New Holland Garden Spot Village Marathon.....for Oni

Last Friday Afternoon I set off on my next great adventure and was thankful to have my family join me once again for my marathon weekend. We made the drive up to New Holland, PA and race director, Scott Miller, had been so kind to offer us a room at the Garden Spot Village for the night.  Garden Spot Village is a wonderful retirement community in Lancaster County for folks over 62. I was most impressed with the fact that 26 of their residents were taking part in the races (a half marathon and relay marathon were also offered) and hundreds more were volunteering their efforts.

After lugging in our bags, and relaxing for a few minutes, I laid down the law for my kids (mostly as a means to keep them from embarrassing me) and we headed to the pasta dinner. Yes, these are the kind of things you have to cover in advance (especially with my 2 youngest ones)!

They had a great buffet style spread, including (every girl's favorite) chocolate cake for dessert! I had the chance to meet up with several people I'd conversed with in the months leading up to this race and I was really happy to have that opportunity. Of all the marathons I've run this year, I've had the most support and encouragement from people participating in this race and those living in the area. As Garden Spot Village was one of my all time favorite marathons, I was more than ecstatic to be running it again. 

Another wonderful addition to dinner, Bart Yasso of Runner's World, joined us and thankfully found my children to be quite entertaining. Things in New Holland were off to a great start!

 

Bart and I at the pasta dinner

Being able to stay right there at Garden Spot meant I could sleep in which was another huge plus!  Even with a good night's sleep, I felt a little uneasy about how my legs would respond to this race, given the fact that it was another hilly course and my legs took a pretty severe beating the previous weekend on the trails in Sausalito, CA. I didn't feel as recovered as I'd hoped.  Still, I had to keep reminding myself, this is not about my pain, it's about Oni's. Oni is the girl I was running for and my heart breaks when I think about what her life has been like. She is 11 years old and has AIDS. Her father died of AIDS when she was 2 and her mother is also ill, but does not live with Oni. She lives with some extended relatives in a small, very rural village outside of Hamburg, South Africa. She now receives anti-retroviral treatments at the Umtha Welanga Health Clinic, which is supported in part by 25:40. The treatments make her healthy enough to attend school, where she likes to write. I hope that what I'm doing, the funds raised on her behalf, will give her that much more spirit and determination to keep on growing, keep on writing. Always having had a love for the pen and ink, I clearly remember being her age and how much joy I found in being creative. I  want this day to be a celebration for her, not about any of my aches or pains!

Becky and I at the start

At the start line I got to meet up with Becky ( who's story I shared the other day) and Tom who was running with her. My marathon crazed friend, Brent, who I've had the pleasure to run with several times this year, was joining me once again. The race had more than doubled in size since last year and it was quite packed as we got ready to head out. I was able to run with Becky and Tom for the first couple miles, but eventually it was down to Brent and I. The course is hilly, but it is so beautiful! I don't think words can begin to describe it. We ran through all kinds of Amish farmlands, where everyone hangs their clothes out to dry and you see more horse drawn buggies than cars. It is serene, peaceful and downright breathtaking.

 Mile 2

Country farms

Buggies...

 And laundry

While windy, it was a vast improvement to the almost 40 mph winds we ran through last year, and with the sun overhead it was simply a wonderful day to run. The beauty overshadowed any tiredness in my legs, until around mile 12. I started slowing down noticeably and the mechanics in my left knee just felt out of whack. I wasn't excited about having to push through for the next 14 miles dealing with it, but I knew it was well worth any pain.

 Brent and I around mile 12

They offered us a ride, trust me it was tempting!

Brent was kind enough to stop and walk with me when my leg was really being bothersome. Around mile 18 we had stopped to walk for a bit and I heard a "Hey Dana" and a tap on the shoulder. It was Bart! He decided to join us, as did another runner, Claire, who we'd played a back and forth game of pace with for several miles. For the last several miles the 4 of us ran together and somehow I was given the status of pace leader. It was an awesome time and having everyone's support like that was so encouraging.

 Bart and I at mile 18

"A friend is like a rainbow, always there for you after a storm" - Amish Proverb

As we approached the finish line, my children were standing off to the side and joined me to run the last .10 of a mile. I still beat them all to the finish line though!

My kids reaction when they saw me coming around the corner

High-fives and calling them in with me

Charging for the finish with Brent and Bart right behind us!

Let's go!

I didn't finish in steller time, crossing the line in 4:38. It wasn't an easy race, but it was a huge milestone. I've now run marathons for 3 months straight and I was very excited to hit that point. Just like in the marathon itself, I have to break down these races mentally, or it becomes far too overwhelming to comprehend. Each and every one of these marathons brings me one step closer to my goal, and for the physical aspect of it, I have to keep that at the forefront of my mind. Most importantly it brings more hope, for Oni and all the children of 25:40.

 Bart, me and Brent - done!

"We should never put a question mark where God puts a period." - Amish Proverb

Final Race Stats:

Finish time 4:38:30

163 of 232 overall

46 of 71 women

7 of  11 in my age group (25-29)