Hello all....Have I ever told you that I have 4 blogs? Yes, I do. I would love to consolidate two of them; but not sure if I can merge them...anyways. I am sitting here wondering- where should I blog about my 3rd half marathon? And, well, I thought I would motivate you all-or make you laugh and share this with you. Read if you'd like; but I'm definately logging this to be able to remember...NEVER DO ANOTHER ONE!
Night before: 11pm Dressed...sports bra & all. I'm not a morning person; let's face it. Giving a "run down" to Stevie about EVERYTHING that she needs to know about Connor in the am. He's a fussy eater in the am. It's going to be cold; so layer him. Here is this bag for this; and that bag for this. We will put them in the car for you. Oh, yea, we have an open house tomorrow too- so can you please open our blinds?
2am: Connor wakes up. I nurse him so I can sleep more!
5am: Alarm goes off. Why, in the world must they have a 7am start time? Why am I doing this? I really hope my sciatic & knee hold out for this. I can do this....I CAN do this. I just need to finish & then it's all over with.
5:40 am: Leave; a little late- but good to go!
6:15: Arrive in Cleveland...both Sean & I need to go to the bathroom. Park the car and jog it out 3 blocks to the Marriot..."Sean, put your head down; don't make eye contact; pretend we are headed to the room". Success- we get to use an actual toliet that flushes-no porta-pot for us!
6:50: Trying to get into crowd of people; but also need to hold hands over heart & pay attention to the silence, thousands of people standing & listening to our National Anthem. Pretty much amazing to hear.
6:59: Hear; "The race will being in 15 seconds...."
7:00: BEEEEEPPPPP!!! At this point Sean & I are holding hands so we don't get lost....but we stand, not moving for at least 20 seconds so the crowd can begin to coral over the start line. Many, many foul smells as I was being bumped around. Not a good time to be short. Watched the 7ft tall man in front of me take pictures with his iphone. This is how I knew there were so many people in front of us. We are with the 8:20 pace group...must remember to run slow since I don't run that fast.
Now; talking mileage...Sean had a GPS on his ipod-so we knew distance & time.
Mile 1.4: Sean....are we even at one mile yet? Yes, we passed it and a water station! Me: REALLY! Sean: Yes, we had under an 8 minutes mile pace. Me: WHAT!?!
Mile 2: Okay, really, mile 2...this is going to be hard- but remember, the faster I run; the faster I get to see Connor- go girl; you're doing GREAT!
Mile 3: 10.1 more to go; you've got to be kidding me? Sean' what's the time? 27:00. Uh-oh I better slow down...but I can't. I keep trying to slow down; but my legs- they are going faster than any enerizer bunny. Slow down! SLOW DOWN! I can't...maybe at the next mile.
Mile 4: I feel great, proud. I love Sean. He's told me that he will be behind me no matter what and he won't lose me. It's up to me to set the pace and he will be there behind me.
Mile 5: 47:00. SHIT! I forgot to slow down. But, I would LOVE a under 2 hour race. Hell, at this point, I can and WILL beat my best time of 2:08-which is the first time I have even thought about coming close to this time- even for training...I didn't plan to come close to 2:08! RUN! LIKE THE WIND! CONNOR! "Hey, is that ather McCann? (He married us & did our son's baptism) I must wave...oh, wait that's not him"
Mile 6: For some reason; I mentally said; Half-way there! I've got this. In a city area with lots of street lights. Everytime I went under one that turned yellow- I instinctively began to slow down....duh-run!
Mile 7: There's 6 more miles. WHAT- yes, 7+6, does equal 13....remember that card game....A jack & a 2=13 too! So, yes, 7+6 must equal 13....so, 6 more miles...ohh geez. Finally able to slow down. A 4 year old boy held the best sign of the day (my personal opinion) "Suck it up Princess"- LOVED it.
Mile 8: Sean hits me and points. Of all these people; there's my brother in law running right next to us- it was as if the three of us had planned to run together-however, Kevin, the crazy fool who has set out to do 26.2 today (for the third time- who does that!?!?) LOVE YOU KEVIN! After a bit of small talk; he's off. We enter Ohio City- AWESOME crowds. I glance over & see a runner about 40 hop onto the curb & grab her knee. "Are you ok?" "No-get someone". Mile 8.75-water station; I sent them to help her!
