Marine Corps Marathon #2

It hurts so good!

Man I love marathons!

This one kicked my BUTT, but it was awesome!!! A perfect day for a race. The morning was hectic - I was going to metro from a nearby station to the Pentagon stop (Arlington was closed, meaning that once I got to the Pentagon station, I had to walk over a mile to the start line!) but I ended up taking a bus down to another metro stop and riding from there. While waiting for the bus, I managed to meet a woman who had travelled from the Dominican Republic to DC for the race and we rode together. We picked up another marathoner on the bus and it was actually pretty fun!

I managed to find my parents right away at the metro stop and we worked our way out and to the race start. It was chaotic. We ended up waiting in line for about 25 minutes so that I could use a port-a-potty and then I had to run to the start line (about another quarter mile from the portapotties!). So in general - lots of walking/running before the race even started. Not very cool.

So the race started but I didn't even cross the starting line until about 10 minutes after the gun went off. The Marine Corps Marathon is wonderfully crowded with runners and spectators. It's amazing - you really feel like people are there just for YOU. Even if you don't know them! If you ever want an ego boost, sign up for a race. People will tell you how awesome you are!

I feel like I didn't train well enough for this one. By mile 5, I was wishing I had eaten more breakfast. By mile 15, I was exhausted. By mile 18, my knees were aching. I felt out of it. I couldn't find my family and was doing this kind of hyper-heaving thing that was kind of uncontrollable for a few minutes around mile 20. I swore so loudly during the Crystal City part that I jolted another woman into running faster just to get away from me. I was hurting.

But I still managed to finish in 4:15:40 - almost 10 minutes off my previous MCM time! And by the time I saw my family, I was just so happy to see them that nothing else mattered!

During the race, I saw a man pushing his disabled son. His son couldn't move and his dad was pushing him up a hill when I saw them. Everyone was cheering for them and it was so touching. That kind of determination really reminds you of what love really is. You bare your whole soul in a marathon even when you're not pushing someone else. I can't even imagine how tough you have to be physically and mentally to do that. Needless to say, I was impressed.

At the end of the race, they really corral the runners. After I got my medal I managed to trip on the sidewalk and almost fell into a Marine, who grabbed my hand and asked, "Ma'am, are you ok?" (they called me ma'am all weekend but it somehow didn't make me feel old. When a Marine calls you ma'am, you feel sexy!). I somehow grunted, "where is the water??" and he pointed me in the right direction and asked if I needed help. I'm pretty sure he would have carried me if I had said yes, but I said I was ok and stumbled on. I managed to find my parents right away, which was sooo lucky. No begging strangers to let me use their cell phones!

Today, I'm pretty sore and sleepy. But I'm so excited to do another one! When I was going across the bridge at mile 20 (complete agony, I hate that bridge!), I thought to myself - I should only be allowed to sign up for these stupid things within days of completing one so that I remember how agonizing they are! But I'm completely ready to sign up for one, even though less than 24 hours ago I was wheezing and ready to break down and beg for mercy (from whom I don't know, but I was ready).

Now the only question is: which one?