Nicole, Chuck and me
After more beer than I probably needed, and a well deserved Michigan win Nicole and I called it a day and headed to the hotel. The weather forecast was looking exceptional for this time of year. I ran the Erie Marathon back in 2008 with high hopes of getting a PR (personal best time). With a pancake flat double loop course and plenty of training, I felt confident it was in the bag. What I didn't account for was the heat and humidity. It was muggy and 75 at the start that year. Needless to say, I didn't PR and was completely drained by the end of the race. Nicole had run it in 2009 with similar weather. This year it was looking to be overcast and cool. To have good temps 3 weeks in a row would be like a miracle, but I wasn't about to complain! We headed to bed early and before I knew it the alarm was sounding, 4:30 had come.
The morning brought rain and after parking our car in one of the many lots we sat in the dark and stayed put for awhile. No need to go get wet before we had to. Thankfully the rain was short lived and as we made our way to the start it was tapering off. Shortly after starting I came across my friend Rick, a dentist in Canada who has run over 230 marathons! It was a joy to get to run with him again for a couple miles and chat about running and life. I also had the pleasure of running with a couple women during the race that were running their first marathon. I am always so happy and excited when I meet people who are on their first 26.2 adventure. I have such fond memories of my first marathon, and to be a part of someone else's marathon memories is pretty cool.
The temps stayed nice, and the sun hid behind the clouds, but I didn't feel it today. By mile ten I was having random little aches and pains, nothing awful, but it was a constant irritation. As I came to the halfway point and saw that the clock said 2:03 I was very pleased. I didn't feel like my pace had been that fast, but knowing that we would run the same loop twice, I hadn't stopped to take any pictures the first time around. I knew that alone was going to add some time to my second half.
As we ran along Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay there were several points that were quite pretty, but the gray sky didn't let me capture it well with photos. The park is covered with lush trees and marsh plants like cat-tails. I saw honey suckle, wildflowers, lilly pads and I'm sure there are plenty of frogs. Sorry I didn't stop to see if I could spot any.
Earlier in the week I had noticed some pelvic discomfort during my runs and I felt like I had a mild groin strain after one of my workouts. I wondered if it was going to rear it's ugly head again at the race and unfortunately the answer was yes. It was just distracting from the run. I have grown rather accustomed to running with various types of aches and even intense pain this year so this wasn't anything horrific, just a constant reminder that my body was unequivocally unhappy with my decision to run again.
Then it was the bathroom calling me. You know how it is, you have to go, you know there is a bathroom a couple miles ahead and that just makes it worse. I keep debating in my head if I should stop or not. I know that sounds stupid, why wouldn't you just stop? When I'm running I generally try to just deal with it and wait till I cross the finish line, especially if there is a line for the port-o-potties. But there again, it was a constant nag for the last few miles. I didn't stop though. I wanted to just keep moving.
Sounds like somewhat of a crappy day right? Well, truthfully I didn't feel the best, but I wasn't running for me. I really have nothing to complain about in light of what Abiwela has to deal with. Every time I struggle in a race, every time I have to deal with pain, every time I want to stop, I just have to remind myself why I'm there. Every minute, every mile, every race, is for a purpose. Abiwela is 13 and orphaned and I was running this race for him. Our kids at 13 are glued to their cell phones and Ipods. They want their space and expanding freedoms. With high school right around the corner, there are high hopes and emotions. And with that, often a lot of struggles between parents and teens. A lot of times the last thing they want to do is have to spend time with family. But that's not the case for Abiwela. Having a family is probably what he wishes for most of all! Imagine being a teen, and realizing that you most likely will never have a family. People often want to adopt babies, even young children, but the statistics of getting adopted at his age are beyond slim. He's had to face his life without the direction, guidance and love that we give our kids. What kind of hope does he have??? This marathon journey is about bringing that hope home for kids like Abiwela. If you could do something to make a child's life better why wouldn't you? This is why I run.
Crossing the finish line is always a great moment, no matter how you feel. You can sprint across, or even drag your feet across and it's still a great moment, because you are done! I finished in 4:13 and as I stood in the finish area, trying to regroup, another runner came up to me. We had met at a race earlier this year and after talking for a moment he reached for something pinned to his shorts. He had seen that I'd be at the race and had pinned some cash to donate when he found me. I thought that was incredibly thoughtful and kind! I chatted with a few other runners then immediately went to find Nicole and some food. They had subs, salads, chips and cookies. After some calories, and a couple more running conversations it was a long walk locating where we had parked the car. With the long drive back, we both wanted to get on the road quickly.
The aid station volunteers were great and I loved the costumes!
After getting home I was curious about my finishing time in 2008. I looked it up and as it turns out, I finished it faster this year! Granted it was only by about 30 seconds and the weather was a huge reason I didn't run as well in '08, but all the same I'll take it! Marathon #34 is in the books and its time to keep focused on the work ahead.
The view walking back to the car after the race
Knowing that the final finish line is getting closer, I feel an urgency with my fundraising. I still have a long way to go to make my goal. Every child matters, every penny counts and I ask for those of you who can make a donation to please hit the donate button at the top of my site! If everyone who reads this donates $1, that alone will make a huge impact! If you can't donate, do you have friends that you could send my link to? Your sharing my journey with others can make a huge impact as well!
Loved the hat this year....
and the unique finisher's medal
Each day is a chance to do something great.
Don't waste a minute of it!
"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." - 1Peter 4:10
Final Race Stats:
4:13:17 - finishing time
249 out of 469 overall
67 out of 175 women
10 out of 30 in my age group (25-29)
Way to go on beating your previous time! That is a really cool medal.
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