In 1996 I moved to Charlotte, NC from Chapel Hill.  I lived with my grandmother to save money while I attended UNCC.  I was lonely and bored.  I took a lot of walks, sometimes twice a day.  One day it started to rain and I ran home.  My walks turned into runs.

So off and on since then I have run.  In 2008, I ran my first half marathon.  It wasn't pretty.  But I did it.

In March of 2012 there was to be a half marathon at the Charlotte Motor Speeway. That was 20 minutes from my house!  I could sleep in my own bed and wasn't the track at the Speedway flat?  Like childbirth, I had forgotten all the pain from the first half marathon!

I ran with two friends, shaved 26 minutes off my previous time and I was ready for more!

I kept running hard through the summer.  I got up early, 5:00 and 6:00am, to get runs in before the heat set in.  It was still 70 degrees and 90% humidity then.  I had become a part of a running group on Facebook. I met with them for long runs.  I don't think I would have run that far without them!

A friend from high school had the bright idea to run the City of Oaks Half Marathon in Raleigh, NC.  He recruited Ivey and myself to run with him.  John has only been running a year and wanted the support in his training.  Ivey is in Atlanta, I am in Concord, NC and John in Sanford, NC.  We started talking online, created our training plans and put one foot in front of the other. 

My training was going great!  And then cold number 1 set in!  UGH!!!  I couldn't run, I missed a much needed long run.  But it was early, I might still be alright.  I joined a friend and her husband from the running group.  We logged two great long runs, with hills and no breaks.  We just kept going.  I was going to be fine!  And then the hamstring.  OUCH!!! 

It started behind my knee and worked its way up. Then the entire back of my leg hurt.  I used icing gel after every run, I ran slow, I stretched.  I bought a roller.  (If you run, you should get one!  A giant foam roller that you roll over.  It breaks up tissue and releases toxins.)  They say if it doesn't hurt you aren't doing it right.  The more I used it, the better I felt but it was still there.

I ran a long run the first Friday of October and then a recovery run on Saturday.  I spent all day sitting on a bag of ice!  And then cold number 2!!!  This one was worse.  I couldn't sleep for coughing and I couldn't run for coughing.  It came on in 12 hours.  I missed my 14 mile run on October 19th.  I thought I could make it up the next day, or the next.  I didn't make it up until the 23rd.  Now I was way behind.  I managed 11.7, stopping to blow my nose and cough every two miles.  But my leg felt so much better.  Maybe there is something to this rest thing!

The next week was a taper.  That means you slack off the milege and let your body rest.  That week I ran a 5k pushing my jogger stroller with a 30lb kid and a flat tire!  It was pitiful slow but hey, my tire was flat!  I hadn't pushed that stroller during a run in a year!  I didn't care about the terrible time, I did it.


Race week.  I did not buy any more wine.  I had one bottle of Chardonnay and that is not my flavor.  There was no risk of me cracking open that bottle.  I drank my weight in water, rested well and prayed I had done enough to prepare. 

I kissed my wonderful husband good bye.  The big kids got to spend the night with my mother in Durham.  I drove to Raleigh and met Ivey and John at an Italian place on Western Blvd.  A glass of wine, a full plate of pasta and a giant dose of Anna Bridges and I didn't care if I crawled the course!  I had a great time with old friends.

Ivey, one of my best friends from high school, her friend Shelley and I headed to the hotel.  We slept well, for the most part.  The alarm went off at 5:15am!  And our race day rituals began.  Coffee and a banana with peanut butter for me, the running gear check list: Gu, music, number, layered clothes, compression socks (too much?  not enough?)  Ivey realizes she has no RedBull!  We have to leave in time to stop and get some for her!

We made it to the race.  Passing milege signs with double digit numbers sent a chill up my spine.  We parked a few blocks from the start and joined in the walk to the start with thousands of other runners.  We found John and his family.  His daughter made signs for us with our names on them!  Pre-race pictures and we headed for the start.

The gun goes off, we were pretty far back because we agreed to start together.  Our goals were our own, we were not racing anyone else.  There was no need to fight the faster runners at the front of the pack.  It took three minutes to get to the official start from where we were.  Watches started and off we went. 

Ivey and Shelley waved goodbye as their pace seperates them from John and myself.  John and I run an 11minute mile for the first two miles.  He is running without music and I am impressed.  I have done it but I don't like to.  He reminded me to cut my corners to save time and energy.  We didn't talk much but I liked the company.  A hill leads us to the first water stop at mile two.  John needed to walk.  I needed to shed my top layer (I thought I shouldn't have even worn it!)  I run up the hill and he said he will catch up.  I wonder if he will, I hope he can, but I understand if he doesn't. 

I continued alone with my music.  We run through downtown Raleigh.  I passed my friend, Matthew's old apartment.  I run by the government buildings, I run down this beautiful street and look to my right.  There is the Catholic church where the funeral service for an old friend was held.  Diane was my mom's friend, her son is one of my oldest friends.  She was the kindest person I have ever known.  My eyes get teary, I continue to put one foot in front of the other.  Diane would be proud I set a goal and accomplished it.  She would have been on the side of the road cheering in her perfect clothes.  Then she would have called my mother and told her about it.

