Running on Faith

We did it!  We completed the 26.2 mile distance and we were smiling when we crossed the finish line.  It certainly wasn’t the experience I expected however I’m neither disappointed nor discouraged by the events of Saturday, December 5, 2009.  I was given an opportunity that I never expected and one I wouldn’t trade for anything.

I didn’t sleep much the night before, if at all.  My nerves were on edge, the room was small which made me feel very cramped, and Paul and I had to sleep together in a double bed.  I was more worried about the cold weather than I was the distance because I absolutely cannot stand to be cold.  We up met up with our large group downstairs in our hotel around 6:45 so we could see the 5K members of our team get started with their race.   It was a very chilly 25 degrees but not windy, thank goodness.  I opted to wear my leggings under my shorts at least for a while.  My ears were FROZEN and Tish was so nice to offer me an extra head wrap to cover my ears.  Thank you so much!  When Blake, Mason, Mr. Jimmy, Sarah and Lara left us to join the other 2900 folks running the 5K, Blake had stripped down to shorts and a t-shirt and I felt so bad for him.  Did I mention it was 25 degrees and the sun wasn’t out yet?  After the 5K race started, I had to leave Camren and Mrs. Arnell on Beale St and that was hard for me….the meant my run was getting closer and it would be AT LEAST 5 hours before I would see them again.

The rest of our team made our way over to the marathon/half marathon start.  We dropped Tim off at his corral and then Tish, Christine, Paco, Paul and I walked back to our corral and we tried to stay in the sun.  Louise showed up then and I finally got to meet Nancy!  I saw plenty of runners that looked just like me….silly because of the way we were dressed and scared because we didn’t know what to expect.  The emcee for the morning was very cheerful which helped to keep the mood light.  Then a little St Jude “angel” took the mic and sang the National Anthem.  I could not see  her and I don’t know her name but I had to fight back the tears and I thought to myself, if I have one ounce of the courage she had, I would be fine.  Then the race was starting and they were releasing us by corral numbers in 2 or 3 minute intervals.  I guess it took about 20 minutes to actually get to our group and at this point, Christine and I were still planning to run together.  I tried not to worry about Paul, he still insisted that he could do this.

It was time for us to take off, I gave Paul a quick kiss and we were off!  I actually felt very relaxed and prepared.  Christine, Nancy and Louise were pulling away from me but I was really OK with that.  I had a plan; I knew what I needed to do.  As we passed the “Happy Mexican” restaurant, I thought about Paco and I hoped he was OK.  About 25 minutes in (2 ½ miles) I took a scheduled 5 minute walk break.  Just a few minutes into my walk, I felt someone grab my rear end and to my surprise it was Paul.  He was running slow but steady.  We walked a few minutes together and I told him it was time for me run again.  He told me to take off and he would try to keep up.  I shot a quick text to Cam just to let him know we were OK and that we were together.  We kept this pace for a while, I could run faster then he could but he could walk faster than me.  It soon became clear that we could run this marathon together.  We didn’t talk much and we weren’t side by side but we could always see each other.  The miles were going by pretty quick.  I never saw Christine again and I said a little prayer for her.  I stopped around mile 8 for a quick bathroom break and “chafe check.”  This was a costly stop for me, the lines were long and I had to wait a while.  Paul kept going and the plan was for me to catch back up to him.  It took me a lot longer to catch him than I thought it would.  He would be easy to spot, he had a bright blue & yellow jacket on but after about 15 minutes of running, I was getting concerned that we’d put too much distance between us.  I finally spotted him in the crowd ahead running uphill, so I sped up a bit and closed the distance and caught up.  I was feeling good and I was keeping well hydrated.  Paul told me to take fluids at each mile so I did just that (I actually listened this time).  Christine told me to take 3 Shot Bloks every hour so I was doing that also.  I was fighting the hunger though; I didn’t get enough to eat before the race.  At the 10 mile mark, there was plenty of fluids but no cups to drink it from.  This was bad because I’d just eaten 3 Shot Bloks and I really need to wash those things down good or I start to gag.  I said another silent prayer that was just a fluke and the remaining 16 miles would have plenty of cups!

Paul and I were still together and quickly approaching the 13 mile mark.  I wondered what he would do….make the turn towards the stadium or stay by my side for the back 13.  We talked about it and he made the call, he would stay with me.  He shot a quick text to the boys to let them know.  I had mixed feelings and was worried about him doing further damage to the knee.

