Hillary and I picking up our race packets @ the Virginia Beach Convention Center
Hills & I ready for the race to start!
The medal :)
There's nothing quite like a race... March 17, 2012 marks the first one I did in honor of my step-mom Susan. In July of 2011, she was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme brain tumor. She had surgery to remove as much of the tumor as they could but it resulted in a loss of speech and comprehension. The time since then has revolved around rehabilitation, therapy, and a lot of tears. She's a fighter; determined and resolved to do what is necessary. There are hard days...there are awful days...but she always comes back. My dad has demonstrated amazing strength and devotion in these last few months as he has been her constant. He took an earlier retirement than he had planned but knows he won't regret it... time spent with family is always worth it!
So this is how my race-life got its start. I wanted to do something to honor Susan's fight, to raise awareness for this illness and to feel like I could be a part of her journey even though I wasn't living it with her in the day-to-day. I signed up for this 8k back in August and did a practice 5k in December. I've had amazing support from friends and family and it has made all the difference.
Several friends have asked for the race story...they know this wasn't an easy one for me :) I dealt with a lot of foot and ankle pain over the last few months, resulting in a lot less running than I had planned, but none-the-less, I finished! So here's how it all went down...
Hillary (one of my dearest friends...and also a coworker) had done the 5k with me and agreed to do this 8k with me also. This time though, she was going to run it at her own pace and I'd do mine. It resulted in a lot of alone time and a lot of Adele playing on my iPod :) We joked in the pre-race corral that we'd be writing her thank-you letters for getting us through the concrete miles. We stretched, jumped around, danced and sang... much to the dismay of our neighbors I'm sure lol
We saw quite a few shirts that made us laugh.... "You're passing a pregnant woman", "Race Offical: Do NOT Pass", etc. We also saw a few interesting, if not disturbing (man in a full body spandex) costumes, as it was St. Patrick's Day. You can imagine there was a sea of green and loooooooots of shamrocks.
The crowd began to move and our corral moved forward. It took a few minutes before we actually made it to the starting line but then we were off. I probably ran for the first half-mile or so before I had to stop with foot/ankle pain. Now granted, the walking wasn't comfortable but it was manageable. Around Mile 1 I saw Dad and Susan on the sideline and made my way over for a quick wave and kiss before I walked on. The next mile and a half was breezy but comfortable. A short turn down 2nd Street and we were on the boardwalk...the most beautiful location for a race!!! If you've never really spent time down here you've gotta come around this time of year. There was a huge stretch of sand and then the ocean...miles and miles of clear blue sky and sunshine. Need I say more? :)
I saw Dad and Susan again at about Mile 2.5 and I grabbed another quick kiss, not realizing that Susan was wanting to check on me. I had my music going so I was a little startled when she ran up beside me and grabbed my hand... I had to choke back a few tears, as I could tell she was a little emotional but then we just walked, hand-in-hand for about a half mile while Dad video taped us. It was a very special moment... Can't replace those!
I hit Mile 3 just after the pier and was having to motivate myself to push a little harder, trying to keep my pace. That's when the really weird "I think I might throw up" feeling hit me. Now I'll admit, that's my own fault lol I had crazy nerves that morning and wasn't able to eat more than a few grapes...I tried, but it wasn't happening. So inevitably, my stomach got angry at me and decided to make itself known. I managed to work through the nauseousness and made it to Mile 4. Now, I realized that I would see the finish line before I as actually there b/c of the way the route was laid out. I had to pass it, cross over to the next street, walk several blocks and then double back on the boardwalk. Seeing that finish line and then having to walk in the opposite direction was pure T.O.R.T.U.R.E!!! We actually had to walk back through the Starting arch (which was just plain mean) and then continue on...making me wonder if I was going the right direction :) but others were still continuing so it made sense just to keep going.
I tried running a few times throughout the race but didn't make it very far. So after Mile 4, when I was beginning to feel a little woozy and just wanting to be DONE....I just walked as fast as I could b/c I wanted....to stop.... moving lol That last stretch on the boardwalk, with the Finish line in sight was very telling. For some reason, it didn't seem to be getting in closer but I knew I just had to keep going. (You know, there are a lot of life-lessons when completing a race, but I'll get to that later.) There was one woman in front of me that I had kept in my sights during the last few miles and I wasn't going to let her get away from me :) so I jogged a few steps, walked and caught up to her...smiled...and trudged on past. Whew! I was tempted to try and run across the finish line but I'll be honest, I didn't have it in me. So I kept it simple and walked across with a big smile; hearing the announcer say my name as I approached.
Now I've noticed that there's this procession of people following the Finish line. The first ones have your medals, and those that follow hand you all kinds of goodies from cookies and granola bars, to water and medical attention. I was tempted to stop at that last one :) So it feels like a forever mile to just get through them but eventually I made it to a place where I could get my phone out and try to find someone I knew lol I looked up and saw Hillary coming towards me...Never been happier to see her!!! She gave me a big hug and I told her I needed Gatorade... ASAP! We worked our way into the finishers tent and grabbed some yummy beef stew and I bought a few drinks. We made it back outside to eat/drink, but I still wasn't ready to eat so I just sipped on the Gatorade even though I was tempted to chug it. I was likely dehydrated but we avoided any catastrophes. Live and Learn.
We made contact with Dad and Susan, they weren't able to make it back to he finish line in time to see me cross but they were able to get to the car and have it ready for us. I have never been so happy to see a vehicle in all my life :)
While the actual race wasn't terribly eventful I do have a few memorable moments...
5)Being passed by an amputee
4)Passing a VERY pregnant lady
3)Being beaten by a WWII veteran... KUDOS to him!
2)Determining that 'granny', as I affectionately call her, would not get the better of me (and I passed her at Mile 2)
1)Sharing a few steps with Dad and Susan between Miles 2 and 3
I know this one seems like a monstrous post but this was the exceptional first post after a race. Many of the ones to follow will focus on my weight-loss journey but will include the training and beginning of a lot of new things. I welcome the support and the encouragement of friends, family, and even strangers.
We've all got a path to follow, sometimes it's a little rocky, and other times it's pretty smooth. Bottom line, you might get there in an instant or you may be on a "long way around" ... just don't give up. You get there eventually. Heaven knows I've done a lot of things the "long way".
Running the race...
Kristin
If you would like to contribute to my fundraising efforts, in support of my step-mom's fight, please follow this link, click "Support a Runner" and make a donation to the American Brain Tumor Association in my name: Kristin Garman
