Rock'n'Roll DC Half Marathon Part 2
Hello Beautiful People,
Before I tell you all about race day, I forgot to tell you something about the day before.
I mentioned that while I was at the expo I got "what I thought was a magnet" for mom. That's what I get for her. They had a guitar shaped one, but that's similar to the last one I got her. I saw one that was a guitar pick shape so I bought that for mom. It wasn't until we were at carb loading night that mom let it slip that it was actually a pin, not a magnet. Seriously? Grr...first the shirt then the non-magnet. I won't even mention that I was so distracted once I realized that I got the wrong shirt, I got off the metro at the wrong stop. My head was NOT in the game.
What a wonderful thing a good night of sleep is. It was like a miracle when I woke up the morning of the race. I woke up completely anxiety free. I had an energy that I hadn't had in a long time.
First and foremost, I am happy to report that I had no trouble pooping. It's always a huge concern for me on race day because I will NOT poop in a porto-potty. I'll take a DNF and hop on the Metro Home first.
It was a beautifully sunny and cold morning as I drove to Aunt Carol's. I opted for braids and ear covers. I don't wear my contacts much anymore, but I wanted sunglasses for the day. I looked pretty cute I must say.
One of my favorite moments of race day is the obscene amount of spandex as far as the eye can see. Maybe it's because of the two different start times or maybe it's because more people drove in, but there was not much spandex at all this morning. It made me sad. But, we did get a new metro car for the ride in so Hooray.
The wind entering the Metro at Federal Triangle was crazy strong. Oh this can't be good. I had chosen to wear the shirt that I got for one of my December races. I'll give a shout out here to Under Armour for the shirts that have a breathable turtleneck to keep out the cold. GENIUS!
Instead of bringing a throw away shirt, I opted to bring one of my foil blankets that I got from a previous race. In case you wonder about them, they help trap your body heat after a race. You continue to sweat, but the sweat stops evaporating and in the cold it can make things much worse. Plus, warm muscles are easier to move than cold muscles. Anyway, I figured I would wear it for a mile or two until I warmed up and then drop it at a water stop. I was happy to see other people had the same idea.
When I was at the expo I asked the St. Jude peeps how many people were running for St. Jude in the race. My jaw dropped when they said about 800. I had seen some numbers about how much had been raised because of the race and I did an inner dance. By race day almost $400,000 had been raised by runners during this race only. How truly amazing. Thank you to everyone who donated for me.
I was anxious to get started so I ducked in to one of the corrals and joined them. I had told Aunt Carol that I wasn't going to run at all. The only time I planned was at the end if I had anything left. Naturally as soon as I crossed the start line I was running. She saw me. lol. Busted! It didn't last long. my brain overrode my body and I pulled to the side after half a mile.
As we passed the Watergate we then took a turn and headed back towards the Lincoln Memorial. Weird. We were on a multi-lane road going under many underpasses. Sadly there were many homeless neighbors living in this area. It hurt my heart. All I wanted to do was pull over and give them everything that I had.
As we approached the Lincoln Memorial I met a woman who had knee surgery recently. We commented on the new course and both preferred the bridge to Arlington route. We also both discussed the upcoming Hill (yes, I capitalized it on purpose...it's that intimidating) and how we were saving ourselves for it. Haha.
At the next turn around I was passed by a blind athlete. I have seen this done at several races and I'm always awe inspired by this.
One thing that I didn't expect was to run into Santa. Haha. I've seen him during my December races, but this was a first for March. Nice legs Santa!
Not far behind Santa was the sag wagon. And there was my motivation to keep moving. Early in the race I expect it to be pretty close behind me. It's when I get closer to the end that I worry. On Mile 4 I was about 1 mile ahead of it. I just had to hold that pace for 9 more miles. Piece of cake.
On Mile 5 I saw a sweet hug. I'm guessing it was a mom who surprised her daughter on the route. It was so sweet. I took a picture of their hug. And then I stopped and asked them if they wanted me to take their picture.
One of the race sponsors is Geico. Now I'm a State Farm girl, but I get so emotional during their mile. Leading up to the Hill they have blue boards posted with pictures of soldiers what were killed in action. It always chokes me up. Many of the soldiers died a decade ago. And so many of them were so incredibly young. I only saw 2 names who were older than I am. The majority of them were just babies.