Right around the 13 mile mark, we saw Blake, Cam and Mr. Jimmy.  That was a great feeling!  Paul and I were side by side, smiling and the image was captured thanks to Camren.

 As we ran away from them, I fought back the tears because I knew it would be several hours before we would see them again.  It was at this point that the army of people we were running with suddenly disappeared.  Thank goodness Paul was there, I have trouble with loneliness when I’m running and it was great having him running within shouting distance.  I stopped again at mile 14 for a quick bathroom break and Paul continued on.  It took me 2 miles of running to catch him.  In those 2 miles, I only saw 2 other people…that was a very weird feeling.  I grabbed my phone and shot Christine a text.  She quickly called me back.  She wasn’t feeling well but she was moving forward and she was only a mile ahead of us.  I knew we wouldn’t catch up but it was good to hear her voice (she has been my friend and mentor throughout my training and I wanted only the best for her).   Starting around mile 16, it felt like we were on a steady climb.  Who knew Memphis was so hilly?!  Our strategy became clear, walk the steeper inclines, run the down hills and flats.

Right around the 20 mile mark, I realized that I never really warmed up.  It was still cold enough to keep my gloves on and have my vest zipped all the way up.  As I look back now, the weather was perfect, the sky was clear, there was no wind and it was impossible to get overheated.  And we finally reached a point where we staying on flat ground or going downhill.  That was a very good thing because his “good” knee was hurting and I was experiencing a different kind of pain in my left thigh muscle and my left foot was starting to curve  inwards (that was a new side effect of running!).  We didn’t stop though, we kept moving forward.  As we approached the final ½ mile of the race, we had to make a very sharp right turn UP a ramp.  That was cruel and to make matters worse, there was a big smoking car heading our way with a policewoman running after it.  In my mind I was thinking, “Damn, we came all this way to get run over!”  We managed to get past it and made a few more little turns that led us into an almost empty stadium.  It didn’t matter, the rest of  theRunning of Faith team was there yelling for us.  As we rounded the corner, we heard and saw Blake, Camren, Mr. Jimmy and Mrs. Arnell cheering us on.  Mrs. Arnell called us “heroes” and Paul jumped up to them for a quick high five….we had less than a100 yards to!  Crossing the finish line was an amazing feeling.  It was amazing because we were so tired and it was so glad to be done.  It was also amazing because we were able to do it together, a gift we never expected.

If you’ve never tried something like this, imagine being on the road (on foot) for 5 hours and 42 minutes, having only water, Gatorade and some gross nutritional supplements (just for the calories).  Imagine that your body had gone through the water and Gatorade so quickly that you only had to use the bathroom twice and imagine that your legs and feet hurt so bad that if you were at home you’d take 3 Aleve and sit down for the rest of the day. Well, when you cross the finish line, you forget all of that.  Over the last 6 months of training and running alone, I never once thought that it would be possible for me to go the 26 mile distance in such good spirits and with Paul within shouting distance the entire time.  We never once planned to start and finish the marathon distance together and that’s what made the day so special.  I did a lot of praying for the team of Running on Faith, and especially for Paul, because I knew this would be a challenge and I knew he wouldn’t give up.  God answered my prayers and he knew what to do.  How else can we explain that out of at least 10,000 people that started the marathon and ½ marathons that day, we found each other so early in the race and stayed together to the end?

Before I tell you about my week-end, let me start off again with thanking the people that contributed to our cause, St Jude. WE as a team collected over $12,000 to be donated to the St Jude Children Hospital. It is really encouraging to see that these 17 people of Team Running on Faith can raise that kind of money in this kind of economy. I know it is only a drop in the bucket in the big picture but if can continue to put those drops in that bucket maybe one day this hospital will not be needed. I also want to tell who ever is reading this; it is never too late to contribute to St Jude. The race for us may be over but the race to cure cancer is still being run. 

