turns out there were 7 of them) running with full-sized flags (one American flag and then a flag to represent all of the branches of the military). I locked my sight on those flags and just tried to keep up - I ended up crossing the finish line shortly after they did. While I was running that last mile, my watch actually hit 26.2 miles. I believe it too - the course was so wide that I definitely ran more since I was weaving in and out of people so much. I threw a fist in the air (I must have looked insane) and just kept going. I had to cross that finish line to make it official! (By the time I was done, my watch actually read 26.68.)

26 Miles - that's a sweet sight

The final .2 miles of the course were by the Arlington Cemetery and took you up a hill towards the Iwo Jima Memorial. I eat hills for breakfast. It was probably more for myself than the people around me, but all of a sudden I became one of those obnoxious people... I started cheering on the runners, "Come on! We're almost there! We can do this!!" I was just so excited, I couldn't help it! I gave it a solid effort at the end... I didn't sprint all out, but I definitely pushed it. And then it was over! I crossed the finish line and gave the first Marine I saw a big hug. :-) Poor guy... I know I didn't smell very good, haha. My final time: 4:56:14!!! Slower than I thought I'd be, but hey - I finished and can say I ran the entire distance!

My official times

Once you crossed the finish line, the runners were separated into different lines to get your medal. A Marine put a medal around each person's neck and then saluted them. I didn't know if it was appropriate to salute back so I just smiled, waved, and said thank you, haha.

Runner Marathon Babs!!!

 Then I stood in line to have my picture officially taken in front of the Iwo Jima Memorial. But once that was done, I decided to take a silly one of my own.

Very bad "Usain Bolt" pose

The Marines gave you a "Mission Accomplished" jacket to wear afterwards (it felt really cold once you stopped running) and a snack box! Once I had my loot, I began the mile long walk to the family link-up area. Are you serious?!? Because 26.2 just isn't enough... now you get to walk a mile! Sheesh.

About an hour later, I finally found Andy and my parents. Andy toughed it out and finished - I cannot tell you guys how PROUD I am of him. I've run my fair share of races not feeling so great and I know how miserable it can be. I can't even imagine feeling that way for 5+ hours. He is my hero.

We did it!

Mission accomplished indeed!

Now it was time to stand in line for the shuttle that would take us back to Crystal City (where our hotel was). The line was sooo long. We tried everything - getting a shuttle from a different Hyatt, getting a cab - eventually we just sat on a street corner and ate our snack boxes.

Happy to be sitting down!

We didn't get back to our hotel until 3:00pm. Since we left at 6:00am, it meant the entire event took us 9 hours. Wow! We quickly showered (the chafing was bad.... that's all I'll say), got dressed, and then it was off to celebrate! Andy, my parents, and I headed to a sports bar where we ordered drinks and the least healthiest stuff we could find on the menu. Hello sweet potato tots, onion rings, and nachos!!! After we finished at the bar we headed back to our hotel... it wasn't long before this happened.

Andy passed out around 8:30pm

October 28, 2012 was one of the best days of my life. To have a dream, work towards it, and accomplish it was such a wonderful experience - and to do it with Andy and have my parents there cheering me made it all the more special. I'm still in shock that I actually ran a marathon. I still just feel like little ol' me. But that little ol' me did something really incredible. 

Total Miles Run: 415.41 WOW!!!