And then it was time for the Hill. When I saw it this time, I thought "Oh it's not so bad". And then I started up it. It hurt like hell. It was the first time that I thought I might quit. I mean I really thought I was done. But, I knew I couldn't stop until I got to the top. And then once I was there I knew I would finish. If I could beat the Hill, I could finish.
Someone asked me if there were lots of great signs. I didn't see too many, but I did see an unusually large number of people dressed in animal costumes. I mean I guess it makes sense with how cold it was. It's just a little weird to say "No, there weren't that many signs, but I got high fives from a Squirrel and a Bunny".
Not long after I finished the Hill my Rocky Theme song came on. I'm tempted to do a race listening to it on repeat.
While we were in Adams Morgan I saw a woman wearing a shirt that I must get.
There are many things that I like about this race, but hands down my favorite part is the Drumline that plays as you finish mile 8. You can hear them about a quarter of a mile away. Then you round a corner and head down the hill and they are there waiting for you. I could stop and listen to them all day.
Time for a mental and physical check in. How was I doing? Well I had finished 8 miles. I only had 5 to go. Honestly, I felt good. My pace hadn't really dropped and my legs felt good. I was not going to quit. I still worried about my leg muscles tightening up. They generally did after 10 miles on this course, but I was feeling good.
After 10 miles I was feeling great. I still had my foil blanket on. I knew that one thing that I had going for me was that my muscles were warm and that was good. I couldn't let them get cold or they would definitely seize up. So my muscles felt good, but then something happened. It has happened during every DC race. My breathing became a HUGE issue after 10 miles. I have never had this issue with any other race to this extent. Honestly, if you tried to force me to run those last 3 miles, it was physically impossible. I couldn't take a deep breath. My pace slowed down, but I was still moving.
With 2 miles to go, Santa joined me. OMG that was all I needed. Seeing the little kids' who where cheering on the sidelines react to Santa was the greatest gift I could have been given. I forgot about the race and just enjoyed their complete and total joy.
The last portion of the race is a gradual incline as you veer around to the right. Why races end like that kills me. But, I was never so happy to hit that incline. I was doing it. I was finishing the damn race!
I saw Aunt Carol and cousin JC waving by the finish line. I was so happy. As I approached the finish line I heard my name being announced. They also mentioned that I was a St. Jude Hero and that made me smile. That smile was immediately replaced by heavy sobs as soon as they put that medal over my neck. I couldn't let too much escape though because I knew I would never be able to recover. I was missing my Dad so much and Oh all of the emotions that were hitting me could knock me over.
I limped through the finishing area. I threw out my foil blanket and replaced it with a brand spanking new one. I got my banana an chocolate milk. I was soon realizing that I had a very long walk around to the stands where Aunt Carol and JC were. I wasn't sure how much longer Ms. Brittney had. Should I wait around here for her or try to get to them and see her finish? I decided to head over.
It felt like FOREVER, but I did it. I made it literally as she was getting ready to cross the finish line. You GO Girl!
Aunt Carol and I sat and waited on the the bleachers while JC went to find her. I had some of my snacks and we watched some pretty amazing Senior athletes finish the marathon. They inspire me to no end. After a little bit we decided to go see if we could find them. I couldn't sit too long or I would never get up.
We headed over to the merchandise tent to see if I could get the right shirt this time, but sadly they were sold out. Dang it. I did get this awesome commemorative wine glass though. I broke it in the next day. Don't worry about the shirt though. We ordered a new one online. Hooray! Mom liked it so much she wanted to keep the other one. Works for me.
The next morning we went to breakfast. Afterwards I needed to stop at Starbucks. I had been coveting this ceramic travel mug since Thanksgiving. I promised myself that I would not get it until I finished the race. It was worth the wait. And now every time I use it, I am reminded that I am capable of so much even when I doubt myself.
Have a Blessed Night,
Jennie
xoxo
If you feel like you are alone on your journey and you just need some encouragement I am here for you! Shoot me an email and I will do my best to check in on you or give you the words of support you need several times a week. The journey is so much easier if you have support.
jhendersonfit@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/ConfessionsOfAFormerFatGir
yeah, sorry, I messed up and the "l" is missing....I need an assistant :-)
Don't forget to follow me on Twitter: hugsnsmile
Instagram: Jennie5973
Snapchat: jhendersonfit
Before I tell you all about race day, I forgot to tell you something about the day before.