FRIDAY

The long weekend started great, time off from work! Outstanding! We left the house for Memphis right on time, 9:00am. Marci driving, me reading a book, Cam watching a movie and Blake playing on his computer. First stop, a store at mile 3, I always have a Coke Zero and a Reese’s first thing in the morning and the Reese’s I had been watching in the pantry disappeared (thanks Marci). Back on the road in no time but now Marci is fussing at me for not offering to buy her something to eat. Sorry again but next time just ask damn-it. Anyway we’re back on the road and everything is going well, slight chit chat and me mostly reading until our teammate Hardcore (Christine) gets bored and starts texting me. They are about an hour ahead of us and she refuses to let me read. Just to give you an example, at one point we make a pit stop and as I am standing at the urinal my phone went off three times with incoming text. I had trouble replying because they were coming in so fast. Needless to say I did not get the book finished on the trip up. We make a short stop at Wendy’s for dinner then back on the road to arrive in Memphis right around 3:00. Made packet pickup and checked into the Hampton Inn by 4:00. We decided to meet some of our teammates for supper at a restaurant right outside our hotel call Rum Boogies. The 5 kids sat at one table and the adults at the other. It was a very enjoyable pre-race diner. We decided to make it an early night, 26.2 miles or 13.1 to go for most of us, WE HOPED!  

SATURDAY

I had very little trouble sleeping and was up by 5:15. My parents were supposed to be at our room by 6:15. My dad was running the 5-K along with Mason, Lara, Sara, and Blake. My mom and Camren were there for moral support. We met the rest of our team at the start which was right outside our hotel at 6:45. 25 DEGREES!!!! We snapped a few pictures and soon after that the 3.1 milers were off. The marathon and half marathoner all started moving the starting line area. Now let try to give a visual of what the starting line looks like. 10,000 people standing around freezing their asses off! About 7:30 the racers start moving to there correct corals for the start. This allows for the faster people to line up front and the slower people to the back with each coral starting 2 minutes apart. With my original goal of running the marathon in under 4 hours now long gone and still not knowing if I am running, walking, going 26.2 or going 13.1 I line up in the same coral (4 hours 45 minute) as Marci, Christine, Louise, and Nancy. As we are standing there a patient at St Jude sings the National Anthem. I don’t think I have ever heard it done better. Talk about courage! The horn goes off and the front runners are off. It takes 20 minutes for our group to reach the start but when it does it is such a relief to get this thing started. I told Marci I was going to try and run for a little bit and see how the knee feels. It wasn’t pretty but I was running. At this point I was still uncertain what distant I was going but so far so good. Marci and the other ladies from our team slowly pulled away but I continue on with every step seeming to get a little easier. At about the 2 mile mark I run upon Marci walking but her plan all along was to run for about 20 minutes and walk for 5 minutes. Sounded like a hell of a plan to me, so for the next 10 miles that is exactly what I did. “Run/Walk-Run/Walk-Run/Walk” Once we got to mile 12 it became decision time for me! Quit at the half or go for the full? And I must tell you that if I had not had the support of Marci out there on the course, my family waiting at the stadium and the people that contributed to St Jude it would have been real easy just to drag up at the half, but I continued on with Marci by my side. With 13.1 left to go, it got lonely, I am not talking bad about Marci but most of the people that we were running with were half-marathoner. It was probably a 12 to 1 ratio of people stopping at the half. Talk about thinned out, the crowds were gone. We continued on though with our “Run/Walk-Run/Walk-Run/Walk” method which was working pretty well for us. At about the 15 mile mark Marci need to make a pit stop so I continued on alone. I know this sounds bad but I knew she would catch me because she was running considerable faster than me. I was out walking her during the walking parts and she was out running me during the running parts. While out on the street alone I came up on a group of high school cheerleader and I told them I felt like they were cheering just for me. Then I realized no one else was in sight, they were cheering just for me. It was really sad and cool at the same time. Sad because I was all by myself and cool because I had my own cheerleaders.  Anyway Marci soon caught me and we continued on. The mile markers seemed to get farther apart the closer we got to the finish. With the stadium now in sight we make a u-turn up onto an on ramp only to be greeted by an oncoming car with steam bellowing out from under the hood with a lady cop running behind screaming STOP. I just knew she was fixing to start shooting. It turned out to be nothing but a quick headline popped into my head “Husband and Wife are run over and shot near finish line of first Marathon”. Finish line, here we come. I could feel Marci picking up her pace as we run into the stadium and that is when I realize she has been holding back on me or should I say holding back FOR ME. It was cool having the kids, my parents and teammates cheering us on as we finished side by side with identical times of 5:42:07. Looking back, I believe Marci running by herself would have finished with a better time and me running by myself would have had a slower time. She basically drug me the last 13.1. Thank you Marci for being there. That evening most of our team met up at Charlie Rendezvous BBQ to trade the stories and enjoy a good meal. 

