Marine Corps Marathon...for Babo

This was my third year running the MCM (Marine Corps Marathon) and it was wonderful to return to the start of my connection with 25:40.

For those of you who didn't know, I first learned about 25:40 and their mission to help children in South Africa when I decided to run the MCM in 2008. I poured over the race website, reading through different charities. I had decided I wanted to run for a charity and make this race not about me, or my time, but to help someone else. I had never run for a charity before and was excited about giving something through my running. This year there were over 70 different charities that partnered with MCM, covering a wide variety of topics/issues. I was very drawn to the focus of 25:40, their desire to help children who are often born into hopelessness, and was encouraged by the work they were doing to help make a difference. I took a leap of faith, signed up to run on their behalf, and raise the required $750. I was given a little boy to run for, whom had lost both of his parents and my heart was broken for him.  

It was October 26, 2008, a day that stands out in my mind as being pivotal in in my running mindset. It was my 7th marathon, and I had no idea how that day would impact my life. Taking the focus off myself, running for a child I had worked to raise funds for, was quite simply life changing. If you run, and have never personally run on behalf of a charity, you have no idea what you are missing out on! Most people shy away from the idea of charity running because of the fund-raising attached to it. It's work for sure, but it also gives a focus, a purpose, that I don't think running for a personal best time, or even to Boston qualifying time can match. 

I knew then, that if I had the chance to do something positive in the future through my running, I'd  want to partner with 25:40 again. That experience, ultimately inspired me to take on this 52 Beginnings challenge.

I am so fortunate to live close to Washington DC and always just sleep at home the night before the race. This year half the challenge of MCM was just getting to the expo! The only time I could manage to get there was Saturday afternoon, and with the Jon Stewart Rally to Restore Sanity drawing over 200,000 people to DC that day, on top of all the runners trying to get to the expo to pick up their race packets, well, you can imagine just what an insane mess the roads and metro were! It was a serious lesson in patience when the metro was so backed up that they wouldn't even let people through the gates down to the platforms because of the sheer volume of people. Once I did finally get on, we were sandwiched tighter than sardines, with the door barely closing because of the bodies. An advertisement on the inside of the train was all about killing body odor. Yeah, rather appropriate for today! I struggled to get my camera out of my pocket to take a picture. It was that tight in there!

I had picked up my packet, taken a quick walk around the expo, picking up a pair of socks, and was now heading to the 25:40 pre-race pasta dinner. I looking forward to getting to meet the other runners that had joined up to run MCM with 25:40 this year and had worked hard to fund-raise for the children. Dinner was like a reunion of old friends, even though most of the runners I'd never met before. We all had a common interest, whether it was their first marathon, 6th, or like me, my 66th (lifetime). I was more than fashionably late because of my metro fun, but a plate of pasta and the camaraderie of the other runners was worth the effort it took to get there. 

 With Alec and Amy, co-founders of 25:40

It had been a long day, and after getting home at 8:30, I still had to get everything in order for the morning. I have a horrible habit of doing things last minute. But I was eager to run!  I'd been looking forward to this race for over a year. For the first time ever I'd be running in costume! The race was taking place on Halloween morning and I just couldn't pass up the chance to dress up! Using odds and ends that I had on hand, I managed to put together what I hoped would be a somewhat comfortable pirate costume. I figure with already having tattoos I'm a good fit for the pirate theme. I painted my nails black, pinned on my gold coin chain to my belt, Babo's info to the back of my top, and called it a night. 

 Pirate ready

As always, the alarm sounds too soon, and I was out the door and on my way to D.C just before 5am. This is one race you don't want to be late for! There are plenty of different options for getting to the start, but every year I have always just taken the free shuttles from Crystal City and followed that plan again this year. 

Still dark and cold out, I was glad I brought a toss away sweatshirt to wear before the start. After getting off the shuttles, we had a short walk into the pre-race runners village. We went through security, checking all bags, and into a huge lot. UPS trucks for drop bags were in one corner, lines and lines of port-o-potties were on the other side and tents were set up for various groups. Runners had taken over the pavement, spreading out with their pre-race breakfasts, stretching and preparing for the day ahead. Even in the darkness I managed to find several friends. I was about to make my way to the starting corrals and then I heard it, the song How Great Is Our God, was being sung. I followed in the direction of the music, and found a band playing under one of the large white tents. A Marine Chaplin shared some words of encouragement, along with a few scriptures to help give us strength for the day. People had gathered all around to listen and sing. It was a short service, maybe only 10 minutes long, but it was a rejuvenation of the soul. At the end, a prayer was said, and we all joined hands.

