Bronda and I rode down with Larry Long and we were able to catch the big charter bus of Runner's World folks and wave bye to them before they headed out. Got to the city around 2ish and toured the Expo after picking up our run packets. Let's stop here for a sec. Let me say, Bronda has a fractured foot, but is determined to finish because this will put her at Marathon Maniac status. Same for Larry...but he has a pulled groin muscle and has difficulty walking, much less running a marathon. The foot and leg were doing better after Happy Hour at Toby Keith's. Before dinner, we hung out with the RW group at their hotel. It's so fun to be there with this group that has logged tons of training miles together in preparation for this. I love em.
Bronda, Larry, Dale, and I went to Zio's for dinner and then I met up with Ronnie and we checked in our hotel. I was asleep before 10, then up at 4something. I was terribly sick after the Mardi Gras run so I tried to do things a little differently this go round as far as what I ate and drank the week before and morning of. For one thing...I decided to steer clear of Oysters Rockafeller the night before. Ummhmmm. Wise move. Ronnie dropped me off to get be in the RW picture at 4th and Robinson. PortaPotty/National Anthem/Gun....I felt really good. My first mile was cake. Ok, well...12.1 to go! Bricktown, cool lofts, The State Capital, ....going well. Between mile 5 and 6....GIIITTT URRRRR GUNNNNS UP! Pistol Pete! A house all decorated with Orange and Black. Woohoo! I had my phone and I stopped to take a few pictures at various points. The crowd support was awesome. Belly Dancers, cheerleaders, Bands, DJ's, families, a few people out in their Snuggies. Kids on the side giving high fives. My Achilles was hurting from about mile 3 on so I stopped and stretched a few times. I also walked thru some of the water stops, and yes, I walked up Gorilla Hill. I was hurting at mile 8 and I don't know what the heck is in GU, but after I ate my GU pack, I went from near death to playing air drums to Bon Jovi. Thank you to the man that made me run faster to catch his high five at mile 10. And thank you to the man that said, "huh uh sister....pick it up...we're following your pace and we're counting on you to keep it going". It was fun knowing that my family would be there at the finish for the first time ever. I asked them to come about 4 months ago and it was fairly obvious that they weren't really fired up about making that drive. I KNEW they would love it though, and it was important for me to have them there for at least one of my runs. They don't always understand why I have to make schedule adjustments to fit in my training. They don't particularly understand why we travel to do these runs. I think they have a better understanding of the lunacy now and let me tell you...my MOM, my DAD, and my SISTER committed to training for and running the Route 66 quarter marathon in August! So... I saw them just a few feet from the finish line and it was great.
A few important thoughts from the day:
- Fashion:
Sir...with the Texas flag, "More Cowbell" shirt: Well done. Call me. I want that shirt.
Ma'am, with the "sexy doesn't have a speed" shirt....LOVE IT!
Girls with the sequin skirts! HOT!
Crowd support wearing Snuggies...Please don't do that again
- Friends:
Those of you who were out there running that I didn't see today, I was thinking about you! Congratulations to the Marathon Maniacs: Bronda, Larry, and Simone! Congratulations to those who ran their first ever half marathon: John, Larry, Nedra, Emily (Marilene's daughter)-who all smoked me by the way! Congratulations to all of my Runner's World friends. Thank you to my RW friends that didn't run but were there to support! Congrats Brian, Kirsten... Congrats to the relay teams (Jeff Dorsey...Whoot!) Congrats to the Asburians and the CRCCr's! Congrats Pastor Tiffany for your first ever marathon!
- The Cause:
I passed a ton of people that had photos of OKC bombing victims pinned to their back. I passed a couple that had a picture of a young girl pinned on their back and I was wondering if it may have been their daughter. I wondered if they were runners before this Memorial Marathon. We walked thru the Memorial after the run and there were medals and race bibs placed on the individual memorial chairs. There were medals and bibs pinned to the chain link fence. It is very moving. Runner's World names this marathon one of the "must run" marathons in the world and it's obvious why.
It was a lovely day for a run and I'm so glad to have been there.
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