Another Double! Part 1...Richmond Marathon...for Dee-Dee

After running two of the largest marathons in the country on back to back weekends (Marine Corps Marathon and New York City) , I was ready to have a less stressful, less crazy weekend. But really who was I kidding!? I was planning to run the race that got me started on this insane marathon kick, the SunTrust Richmond Marathon on Saturday, and turn around to run another semi-local marathon, the Harrisburg Marahton on Sunday, this weekend was anything but low key and easy!

Knowing that I was once again asking my body to do the impossible, and hold up for marathons on back to back days, I figured a little extra rest and TLC during the week couldn't hurt. I struggled to keep myself from the gym, but I did decide to try the Salonpas patches that I had been sent to try out. As the only FDA approved over the counter pain relieving patch, I figured it might be a good help for my left hamstring, as it's been giving me constant grief as of lately. I found the patches to be quite a unique product, as they are similar to taking a pain reliever, as they do contain NSAID (a non-steroid, anti-inflammatory drug). But unlike taking a pill, which passes through your entire bloodstream, the active ingredients in the patch go directly to the area of pain. I was curious to see if it would make a difference for my weekend madness (read on to find out). Salonpas has generously offered to send 5 of my readers their own kits to try out so if you're interested in testing it out for yourself, shoot me an email (52beginnings@gmail.com) with your name and address and the first 5 responses will get your own kit!

As the week carried on, I started to notice myself feeling less than good. I felt foggy, and in general just under the weather. I kept telling myself that getting sick is not an option. I have managed to not be sick once since I started on this journey in January. All research I've seen has directly linked a lowered immune system following running a marathon. In fact several reports have claimed that people are       6 times more likely to get sick following a marathon! That information has been something I have turned a blind eye to, as with running these every week, it seemed simply impossible to not get sick. I  seriously can't afford to bet sick! So once again, I tried to just ignore the signs and just keep on like nothing. But as the weekend neared, I knew I was going to be fighting an extra tough fight. I was sick, and denial wasn't doing much for me. Neither was vitamins, or tea for that matter. Still, on Friday afternoon I pulled myself together as best I could and made the less than fun drive through traffic to Richmond.

My plan for Richmond was simple; run, and finish. I made my trip to the expo as quick as possible, simply picking up my packet and leaving. Now I have a great deal of love for the Richmond Marathon. It was my first marathon, and this was my third year running it. I had planned to hang out with friends, and mill around the expo, but getting sick was ruining all those plans. And not wanting to pass on whatever fun little germs had decided to have a hay-day with me, I figured I'd best get some good rest and hope for a better morning. As it often is with sickness, my appetite was gone. There was no pre-race carb loading. Dinner was half a sandwich, a small salad and a bag of chips. I knew I should have had more, but choking that down was killing me. This could not be good…

Race morning, head still in a fog, I got dressed and told myself you feel better. Dang it, weather you do or don't, you just have to believe it! I looked a mess, felt more of a mess, and yep, it was time to go run. I tried to stay arm's length from everyone around me, which is hard to do when people saw the back of my shirt, and wanted to chat with me about my running journey. For the first time this year I felt like I was almost trying to hide at the start area. Not that I didn't want to talk to people, but I just felt like a walking germ bag. Having gone through almost a full bag of throat drops in the last 2 days, I took out another one and popped it in my mouth. Ready or not its 8am.

The race started and I had not knowing what my body was going to do, I tried to play it safe with my pace. The first few miles were quite congested and in a way that worked well, keeping me at a nice steady and easy pace. It was a perfect fall morning, the cool temps that made me shiver at the start line, couldn't have been more fitting once we started moving.

 Drums at the start

The trees in full color, the sun giving them a glow. It was a little piece of running paradise. I tried to not focus on me, but everything around me, and more importantly, on Dee-Dee, the 11 year old orphan in South Africa, who was the reason I was running. I've said it before and I'll say it again. If I was not running for these children, if they were not my focus, my motivation and I hadn't made the commitment to 25:40 on their behalf to run, I wouldn't have made it this far this year. I have pushed through injury issues, financial and occupational stress, and now being physically sick. If these 52 marathons were just for my own challenge, I wouldn't have made it through every week. And for as sick as I felt today, I would have stayed just stayed home. If this race was for me, Richmond wouldn't have happened this year. Thank God I was running for Dee-Dee and not me!