Then it was a short walk to line up for the start. A lot of my Marathon Maniac friends were planning to run, and had organized to take a group photo before the start. I found them and made it in time for the shot! I was glad to see a few others in costume and it was great to catch up with friends, some of which I hadn't seen in quite awhile. 

 With all my maniac friends

The rush of excitement filled the air, especially for the thousands that were were about to begin their first 26.2 I was hyped! We saw an F/A-18 and CH-53 fly overhead, music was blaring, it was time to get this party started! With so many people running, I didn't even cross the starting mat until almost 9 minutes after the official start. It was a like a sea of people rushing through the streets, thick with congestion. Shortly after starting I saw the USMC Mounted Color Guard off to the left. This extraordinary military unit is the only remaining mounted color guard in the Marine Corps today and has been stationed in California since 1967. 

 Start line ahead

The first few miles offer some hills and I quickly warmed up. As we came to the crest of the first hill, firetrucks with their ladders extended high, hoisted the Stars and Strips into the air. It was one of many wonderful sights on the course.

The Marine Corps Marathon has been held for the past 35 years and is called the People's Marathon because there is no financial incentive to run. No prize money is given out, and the entire race is organized, and presented by the United States Marine Corps. They cover everything from the organization of the expo, packet pick up, aid stations, medical tents to the finish line festivities. Every service man and woman are in uniform and they do a fantastic job. I have always been very impressed with how well the event is organized. The amount of military on the course is inspiring too, and this is a race that I think every marathoner should run. There is really no way to describe just how powerful of an event this is. 

 Even the water cups were Marine branded!

After a couple of miles and getting into a good running groove, I became quickly aware of just how annoying it can be to run in costume. I know this was my idea, and I expected to have a few hiccups, but it seemed like I had to readjust my belt every couple minutes as it kept slipping. More than anything, it was the chain of coins (which was once a bracelet belonging to my mother as a child) that I had pinned to my belt that became irritating. It jingled, like Christmas bells, the entire race. I had worn headphones, but with keeping my volume low, I could still hear the jingle with each and every step. I'm sure I equally annoyed those around me with the sound, but thankfully with the masses of people I don't think I tagged along any one person for all that long. 

I saw a lot of costumes on the course today, including plenty of faeries (or other dainty type things with wings) several super heros (Batman, Superman, Captain America, Wonder Woman) and even several other pirates, although they were all guys. I saw a Bigfoot (and man that costume looked uncomfortable), Smurf (with blue face paint and all), and my friend Chris even wore his hotdog costume. The best though, (at least in my opinion) was Waldo, from the Where's Waldo books. Such a perfect setting to be Waldo, with 20,000+ other runners in the mix. It was like a page out of the book! Wish I had been able to get a shot of him!

We had started in Arlington, VA, making our way through Rosslyn along Lee Highway, eventually running on the George Washington Parkway which was quite pretty. The sun glistened, the fall colors alive and I couldn't help but feel like it was a perfect Sunday morning to run. 

We made our way over the Key Bridge into Georgetown, which, like in the past years I've run this race, was packed with spectators for miles. People yelled, banners and balloons were everywhere. It was a great feeling to run through the energy.

We were treated to great views of the Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, and other landmarks like the U.S. Capitol, Lincoln, FDR, Korean War and Vietnam Veteran's memories during the race. I tried to get some good shots, but with so many runners, it was hard to stop and take photos all the time. The entire race I felt like I was weaving through people. In the past 2 times I've run MCM, I don't remember it being as packed. Almost the entire time I was passing people and having to move around walkers. 

Running along the National Mall there were large crowds out to support their friends and family. Spectators scanned the road, looking to catch a glimpse of their loved ones. I had told my family not to worry about making the trip out to see me. As much as I would have liked to have them there, I knew it would be such a pain to get into the D.C. area. Plus Jeremy had been shooting a wedding until almost 10pm the night before and I knew he was tired. I have gotten very accustomed to going alone to my races. Even before this year, it was rare for my family to come along. But still a part of me wished they could have come. Then my phone rang, it was Jeremy. I had told him I'd be carrying my phone with me today and I'd call if I took any long walking breaks, but he normally doesn't call when I'm running. I slowed down to a walk and answered the phone, worried that something might be wrong. He just wanted to know where I was at and how I was doing. A little irritated that he was calling me for what I thought was nothing, I told him I was at mile 17 and that I'd call him when I finished. I hurried off the phone so I could get back to running.

