MAJOR NOTE - I did NOT run the full marathon.
I had the awesome opportunity to pace my friend Dawn for her first marathon!!!
After the NOLA marathon, I got in one 3 mile run and had some serious problems with my toes. They were NOT happy and did NOT want to go in shoes. Everything else was fine, but I took some time off to let my toes heal.
13 days AFTER my marathon, I get on the metro on Saturday morning to go to DC to find Dawn. THANKFULLY, when I got off the metro I could SEE people running, so I went towards them. Once I found the course, my goal was to get as close to the split (around mile 12.3) as I could so Dawn wouldn't have to run too far on her own.
Luckily she spotted me RIGHT where I meant to meet her, only I didn't think she'd be this far already. THAT was close, but it was obviously meant to be! So, I jump on the course next to her and she's looking GOOD. She kept talking about how much she was slowing down, but I was impressed at how fast she was still going!
She does walk/run intervals, and MAN - It was almost hard to keep up with her when she was running! I wasn't actually mentally prepared to start running when she saw me, so I really liked the walk breaks.
The course was surprisingly difficult. I don't know why I didn't realize DC had so many hills. I guess it's because all of the other races I've done in DC were mostly in flatter areas.
We saw Dawn's husband and daughter around mile 14, and then some more of her friends right before mile 15. We turned into a industrial looking section, and I could see across the field that we'd be running over there shortly. Dawn noticed it a couple minutes later and asked me (kinda panicky) if we were running over THERE! I was suddenly VERY interested in the machinery on the OTHER side of the road and asked her if she knew what it was. She laughed when she figured out I was trying to distract her.
Right around the corner she spotted another friend and stopped for a hug and photo op :)
We're keep walk/running and she's still doing well. We get to the point she was looking at and it's not that scary at all. We make it to the turn around and pass the military base/post/something. We took a running selfie in here somewhere, and then she sees Blue girl. Blue girl was struggling, so Dawn gave her a little pep talk and it seemed to perk blue girl up a little bit.
Then we met Tyler. Tyler isn't super fond of the marathon, he likes the 50 milers better - they are easier... OK, Tyler, I'll take your word for it!). Tyler stuck with us for awhile. He liked the run/walk idea. About 5 minutes after we picked up Tyler, we saw the paddy wagon and Dawn LOST IT! She was so excited to see that it was SO FAR behind us and that she was NOT going to get picked up. :)
Um... duh... I could have told you that :) I know it's a mental thing, and WHATEVER it takes to help you get though, latch on and GO with it!! That was a fun mile :)
AND THEN, there came a bridge. Dawn decided to walk it (good idea) and then we realized it went up farther than we thought (glad we were walking!) UNTIL there was no longer concrete, but a metal grating spanning the entire width of the bridge. *I* am NOT ok with stuff like that, and APPARENTLY, neither is Dawn. We started running to get OFF that part and I was telling her that CARS and TRUCKS and TANKS cross that grating. We were NOT going to fall.
Obviously, we made it off the bridge and the solid ground was blissful! Somewhere in here I was telling drama stories and that made mile 17-18 FLY by. Tyler was still hanging with us and loved the drama.
We met up with another group of Team Dawn shortly before mile 19. Dawn got some hugs and Gatorade and we got moving again, plus 1. Dawn's friend, who had already run a 1:50 something half marathon, came out to run a few more miles with her <3
Mile 20-21 was a biiiiiiiig loop around a park/grassy area/something. I don't remember exactly. My hips started hurting around this time and I was trying really hard to keep my mouth shut about it. I didn't want to distract Dawn, or have her feel bad. Luckily, her friend was with us and kept her distracted.
Not too much farther on, we were in a neighborhood and the friend started looking around trying to find out who was stalking us. Apparently Dawn's husband was using the IPhone tracking app and posting where we were. Creepy... but cool :)
About 2 blocks later the first Team in Training coach found us and joined our group. Every time someone from Team Dawn joined us or was waiting on the course for a hug, or holding a Gatorade or sign, my heart felt so big. I LOOOOOVED seeing her have so much support. I know it can be long and tedious to be a supporter - ESPECIALLY at a marathon - so it was really awesome that she had SO much support :) <3
For some reason, the race coordinators thought it would be a FANTASTIC idea to put a whole bunch of hills in at the end of the course. We kept on with the run/walking. Dawn kept on being awesome. She never hit the wall. She never talked about stopping. She never really complained... at all....
I have to apologize to SO many people after I run a long time b/c of the things I say (LOL), but Dawn was positive the whole time. It was so much fun.
Ok, so around mile 23 (I think) she ran out of water and panicked a little bit. We stopped and put some water in her pack. I ate a handful of oreos someone handed me (they were delicious) and we kept trucking on. The course finally flattened out again at mile 25. Dawn was getting a calf cramp, so we were walking more, but still moving at a good pace. She looked at me and said, "I'm good, right? I'm not going to get picked up?"
I look back and (don't have my glasses on, so things far away are fuzzy) see a vehicle slowly approaching with flashing lights. I told Dawn of COURSE she wasn't going to get picked up and of COURSE I didn't see the paddy wagon... but in my HEAD I was FREAKING OUT! OMG!!! It's a half mile behind us. they CAN'T pick us up THIS close to the end! Every time I looked back they seemed to be getting closer... and then I realized they were driving too fast to be the paddy wagon. It wound up being a medical vehicle. I cannot even express the relief I felt when I realized it was NOT the paddy wagon.
At this point, we're a 1/2 mile from the finish. We are distracted by the dirty mounds of snow that are STILL in the parking lot. The TnT coaches bailed out w/ 1/4 of a mile to go.
We saw Paxton and Sarah right before mile 26, and then again (there was a little out and back). When we could see the 26 mile marker, I asked Dawn, "What does that sign say?" and she said "Mile 26!!!" with the biggest smile. And I said, "Well, what are YOU doing here? YOU aren't a marathoner!!!" (smiling, btw). I hope someone got a picture of her face right then.
I jumped off the course at the 26 mile marker and ran up the side to the finish line with Sarah and Amy and Dawn ran in with Paxton.
It was the COOLEST experience. I LOOOOVE the emotion that happens at the finish line. I was SO happy and SO excited FOR Dawn. She got her medal and jacket and beer.
I am SO glad I did this with her. It was hard NOT to cross the finish line, but helping a friend KNOW that feeling, is almost as good as crossing myself <3 <3
No comments:
Post a Comment