Here I am in my somewhat cozy twin size bed dreaming my crazy crack smoker dreams when all of a sudden Dave's voice fills my head. I grudgingly open my eyes and find my stepfather standing above my bed telling me its time to get up.
6:00 am.
Ready and dressed for the event. Although I am on the Atkins diet I decided I would rather break the diet for one day rather than die from no carbs in my system later. So I drank a full glass of berry smoothie (yummm. it made me miss jamba juice with kenny.)
6:30 am
In the car with Dave, listening to some of "his music" when he realizes he forgot our sensors at home. Drive all the way home to find out that our sensors were with us all along. Blonde moment for Dave (one that I will never let him forget.)
7:00 am
Finally make it downtown indy. The minute I step out of the car I was flooded with memories. The crisp morning air, the sweaty smell, the sound of tennis shoes thumping the ground.
race day.
My legs started to hurt just thinking about all of the races I had been through. At that moment I only wished that I was in high school about to run a 5k at Culver with my girls. But no this was something entirely different...it was the Big One.
The Indy 500 Mini Marathon.
The weather this morning was particularly crisp, in fact I was shivering non stop and my teeth were chattering like crazy.
We "woggled" to the start line area (which was 6 blocks away) and instead of going to our assigned "p" and "o" sections Dave, being the inpatient person he is, had us climb over a fence to get to the "d" section which was probably a couple hundred feet closer to the start line. So here I am this very unfit 18 year old college student surrounded by mostly middle aged men who you can tell have been training for this event for a long time. You can always tell by their legs how well they are going to do.
I could just feel the judgement pouring my way because...
A. I look like a weakling
B. They just saw me hop the fence, so they know I don't belong in the front
C. I had an I-pod
I was obviously not a true "marathoner."
Dave handed me my orange flavored goo (aka. my life saver) and I turned my I-pod on to my running playlist. First song was "Bleed It Out" by Linkin Park.
The First Question to pop in my head before the race was:
Why in the HECK am I doing this??
7:30 am
Bang. Just like that it began, my 13.1 mile race with no meaning. Why was I running this? This isn't fun? By the first 1/2 mile Dave left me alone with just my I-pod and a couple of thousand people surrounding me. This was my third time running the race, but the first time I was alone.
8:00 am
3 miles down. 10.1 to go...why am I doing this again?
As I run I start to people watch. People are all around me and I see some with shirts that say what cause they are running for, or what person they are running for. It seemed like everyone had a purpose, but me. I was only there because my stepdad asked me months ahead if I wanted to. Stupidly I said yes, thinking that I would train for it.
So here I was running at a pace that I knew I could probably survive. Maybe. And I still had no purpose. Reasons started running through my head, but in the end I decided to run it for myself. A little selfish...I know. BUT I decided that this race would be an end and a beginning. It would the end to all of my procrastination, and the beginning for being prepared. I need to start preparing for things. Like this race...I need to train my body to be ready for anything that comes its way. I need to prepare for tests so that I can get the best possible grades. I need to prepare myself for future disappointments, success, jobs, a future spouse, and family.
9:00 am
I can't feel anything. My hands have completely lost all feeling, and my legs too. All I wanted to do was quit...I had work in 4 hours, I knew that was going to suck. But I just made this goal...and I have to stick by it. Did I mention that this entire time I haven't stopped to walk? All of a sudden at the 10 mile marker I look to the left and some old lady in her mid 60's I would guess...just passed me. WHAT THE HECK??? I felt like crap at that moment. I wanted to cry..how was she doing that? Why do I suck? But then I remembered my goal of finishing and changed my attitude all together. I want to be this chick. One day when I am 65 years old I will train for the mini marathon and I will run it like a stallion...and run by poor little weakling college students and as I do I will say to them...GOOD JOB....you can do it! Because when that old lady said those words to me I was extremely motivated. If this old lady can do it. ... SO CAN I! So then I was off.
At about 2 hours and 20 min into the race I was only a couple hundred feet away from that finish line. My legs ached and my head was throbbing. So close. All of a sudden I hear my mother's voice. I look to the left...my wonderful family was there sitting on the side lines cheering on the runners. I love my mother =]
Then all of a sudden I crossed that line. And at that moment I remembered why I did all of this. The feeling of accomplishing something difficult and challenging is one of the most fulfilling/ wonderful feelings in the world.
Trust me hours later...my poor body is facing some serious pain because of my choices. For the next couple of day I will be regretting my decision, but I will definitely be happy with it for the rest of my life.
Mom, Me, Grandpa, Dave, and some chick. This was the only year we actually took pictures at the mini marathon. Maybe 2 years ago?
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