Dee-Dee

They always say people are most thankful for something or appreciate something the most when its gone, and its true. You don't think about your health, until you don't have it. It's times when your laid up in the hospital, or are recovering from surgery, that you think about how fortunate you are, that this is just temporary. You will get better, you will heal. But for a lot of the children I have run for, getting better isn't so simple. The yuck I have will go away, but many of the children I am running for have significant health issues, including tuberculosis, and AIDS. And worse yet, because of the severe poverty issues, many of these children can not get the medical care they need to help them cope. How awful is it that there are treatments that can help these children, and yet they can not get them?! That just flat out breaks my heart. This is a huge reason why I decided to take on this year of running. For those children that are HIV+, they need to be on a drug regimen of 5-6 pills twice a day which must be strictly adhered to. If there is not a parent, or caregiver, staying on top of their treatments and they miss doses, they will become resistant to the drugs. They must also have a good source of nutrition or else the drugs will not be as effective and the children will fall ill. In the United States there are 4-5 generations of ARVs (antiretroviral drugs) and antibiotics that are used to treat HIV. In South Africa, there are only 2 generations available, which means if the children become resistant, there are very few alternatives.  Thinking about all that, severely puts whatever sickness I was struggling with into perspective. I'd run a marathon feeling like crap every week, if it meant these children could get the medical help they so desperately need.

 

Amazingly, keeping the focus off myself did wonders for me mentally, and physically. I took in each mile as it's own, I enjoyed seeing Richmond in ways I had not the last 2 times I'd run it and I made the best of the day. Mile after mile, I just kept pushing on, and eventually I found myself no longer having to push. I wasn't feeling foggy. I wasn't struggling to make it to the next mile. I was just running. So I kept on running, and of course, taking pictures. I hit the half way point, and still no signs of an energy crash.

The bridge

Around mile 15 We crossed the bridge that was monumental in the running of my first marathon. I remember feeling like the bridge went on forever, and as we were heading straight into the cold wind that morning, doubts ran through my mind. Today I welcomed the bridge and the wind. As we ran through the streets of Richmond, things were clicking and I started thinking about the crazy little thing I was about to do.

 My kids were crazy excited to see this picture! I wonder why? :)

You all know I have tattoos. Like them or not, they are a part of me, and believe it or not, I have not gotten any ink in over 8 years. Several months ago, while running a marathon in Florida I passed a tattoo shop. I started thinking about how cool it would have been if the shop had been open. I would have just stopped in, got a tattoo, and kept on running. The idea stuck with me. And so I had made plans for a one of a kind experience at Richmond. I put my plan in motion, getting everything set up the day before. At mile 24 1/2 I'd be running down West Grace Street, which just so happens to be where The Absolute Art Tattoo shop is located. I told David, the artist who would be tattooing me, that I'd give him a call when I was a couple miles out so he'd know exactly when to expect me.

Perfect sign, just for me, in a mount of dirt. Yeah, don't suck Dana!

I hit mile 22, made the call and sheer excitement carried me the next two miles. I got to the shop, walked in, sat down, and within a matter of minutes I had my tattoo. I had decided to get the word "Ithemba" tattooed on my left wrist. It means hope in South Africa, and to me it is significant to the journey of this year. I couldn't think of a more appropriate time to get a tattoo to represent this year of marathons, than while I was running! As soon as the hum of the tattooing gun had gone silent, David wrapped my wrist and I headed out the door, down the stairs, and back on the road.

David setting up for my tattoo

After having had a little "break" with getting the tattoo I was more than ready to kick it in full gear for the last couple miles. Richmond offers an awesome downhill finish, and that allowed me to just keep on flying for the finish line. After finishing I checked my watch. Even with stopping for the tattoo I finished in 4:21. My hamstring didn't bother me once during the race. And even though I found myself coughing, now that I was done running and trying to make my way through the finish area to my car, I felt amazingly better than I had when I started. Maybe running was the real cure to my sickness!

I stopped to grab a slice of hot Papa John's cheese pizza (by far my favorite takeout pizza) from the finishers food tent, then slowly strolled to my car.  I had just completed marathon #45 of the year, and had gotten a new tattoo. And at that moment, I couldn't have been happier.

Final Race Results:
4:21:25 - finishing time
2,010 out of 3,756
673 out of 1,601 women
138 out of 322 in my age group (25-29)

We all need hope - and we all need to give it!!

Part 2 of my weekend (Harrisburg Marathon) will be posted on Thursday.