 

Sunday

We were up by 7:00 am to get an early start on the day. We all got dressed and went down for breakfast at our hotel. It was a heck of a sight to see, so many people slowly walking/hobbling around stiff legged. You could definitely tell who ran the day before. We were on the road by 9:00 and home by 2:00. I finally finished my book and yes Christine they did find The Lost Symbol but I am not telling where. Read the book.

 Again, I want to thank everyone for there support over the last 6 month and a special thank you to my loving wife Marci who stood and ran by my side even though I may have been just a little grumpy over the last 8 weeks. Sorry, I‘ll do better next year

 

46 weeks to go to 2010 Ironman Florida but who’s counting?

Race day has all kinds of ups and downs emotionally and physically. Let’s begin with race day starting out at 25 degrees, thank God the wind was not blowing. We headed out early because all the teenagers including my two were running the 5k. We watched them take off then had to head over to our starting line.

I wished Tim all the luck and kissed him at his pace corral and Marcelo, Louise, Marcie, Paul and Tisha headed over to the 4:45 pace corral. We were all excited and cold. Nancy and Dara found us so now we were all ready.  Well Nancy and I started out together and things were going along nicely. About mile 3 I could feel my feet warming up, yeah.  Oh and  this year we got to run thru the St. Jude campus and that made me almost cry, but I kept it together because it is hard to cry and run. I mean all these families and some patients are cheering you on calling you their hero, when really they are my hero for so many reasons. Only thing I could think of at that time is keep on running for them.

Now Nancy was busy counting down how many miles she had left and I think she was getting more and more excited at each mile. Well she also started running fast as each mile went. At mile seven I got a side stitch and I knew I had to just run thru it. I did and at the same time back off from running with Nancy. I was totally fine with that I had to run my pace if I was going to finish.

When I hit the Zoo entrance I heard someone say my name and it was Dara. We talked for a while but I run faster than her so I was off, I could still see Nancy but she was moving, go girl was all I could think. See it was Nancy’s first marathon.

Well I was going my pace and enjoying the race when side stitch number 2 came along. Funny I did not  get them in training. I think it had to do with breathing in cold air. See it was never that cold in training. Anyway this side stitch did not want to go away. At this time it was 2 hours into the race and I was at mile 11. Time to eat shock blocks and take my salt table. Funny how long it takes to chew a frozen shot block and get it out of your teeth. Feeling good and running smooth finally, no side stitch, I was on my way. I did realize that I was not still with the 4:45 pace group and I was okay with that. Until mile 15 when I started feeling sick to my stomach. I just kept running thinking it will pass. Mile 16 drank some powerade and that did not help. The feeling of puking was rapidly coming on as well as I did not know if I could finish this race. I knew I was way behind the 4:45 pace group and I was started to get that dreaded feeling of finishing way past last years time. The sick feeling was not going away so at  mile 17 1/2 I went behind the port-a -potty and puked. Now that is a first for me getting sick in a race. The only thing I could think of was to keep running and stop being a sissy. Those kids at St. Jude get sick every time they have chemo. So I told my self to get my a-s running.

By the time I hit mile 19 I was feeling a lot better. Then mile 20 I let out a big “woo hoo” with my arms in the air and said “6 more miles to go”. The ladies in front of me laughed and the guy behind me did not like it at all. He said” that is a lot left to be excited about” my response was “you have already run 20 miles 6 is nothing”. Well every mile after that I let out a woo hoo and some how found energy to keep on going.

Let me tell you about another thing I have never done in a race before, drink beer. Yes, I said drink beer. At mile 22 I got my powderade and took about three sips and then there was another table with a guy handing out cups of beer. He asked if I wanted one and I told him I would trade him, powerade for beer. I am not a big beer drinker but that was the best beer. Drank it down and headed on. I had reached a new energy that came from running for these kids, mixed with finishing a marathon by myself (last year Tim ran the whole thing with me). Mile 23 brought me to tears it was a sign that said in Memory of Madeline Beaman, she died last year shortly after the Marathon. I followed her story until the end. Funny thing about this race I get very emotional just thinking about these kids and what they have to go thru. But it is what keeps you moving forward knowing that running for 26 miles is not as hard as fighting for your life.

Some where between mile 23 and 24  I found Louise walking and crying because she had hurt her knee. I talked with her a while and she told me to go on that she was finishing one way or another. I gave her a hug and said a prayer and took off. The last  miles ticked down and before I knew it I was at the finish line. Looked up to see my family and some of my team mates cheering for me. I cheered for myself as you can see and went for the finish line this time with a smile on my face.