We run through some pretty neighborhoods, and some college student rentals!  At the top of a hill a man holds a sign that reads, "That hot girl that just passed you is my girlfriend."

The run goes down the road that runs parrellel to Meredith College.  I used to go for power walks with Crystal Cheatham and Jennifer Foye near here!

This is around miles 9 and 10.  I usually run out of steam at mile 10.  Ivey had helped me figure out my Gu intake.  (Gu is an electrolyte, calorie, carb supplement with the consistancy of cake batter.  Each one contains about 100 calories.  Along with proper hydration taking a supplement like Gu helps you keep going.)  One before we started, one at 45 minutes and now one at mile 9.  Where is the mile marker?  I saw 8, I am not sure what my pace is at this point.  Are mile markers every mile or every two miles?  I take my Gu thinking I am very close to mile 9.  As soon as I finish I see mile marker 9! 

There are several out and backs at this point.  I look for John in his bright-orange-day-glow shirt.  I think at least five other men had on the same shirt.  I never saw him.

I look at my watch and realize Ivey and Shelley are about to be finished!  I silently cheer for them!

At mile 10 I waited for the crash, it doesn't happen.  Mile 11 has a big hill, out and back towards Western Ave.  I passed people!  I run up this big hill with plenty of steam!

I turned right on Hillsborough Street.  At this intersection there are people going in seven different directions, literally!  I kept scanning for John.  Then I looked ahead to see if Ivey and Shelley are walking back to find us.

I ran down Hillsborough Street.  The street has changed.  It looked run down. Swenson's Ice Cream is now a Chinese place.  That makes me sad!  I pass the place we used to go dance on Sunday nights.  No air conditioning, they left the windows opened.  We would look outside and see homeless people dancing.  That building has been remodeled.   My music is repeating songs that are not that motivating.  I walked to find a song I wanted to run hard to.  I found something I ran to this spring with Jennifer and Katie at the NC Half Marathon.  I thought of them, smile and picked up my run again.

I see Ivey and Shelley ahead!  I told them "I am fine, really good," in fact!  Knowing the end is near I picked up my pace some.  The NC State campus is now on my right, big majestic buildings.  And then someone on my left went flying by! 

The full marathon runners are finishing as I am!  Wow. (The road was four lanes, full marathon finished on the left two lanes, half marathoners on the right two.) I was not jealous, I was impressed.  They look fit and strong.  I think of my cousin, Jenna, who was supposed to run the NYC Marathon today.  We were going to talk afterwards but the marathon was cancelled and I had not heard what her plans were.  Did she go to NY anyway?

The blow up finish line was in my sight!  Where were Cindy and Claire and Jack?  Cindy needed some brighter clothes!  Ah there she is!  A friendly face.  I cross the finish line.  My watch says something like 2:35.  Slower than last time, but I feel great!  I didn't crash!

I duck my head and let them put the medal around my neck.  I grabbed a water and one of those cool mylar blankets.  I remember seeing these on runners at the NYC Marathon when I was 17.  My mother took me to NY for my birthday the same weekend as the race.  I remember seeing people all over the city in those blankets.  I felt like a real runner now that I have earned one!

I drank a bottled water, took the chip off my shoe, hugged Cindy and Claire and turned around.  I started to walk the course backwards looking for John, Ivey and Shelley. Ivey, Shelley and I agreed the night before we were going to cross the finishline with John, but he didn't know that.

I kept hoping I don't have to go too far back.  I felt like I could run again, but not sure I could do the big hill at mile 12 again.  I saw the first female full marathon runner.  She looked amazing!  A few more male marathoners.  Then the second female.  I could hear her labored breathing.  There was no one around her, why was she pushing so hard?  What I assume were her parents, were in the median cheering and running after her.  Whew!  There were my friends!

I jumped in line with them.  They were walking.  We let John set the pace.  As we get closer to the finish we saw Cindy, Claire and Jack.  We got silly, happy, excited and satisfied.  We crossed the finish line together. 

The rest of the day was full of recovery, food and celebratory beverages!  My goal had been to finish faster than the half I ran in the spring.  But I finished stronger.  And I am good with that.  I think you have to get stronger to get faster. " And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1  This was on a shirt of a lady that ran near me for a good part of the race.  This was the race put before me and I ran it.


**The full marathon female that was pushing so hard literally fell out before she got to the finish line.  I am sure she somehow made it across.  My cousin Jenna did not go to NY.  She ran the Raleigh City of Oaks full marathon!  We were running at the same time and didn't even know it.  She was ready to complete her goal.  She didn't want to train for this again.  She wanted to finish in 4:30 and she finished in 4:27.  And her parents got to see her finish. 

Funny signs on the course:

"I have doughnuts!"
"Paul Ryan is already finished."  At the half way mark.
"Go Random Stranger Go!"
"Embrace the Suck!"

And to the lady in the red coat and the threesome that appeared EVERYWHERE, thanks!  And to the volunteers who read my name off my number, called me by name and told me good job, thanks!