I really didn't think much of the call until I got to mile 19 and heard my name being yelled loudly from the sidelines. A few times on the course I had heard friends cheer for me, and I turned to wave back. I I turned to look, expecting to see another friend, and there was Jeremy and the kids! I was so floored that they had come to see me! I quickly ran over to give them hugs and kisses before hitting the road again. It was a huge surprise, and a great motivator as I had the last few miles to focus on. 

 Seeing my kids on the course!

At mile 20 runners have to "beat the bridge," as it serves as a cutoff point for those that have not held a minimum pace for the race. The bridge seems long and at that point in the race, it's all about putting one foot in front of the other. I was passing a lot of walkers, and seeing a lot of "limpers", people who looked like they were hurting bad. I was so thankful that today I wasn't struggling through. 

 Heading out for the bridge

Ah, the bridge

After coming back into Virginia from D.C., we ran the streets of Crystal City, big colored flags lining the road, flapping in the wind. I finally found a beer stop at mile 22 and made sure to get 2 cups. The last few miles I felt pretty strong, and the excitement to see my family at the finish line pushed me right along. 

As we neared the finish line, I came to "the hill." Hills make any course more challenging, but when there is a hill, at the 26 mile of a marathon, it feels like a mountain. And the challenge is far worse for those that come to it unknowingly. I hope that every person that ran MCM had seen the course map and knew the hill was going to be there. It's not long, but its steep enough, especially after having run for hours. I ran the hill, and through to the finish line in 4:19. It was my slowest time of the 3 years I've run MCM, but I didn't care, it was another finish. And as many people pointed out to me after the race, I beat Oprah's time.

 Heading to get my medal

There's nothing like getting a medal from a Marine!

This race has seen its share of famous runners, such as journalist Ted Koppel (1983, finishing in 5:09) Vice President Al Gore (1997, finishing in 4:54), and Clarence Thomas, Supreme Court Justice (1980, finishing in 3:11). In 1994, Oprah Winfrey trained for, and ran, the Marine Corps Marathon, finishing in 4:29:15. Apparently a lot of people set out to beat that time. I can't tell you how many people I heard talking about it before and during the race. I even saw one girl that had written on the back of her calves that she was running to beat Oprah's time.

 But for all the famous people and the fast people who ran, or won the race, to me it was the thousands of people who ran on behalf of the fallen, on behalf of charities, that impressed me the most. In that sea of people, was a rainbow of colored shirts for every different cause. People wore the pictures of those who had passed in the line of duty, or whom had been lost to cancer. People ran to raise funds for cures, community outreach projects, and the disabled. I ran for Babo, who at 12 years of age faces the risk of being orphaned. He has no father, and his mother, who has no job, is trying to care for him and his sister. Children like Babo are at high risk for becoming orphaned and are in extreme need. Poverty stricken in an area where there are few resources and even less opportunities for employment, every day is a struggle.

 Babo

This race was marathon #43 of the year and now I'm into single digits, with only 9 marathons left to go. I am completely amazed I'm at this point already. I'm so close to being done, but still in great need of donations for these children! So far with your help, I have raised almost 13,000! But it's still a far cry from the $26,000 goal. I sincerely thank all of you who have been so generous to give, and ask that you continue to share my site with your friends and family. Every donation, even those of $5 and $10 are such a blessing to these children! The more people we can reach, the more money can be raised, and the bigger impact we can make for these children. Please donate!! Please pass this website link on!!

 With my oldest daughter Amira, walking away from the finish area

I've written up a short little blurb at the end of this blog that you can copy and paste into your email. Just add in your contact list and send it out. It will take less than 2 minutes of your time, and hopefully it will touch the hearts of the people who read it. Thank you so much for your help and support!!

My pirate's gold :)

Final Race Stats:

4:19:07 - finishing time

7,303 out of 21,873 overall

1,993 out of 8,667 women

512 out of 1,923 in my age group (25-29)

Hi Everyone,

I have a friend who has been running a marathon every week since January 2010 to raise funds for orphans in South Africa - that's 26.2 miles every 6 to 8 days! This past weekend she ran the Marine Corps Marathon in DC as marathon #43 of the year as she attempts to run 52 marathons in 52 weeks. Please check out her site and donate if you can! She's working to raise $26,000 for over 1,500 children in the Eastern Cape of South Africa and is in serious need of donations!  www.52beginnings.com

Thanks!