I mentioned that while I was at the expo I got "what I thought was a magnet" for mom. That's what I get for her. They had a guitar shaped one, but that's similar to the last one I got her. I saw one that was a guitar pick shape so I bought that for mom. It wasn't until we were at carb loading night that mom let it slip that it was actually a pin, not a magnet. Seriously? Grr...first the shirt then the non-magnet. I won't even mention that I was so distracted once I realized that I got the wrong shirt, I got off the metro at the wrong stop. My head was NOT in the game.
What a wonderful thing a good night of sleep is. It was like a miracle when I woke up the morning of the race. I woke up completely anxiety free. I had an energy that I hadn't had in a long time.
First and foremost, I am happy to report that I had no trouble pooping. It's always a huge concern for me on race day because I will NOT poop in a porto-potty. I'll take a DNF and hop on the Metro Home first.
It was a beautifully sunny and cold morning as I drove to Aunt Carol's. I opted for braids and ear covers. I don't wear my contacts much anymore, but I wanted sunglasses for the day. I looked pretty cute I must say.
One of my favorite moments of race day is the obscene amount of spandex as far as the eye can see. Maybe it's because of the two different start times or maybe it's because more people drove in, but there was not much spandex at all this morning. It made me sad. But, we did get a new metro car for the ride in so Hooray.
The wind entering the Metro at Federal Triangle was crazy strong. Oh this can't be good. I had chosen to wear the shirt that I got for one of my December races. I'll give a shout out here to Under Armour for the shirts that have a breathable turtleneck to keep out the cold. GENIUS!
When I was at the expo I asked the St. Jude peeps how many people were running for St. Jude in the race. My jaw dropped when they said about 800. I had seen some numbers about how much had been raised because of the race and I did an inner dance. By race day almost $400,000 had been raised by runners during this race only. How truly amazing. Thank you to everyone who donated for me.
I was anxious to get started so I ducked in to one of the corrals and joined them. I had told Aunt Carol that I wasn't going to run at all. The only time I planned was at the end if I had anything left. Naturally as soon as I crossed the start line I was running. She saw me. lol. Busted! It didn't last long. my brain overrode my body and I pulled to the side after half a mile.
The first 2 miles were almost the same as before. There was a little change in the route, but not much different. And then as we finished mile 2 and passed the Lincoln Memorial( Hey Abe!) we took a right turn. Umm. We didn't go over the bridge to Arlington this time. I got immensely sad. That is usually one of my favorite spots during the race. Instead we headed straight up the Rock Creek Parkway towards the Watergate Hotel.
I rolled up behind this woman and just LOVED her personalized shirt. I think I need to have one made for my next race. The back said: " I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. - Phillipians 4:13. I let that sink in and reflect on it. God was going to get me through this.
As we approached the Lincoln Memorial I met a woman who had knee surgery recently. We commented on the new course and both preferred the bridge to Arlington route. We also both discussed the upcoming Hill (yes, I capitalized it on purpose...it's that intimidating) and how we were saving ourselves for it. Haha.
At the next turn around I was passed by a blind athlete. I have seen this done at several races and I'm always awe inspired by this.
One thing that I didn't expect was to run into Santa. Haha. I've seen him during my December races, but this was a first for March. Nice legs Santa!
Not far behind Santa was the sag wagon. And there was my motivation to keep moving. Early in the race I expect it to be pretty close behind me. It's when I get closer to the end that I worry. On Mile 4 I was about 1 mile ahead of it. I just had to hold that pace for 9 more miles. Piece of cake.
On Mile 5 I saw a sweet hug. I'm guessing it was a mom who surprised her daughter on the route. It was so sweet. I took a picture of their hug. And then I stopped and asked them if they wanted me to take their picture.
My favorite cheerleader was on mile 6. I've seen Mr. Incredible in both Philly and DC at the Rock'n'Roll races. He always makes me smile. On a side note, I'm super excited about the Incredibles 2 coming out soon.
Okay, so you may be asking yourself "I thought she was going to take off the foil blanket after a couple of miles." So did I, but I realized that I was not overheating and as I looked around most people were still wearing their extra layers. It was cold.
