Done!

It started out as a beautiful day with clear skies and a warm breeze. At least that's what I would have liked for it to have been. Instead, it was cold, with lightning and LOTS of rain and wind. 4:30am comes early no matter what time you go to bed and I couldn't sleep last night. So for me it came really, really early. But I got up, got dressed, kissed my husband, and went to spend a miserable morning getting hammered with wind and rain until I was soaked to the bone.  Downtown is very disorienting in the dark, but the sight of the dark rain-soaked skies up against the lighted chairs of the Oklahoma City Memorial was breathtaking. So that image was motivation #1 for the morning. We were rain delayed by 30 minutes, so I lost any warmth I had built up. I got colder and colder as I stood in the shute where they had us corralled (like cattle, oddly enough). The thousands of people around me should have provided some body heat, right?! But no, it was freaking cold out there. Motivation #2 came with the 168 seconds of silence that we observed in memory of those lost. There was a very poignant and tangible energy in the air. The only thing that you could hear was the raindrops falling around and on you. It was amazing! The race begins. The first 2 miles are the hardest for me. It takes at least 2-3 miles for my body to adjust to what I'm doing to it. It was cold, raining, and my ankle hurt. And I was starting to become overwhelmed with a sense of sheer panic at mile 4. I wanted to stop and cry. I was breathing funny and I didn't want to do this anymore. I had just spend the last 3 miles getting pelted in the face with rain and  was soaked completely through. I said (and I'm pretty sure that it was out loud), "Dear God, I don't think that I can do this today!". Motivation #3 Here We Go Again by OK GO came on my Ipod. And it made me laugh! I felt a strong calm come over me. My breathing steadied and I ran my best mile of the race at a 13minute pace. My miles slowed but I felt good. I was still well under my 15 minute pace. Mile 7 the rain reduced to a sprinkle and I started to warm up. I felt great and run my 2nd best mile at 13.55 minutes pace. Mile 9 the skies opened up and poured down onto us. I was drenched and miserable...AGAIN. Mile 11 came and brought with it "THE WALL". I had spent every last once of energy I had on tap. I struggled and struggled. Mile 12, I was done, spent, kaput, fine, finished, no longer capable. Then an angel sent me the perfect song to make my legs work that last 1.1 mile, My Body by Young the Giant. That was Motivation #4. Thanks, Jamison! As I entered the last leg, there was one of coaches telling me how great I was doing and walked me to the least 1/4 mile of the race. Then she told me to run. I tried, I really did, but I was doing well to get one foot in front of the other. Then Motivation #5 hollered at me. Literally! My beautiful, wonderful, amazing husband hollered at me as he ran onto the course. I had to make him leave the course but he followed me all the way to the Finish Line, which I ran across. There stood Motivation #6,7,8. My amazing family had made me some great signs and was cheering (and of course my mom was crying : ) ).  They had braved the weather and suffered just so they could support me. I am blessed! I was so tired and shaking. Not shivering, shaking. I collected my medal, my gear, my marathon pin, a powerade and left. I wish that I could have stayed and enjoyed the festivies more and I wish that I could have taken more pics, but the weather just made me want to get the crap out of there. But I finished! I FINISHED! I stripped as I walked through my frontdoor. Josh ran my a hot bath and made me some choclate milk. I hate milk, but that was the best chocolate milk that I have ever had. I love my husband! I still don't feel warm and I'm pretty sure that I will not be able to walk tomorrow, but I FINISHED! Now I let me body heal for a week. Then....dun,dun,dun...I begin training for the Dirty 30! It's gonna be wild! Peace, love, and naps!