Mile 9: GEL! Have you had this stuff- it's soo gross; but it works. I grab some and down it as much as that's not possible while you're still running. Porta-pots- there's Kevin again. "Hi Kevin" I hear another marching band; I turn my ipod
off EVERYTIME I hear a marching band in races- there's just something about this that sets chills all over me. Wait; those are DRUMS! My favorite- I LOVE the drums. No, no, look...those are freaking trash cans- how in the world can they make those sound soo amazing! I wonder if one of them would be willing to follow me for a while.
Mile 10: BRICK, CEMENT, WALL! Bamn- I ran right into it.(Not literally) Sean: our time?- "I'm not even going to tell you- we've slowed; but are doing amazing- Lynsey you can get and beat your goal; let's go!" I jog slowly. I begin to walk. I hear Kevin coming up from behind me "Come on Lynsey- only 3 more miles". I jog. CONNOR, CONNOR....chocolate milk! LOL-yes, I was wanting the cold Dairymen's chocolate milk that I've seen at the finish line.
Mile 11: Welp, I've ruined it. I had to walk some of mile 10; so it's over now. I'm defeated and suck! I look ahead- lake erie is to my left and a beach. In the sand it said really big Jordan & ??? 4-EVER! I really wish it said something like; why the hell are you out here doing this? On this loooong bridge, I turn to Sean, tear up and begin to tell him how much I HATE THIS & begin to cry. How much I never, never want to do another one, because, I SUCK! I re-group; I pick up my stride for 5 lengths-hold my head high and say to myself if I keep this pace for the rest of the way- even a slow jog- it's OK! THEN, it happens a big, black CROW comes over from the side of the bridge & is with in inches of me as I quickly begin to duck down. Sean burts out laughing. Me too. Crap- now I'm walking again! Re-group again....begin to jog.
Mile 12: Really, is that Bert & Ernie? Life sized, grown adults wearing that costume. Dancing. To Rhianna? Who am I kidding; I have no idea who they are dancing to, but it just doesn't make sense. Slowed down; walking/jogging. As I'm jogging, Sean proceeds to do his best at encouraging me....by saying "RUN!!" Really, I thought that's what I was doing. Something like "your doing great would work right about now" Sean tells me; I gave birth without drugs- I can do this. I pick up my speed. CONNOR! "Hey, is that Dr. Polifrone? My OBGYN? NOPE...." keep running!
Mile 13: THANK GOODNESS! We should be at the finish line in no time flat. I begin to sprint. It's got to be right around the corner. NOPE! There's another corner ahead- it's got to be right around that corner- continue to sprint. NOPE. Sean: What's the distance now? 13.48-WHAT! Okay, one more shot or else I'm slowing down...FINALLY; I see the fences corally us in to the finish line. This is it. I never have to do another one of these again. I hear Sean say- you go get it- you go FINISH this- you've got this.
I SPRINT. I don't care what pictures will look like. I don't care to even look at the crowds. I will listen to this cheering. But, I will RUN THIS OUT! I cross the finish line & begin to cry. Sean shows me the time of 2:10:38; and I can't breathe....I want my damn chocolate milk & where's Connor!?! I give Sean a hug and then yell at him; (poor Sean) I was soo close to beating 2:08-so I'm a failure- epic fail!
Surprisingly, I felt pretty good that day, knee & all (now not so much; 2 days out and swelling is going down thank goodness). I really think it was a mental issue the entire race. I felt like I couldn't do it; simply because I didn't want to do it. I used this half marathon as an incentive to help me lose weight. I have lost weight; but training made me feel like it was a job. I got away from lifting weights and doing other fun workouts just so I could run and train. I had to baby my knee towards the end and swim laps- to keep up with endurance. All in all, I am shocked that my time was at a pace of a 9:49 mile; when I set out for a 2:15 or 2:30. I am proud that I finished. Will I do another one again? Who's to say I won't? Then again, who's to say I will. Only time will tell.
Thanks for reading.