No I did not finish in the time I thought I would but I really did not care. I did something I love for a cause that is very dear to my heart. See you next year Memphis!!

Well, tomorrow is the day I’ve been waiting for.  I’m on my third pair of running shoes, I’ve lost three toe nails, I’ve several mental breakdowns while running and I have chafe scars in several places that no one will ever see (except Mr Xctmnt).  I’ve trained in extreme heat in order to get ready but right now in Memphis, it’s about 32 degrees.  I have plenty of clothes to wear in order to keep myself warm but at this point I have no idea what I will actually wear tomorrow.

Tonight, 13 of us got together to eat supper at the Rum Boogie Café.  It was a great restaurant with great service and it was very “Memphisy.”  The company was great and the food was surprisingly good.  Christine and I talked about what the day would be like tomorrow for us.  At this point, we plan to stay together for the full 26.2 miles.  We’ll take it easy, have fun and not put any pressure on each other.  Paul and Paco talked about cutting their race short a few miles and just hanging out at the beer truck!

I hope to have a happy post tomorrow or Sunday.  I want to thank my friends and family for their support, I’ve channeling that tomorrow while I’m on the streets of Memhis. Don’t pray for me, I’ll be fine, I just need to keep moving forward and smiling (that won’t be difficult with Christine by my side).  Save your prayers for the kids of St Jude, they need it more than me.

This is Flash and I’ll be running on faith tomorrow!

Maybe it’s the job stress, the running stress or worrying about Paul….but I had a bad dream about the marathon last night! 

 I dreamed that I forgot my Shot Bloks in the hotel room and I had dressed all wrong.  We were expecting cold weather but the temperature shot up to 70 degrees.  Then I accidentally went to the wrong corral and I staged with the elite group.  That doesn’t sound so bad but they took off like lightening, left me and I got lost on the course. 

 I woke up around “mile 5” and I was actually sweating.  I’m not worried about this little marathon at all……

Ready or not, marathon week-end is quickly approaching.  Am I ready?  Physically, probably not.  Mentally, yes.  Am I scared?  YES.  I know I haven’t put enough miles in but I ran as much as I could so we’ll see if was good enough.

I started tapering off my mileage and ran 13 miles last Sunday, then Tuesday, Thursday and this past Sunday I ran 3 miles each day.  Each time I hit the road, I felt a good bit of discomfort in my calves (not quite sure what that’s about).  I think I’ll skip my runs this week and give my legs a rest. 

I have been practicing with the Shot Bloks and so far, there have been no negative effects.  Of course, race day could prove to be quite different!  I’ve also been practicing in the same shorts, sport bra and shirt so I know exactly where and when I’ll start to feel chafe.  I suppose I should be worried about the cool Memphis weather but I’m not.  I will not alter my clothing choice, other than maybe adding a sweatshirt that I can ditch a few miles down the road after I warm up.  I’m set!

I recall reading somewhere that chemotherapy for one day costs roughly $750.  I’m so proud that between Paul, Blake and I, we’ve raised enough money for 3 days of chemo for one child.  No matter what happens out on the road Saturday, I’ve have peace of mind from our fundraising efforts.

Will I ever train for and run another marathon?  That remains to be seen and I’ll let you know the answer to that after this week-end.  I won’t ask my friends and family to pray for me this week-end as that seems like a frivolous request.  Instead, I’ll ask them to pray for the patients and families at St Jude.  Don’t worry about me, I’ll be just fine.

This is Flash and I’m running on faith that this will be a FAST week!

Is it really race week?  And no one is posting anything?  That could mean a few things.  Either everyone is so busy with work and race preparations that they have no time to post.  Or they are in full rest mode and not wanting to waste the precious energy it would take to type a post.  Or……………they are all petrified about the upcoming race and are hiding under the covers praying that it was all a bad dream.

Whatever the reason……..it is race week.  And one way or another, we will make the trek to Memphis and do our best.  Because that is all we can do.

I would like to thank Mike and Robin Borruano, Austin and Betty Jean Barbay, and Jeannie Crochet for their donations!

Thanks to Mike and Charlene Caluda for their donation!

Special thanks to Troy Esch, Cammie Fabre and Got Frieght? for their generous donation to Team Running on Faith.  Your donation helped our team reach our Team goal.  Thank you for your support!!