I'd read where the night before the big run you probably won't sleep well because of all the anticipation. J and I didn't get into bed until after 11 and the alarm was set for 5:15. I knew that if I went to bed any earlier...I wouldn't fall asleep and just be there worrying about trying to fall asleep.
I didn't wait for the alarm to go off, so at 5:10 I got out of bed, put on some deodorant, and slipped into my race gear. Medium blue shorts with a long sleeved moisture wicking dark blue shirt with medium blue accents. I just happened to get a cap with those two shades at trivia night the night before. My running shoes were gray with red trim. I wanted an all gray and red outfit, but it was a chilly morning, so I had to dress appropriately.
I drove the 30 minutes to downtown Big City and picked up the girls/co-workers at 6:00. At 6:15, they made it down from their hotel room. I drive us the 10 blocks over to near the starting area and we hit the porta potties. Then we hear the emcee instructing people to hurry up to line up. The race is about to begin, but we haven't made it down to where we need to start. We're divided up by times, but don't have enough time to get in with the 10 minute group, so we just hop in line with the 8's. Pretty soon the gun sounds, but we can't start moving until the mass of 4 thousand or so people start their run. We all have timing chips on our shoe laces to mark our personal official start.
Then we're off...it's a slow jog...everyone is elbow to elbow. My three friends and I manage to stay together by running 2 X 2. Ahead of us is the Gateway to the West, and then we turn right and head past Beer Baseball Stadium....we're about to mile one and the crowd is really shifting. We're passing some people...others are passing us by. We hit mile two and I'm feeling fine. The big Beer Brewery is off in the distance as we trot toward the massive facility. I skip the first water station because it's too crowded and I was doing ok. The experts say stop at every station, but what do they know.
I notice people are wearing iPods...strictly forbidden in the rules. I'm glad I didn't bootleg mine in, because I wanted to race clean ;-)
We pass by the street with church, and I think it'll be a few more hours before the first service, and then another four hours or so before I make it (hopefully) to the second service. We round a little park near the brewery and climb our first steep hill. It's a short one. By this point, people are shedding gloves and shirts as things start to heat up. We're nearing mile four and I bitch about not getting water at the first place. I rip open an energy gel (glucose like goo) and start sucking it down. Ew...worse than flavored lube. We slow for a water break and keep going.
I see lots and lots of runners and now walkers still on the other side of the street...a few miles behind us on the course, but right across from us on the road. Oh, I've forgotten to mention there's been a crowd of spectators on both sides and in the median, cheering racers on.
I wrote my "W" name across my bib, so people...strangers really...could root me on down the road. Several did throughout the course, bringing a smile to my face. Somewhere around mile 5 or so, we spot and hear our friend Becki, who came down from Chicago to cheer us on. She brought cowbells and was clanging away. Good ole Becki! We passed her on another steeper, longer hill...it was great help heading up and up.
We turn another corner to head back downtown and that's where Molly and I lost pals CJ and Stephanie. We thought they ducked into a toilet as we slowed for a water stop, because they told us they needed to go. The crowd was really thick still at this point, and the others turned onto the main street without us. We slowed some more to wait and from then it was over.
So Molly and I just made the race about the two of us. We talked, shared stories, caught up, even laughed and encouraged each other to the finish. Mile 6-8 were kinda rough because we had some big hills and it was near the midway point. Once we turned back around mile 10, we felt we were hitting the home stretch. At the 11 marker we got passed by a guy in a separate lane. He was BOOKING it! I asked Molly what was up, and she said he's in the marathon. THE MARATHON WINNER ran by and WHAM he was gone. The man ran twice as far, twice as fast...and then some!
We passed the 'two miles until beer sign', and then with every step, I knew the finish line would soon be in sight. The crowds got thicker and the cheering got louder...a smile was plastered on my face that wouldn't fade for hours, and the adrenaline was pumping. I had never experienced anything like it in my life. Literally thousands of people standing around cheering me on. What a rush! I look up ahead and see the goal. Molly and I pick up the pace and within a few steps across the finish line, we see CJ and Stephanie running up to us. I bend over, and a race volunteer slips a medal over my neck.
I did it!!!
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2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.