One of the race sponsors is Geico. Now I'm a State Farm girl, but I get so emotional during their mile. Leading up to the Hill they have blue boards posted with pictures of soldiers what were killed in action. It always chokes me up. Many of the soldiers died a decade ago. And so many of them were so incredibly young. I only saw 2 names who were older than I am. The majority of them were just babies.
After the pictures end, they have volunteers holding American Flags all of the way up the Hill. And they are cheering you on.
Someone asked me if there were lots of great signs. I didn't see too many, but I did see an unusually large number of people dressed in animal costumes. I mean I guess it makes sense with how cold it was. It's just a little weird to say "No, there weren't that many signs, but I got high fives from a Squirrel and a Bunny".
Not long after I finished the Hill my Rocky Theme song came on. I'm tempted to do a race listening to it on repeat.
While we were in Adams Morgan I saw a woman wearing a shirt that I must get.
There are many things that I like about this race, but hands down my favorite part is the Drumline that plays as you finish mile 8. You can hear them about a quarter of a mile away. Then you round a corner and head down the hill and they are there waiting for you. I could stop and listen to them all day.
Time for a mental and physical check in. How was I doing? Well I had finished 8 miles. I only had 5 to go. Honestly, I felt good. My pace hadn't really dropped and my legs felt good. I was not going to quit. I still worried about my leg muscles tightening up. They generally did after 10 miles on this course, but I was feeling good.
After 10 miles I was feeling great. I still had my foil blanket on. I knew that one thing that I had going for me was that my muscles were warm and that was good. I couldn't let them get cold or they would definitely seize up. So my muscles felt good, but then something happened. It has happened during every DC race. My breathing became a HUGE issue after 10 miles. I have never had this issue with any other race to this extent. Honestly, if you tried to force me to run those last 3 miles, it was physically impossible. I couldn't take a deep breath. My pace slowed down, but I was still moving.
With 2 miles to go, Santa joined me. OMG that was all I needed. Seeing the little kids' who where cheering on the sidelines react to Santa was the greatest gift I could have been given. I forgot about the race and just enjoyed their complete and total joy.
The last portion of the race is a gradual incline as you veer around to the right. Why races end like that kills me. But, I was never so happy to hit that incline. I was doing it. I was finishing the damn race!
I saw Aunt Carol and cousin JC waving by the finish line. I was so happy. As I approached the finish line I heard my name being announced. They also mentioned that I was a St. Jude Hero and that made me smile. That smile was immediately replaced by heavy sobs as soon as they put that medal over my neck. I couldn't let too much escape though because I knew I would never be able to recover. I was missing my Dad so much and Oh all of the emotions that were hitting me could knock me over.
I limped through the finishing area. I threw out my foil blanket and replaced it with a brand spanking new one. I got my banana an chocolate milk. I was soon realizing that I had a very long walk around to the stands where Aunt Carol and JC were. I wasn't sure how much longer Ms. Brittney had. Should I wait around here for her or try to get to them and see her finish? I decided to head over.
It felt like FOREVER, but I did it. I made it literally as she was getting ready to cross the finish line. You GO Girl!
Aunt Carol and I sat and waited on the the bleachers while JC went to find her. I had some of my snacks and we watched some pretty amazing Senior athletes finish the marathon. They inspire me to no end. After a little bit we decided to go see if we could find them. I couldn't sit too long or I would never get up.
The next morning we went to breakfast. Afterwards I needed to stop at Starbucks. I had been coveting this ceramic travel mug since Thanksgiving. I promised myself that I would not get it until I finished the race. It was worth the wait. And now every time I use it, I am reminded that I am capable of so much even when I doubt myself.
Have a Blessed Night,
Jennie
xoxo
****Please note****
If you feel like you are alone on your journey and you just need some encouragement I am here for you! Shoot me an email and I will do my best to check in on you or give you the words of support you need several times a week. The journey is so much easier if you have support.
jhendersonfit@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/ConfessionsOfAFormerFatGir
yeah, sorry, I messed up and the "l" is missing....I need an assistant :-)
Don't forget to follow me on Twitter: hugsnsmile
Instagram: Jennie5973
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/jhendersonfit
Snapchat: jhendersonfit
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