I finished the race in 2 hours, 19 minutes, and 29 seconds (which put me in 3,453rd place). I had been hoping to finish under 2:15 and was determined to finish under 2:30, and I was able to run the whole way without stopping to walk, so I am pretty happy with my time. I thought I was completely exhausted in the final mile, but when I saw that finish line, I was able to sprint the rest of the way in. I guess we always have a little bit more inside us than we realize.
I crossed the finish line right next to a very athletic looking man running at my sprint pace… but he was finishing the complete marathon in that time. It’s not even human how fast these people can run.
We were 15 minutes away from home when I realized we had to turn back because I didn’t have my bib or my timing chip. This meant I was standing in line for the port-a-potty when the starting gun went off. Luckily, I was able to use the facilities and join the large crowd of runners who were still making their way to the starting line without any real delay.
Billy and I had mapped out a “spectators course” for him to get from place to place on the metro, so he was able to see me off at the start, cheer me on at mile 3.5 and mile 7, and watch me cross the finish line. My friends Erin and Danielle also came out to cheer me on, and although a slow train kept them from seeing me until the finish line, I was so excited to see all three of my fans after I finished!
It was pretty cold, but not too bad once I got running. I wish I’d brought my gloves, but otherwise, it was good weather- and sunny!
For motivation, I wrote the names of each person who made a donation on livestrong bracelets- it took 5 to fit all your names! I frequently looked down and spun the bands around to remind myself how many people had made sacrifices to support me. Around mile 10, when my legs got heavy, I started naming in my head one person who had encouraged me during each stride. I made a lot of strides before I ran out of supporters, and I think it helped me speed up! Thanks to all of you for being there with me every step of the way!
There were a lot of fun spectators along the way, some of them with really funny signs. They said things like, “Toenails are for wimps,” “Your feet only hurt from kicking so much ass,” “You run like a girl… and we like it!” and “Go mom! You’re awesome!” (colored and held by a little girl about 7 years old). Two guys were standing next to each other with signs that said something like “I might take up running” and “if it means I can stare at your ass.” There was a group of young city-dwellers with a table set up on the street and cups of “FREE BEER!” that they were passing out to the runners. A group of high-school age kids were blaring rap on a car stereo, dancing around, giving high fives to the runners, and yelling things like “You go girl! Get it!”
I saw one girl fall down (out of the race at mile one- ouch!), one man throw up (about a half mile after the free beer- coincidence?), and one woman fall off a bicycle while watching the runners. Not too bad, all things considered.
The race had about 7,000 participants total, which they said was twice as many as last year. This means they underestimated the number of cups they would need, so by the third water station, the only option I had was to drink water straight out of the jug. After passing on this the first time, I chose hydration over sanitation.
My body held up fairly well. I taped my feet and ankles, so they didn’t give me any trouble. My knees were starting to get sore by the end, but not sore enough to slow me down. Apparently Billy told the girls, “she will finish even if she’s running on bloody nubs.” Thankfully, it did not come to that! I’m a little worried about the soreness I’ll encounter tomorrow, though, because it’s already obvious that my ‘running muscles’ are extra tight as a result of not having run for a week and a half.
Ladies of DC, if you are single and looking for a man, I would advise getting involved in the running scene. There were a lot of fit, eligible looking men participating in the race, but the place to meet them is at the Fitness Expo the day before.
The route afforded the best view of the Capitol building. We ran right by it at the start, and then toward the end we ran straight toward it for over a mile. I also ran right by the Washington Monument, which Billy was able to capture in a picture. I forgot to look to my right to see the White House, but we continued all the way down to the Lincoln Memorial before the route turned north.
During the mile that I was running straight toward the Capitol, I was really tired, but right then the Livestrong song, “Maybe Tonight, Maybe Tomorrow,” came on my iPod. It reminded me why I was there, and for the duration of the song, I felt like I was caught inside some kind of inspirational music video. I started to get a little bit choked up, but luckily that feeling passed, because it’s hard to breath when you’re crying. : )
Right now, my donation total is $2175, or $166.03 per mile I ran today!! I can still accept donations up until a month after my event, so if you had hoped to donate but haven’t gotten the chance yet, please visit my fundraising page!
Thank you all for coming along on the journey with me. It has meant a lot to me, and my dad, and the rest of our family, that so many people have been so supportive. I said at the start of this that I wanted to find a way to channel my frustration about Dad’s diagnosis into a positive outlet, and thanks to everyone’s donations, the support you’ve given me will go directly toward supporting others whose lives have been impacted by cancer.I’m not sure I’ll be able to go up and down the stairs tomorrow, and I’m sure that the maneuver of sitting down will be nearly impossible. But as “Maybe Tonight, Maybe Tomorrow,” says, I’m staring down the unknown, but one thing is certain; you could break my body, but you will never break my soul.
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