Detroit Marathon 2018: The Clock Doesnt Stop.

Have you ever had an experience that you were just not sure how you "felt" about it?
An experience that you didn't quite have a handle on, didn't know how you really felt about it?

I think that might be this years Detroit Marathon.

I knew that come hell or high water I really wanted to finish at a sub 4hour marathon.
I knew I wanted to have fun, smile a lot and be twinsies with Lacey.
I also knew I was going into the marathon with an injury from Woodstock on my left calf area.
I knew at some point smiling was not longer going to feel natural, I would probably pee my pants somewhere in that 26.2 miles and vomiting at the finish line would be highly probable.

So after a week of collecting my thoughts and letting some go, I have connected a few moments, ideas and emotions from this marathon.

Prerace:
Lacey, Erin, Melissa and I headed down to Cobo Saturday afternoon for the expo. We met Paula down there to shop and get some prerace jitters out.
I LOVE this expo and spent entirely too much money but the energy with all the runners is one of my favorites.
Paula headed back home after shopping while us girls explored Detroit's Mass Transportation system through the city.
Detroit is epic.
We played on a 20$ taxi ride, we lodged at the Marriott Rensen, we enjoyed fabulous food at Small Plates and behaved ridiculous on the People mover.
Our fun didn't end there, we walked to Astoria and ordered enough dessert carryout to put ourselves in a sugar coma.
Back at the hotel we did dollar store nails, facials and gorged ourselves on cake, cookies, and a multitude of pastries.

After putting on my green clay facemask and jammies I realized we didn't have enough coffee for us all in the morning. Room service said it was going to be a 2 hour wait. "Anita, its Halloween, no one will look at you any different."
COFFEE had overcome every thought I had. I should have calmed down and reconstructed my thoughts. I went down to the front desk looking like grandma Grunt in search of coffee to have in the morning.
As I approached a young lady to help me, I noticed my green mask was flaking off in front of her. I was mortified. Needless to say I think she was very happy to help me in order to get my flaking face out of there.

We set our alarms for around 5:15 am and headed to bed about 10.

RACE MORNING:
A few things must take place in order for me to feel calm at the starting line.
Coffee.
Poo Poo
Pee pee
We are good!

The four of us girls were out the door and heading to the start like clockwork. Most impressive.
The weather was a bit colder than we expected, 34'. But we had our smiles, our excitement and each other.
Andy came down to bike and cheer Lacey and I on. This was going to be fun.
We made our way to the corrals. It was already so packed with runners and spectators. Time was ticking and we were trying to locate Andy. "Nita, are we going to pray before we race?" Erin asked.
"Yes, I just want to find Andy to pray with us." I hollered back. We were all clutching each other in fear we would loose someone in the crowds.
We only had a few minutes by the time we found Andy. I can not imagine starting a race without seeking God first. Faith is believing the things unseen and we had many blind miles ahead of us.

Corral C. 
It was a feat just to get to our corral. At 5'1, weaving through the crowd has its advantage. The disadvantage is you can't really see where you are going.
We made it to the corral, put on our best smiles to convince people to let us squeeze in just minutes before the start.

Heres the funny things about GOALS.
Sometimes they hurt. Sometimes they are a rude awakening. Sometimes we have to reevaluate them.

Running Detroit Marathon was supposed to be FUN. And fun was FUN until it WASNT fun anymore.

It was Fun having countless spectators comment "YOUR skirts are Sooo CUTE!"
It was Fun seeing Andy all over the course asking me "When are you going to pick it up?"
I thought that was more like FUNNY!
It was Fun going over the bridge and screaming through the tunnel.
It was even Fun using Port-O-Johns for the first time. Lacey and I used them 2 times!
It was fun giving High Fives out and cheering the crowd on.

IT WAS FUN FOR ABOUT 20 MILES....
We saw Paula on Belle Isle and that was even FUN getting running hugs from the little Rockstar.
But the Fun Bus hit its last stop on Belle Isle...

They say the race STARTS at 20 Miles. This is when you have to grit your teeth and dig in your heals.

LOOK Closely....This is the Ugly Face...

The pavement pounding was echoing through my bones about mile 21.
Andy could tell I was gritting it out while Lacey was whistling Dixie and frolicking around me.
I was feeling a bit discouraged at this point. I wanted to WILL by body to move faster but my belly was a gurgling pit.
I knew the 4hour marathon pacer was directly behind us because he was full of excitement and loud cheer. I worked hard at not throwing up and not letting him pass us.

I dragged myself one mile at a time watching the clock. I was chasing 4 hours harder than I thought I would have to.

I have to say, my finish was HORRIFIC. I was so glad that the cameras were 2 tenths of a mile away when I completely fell APART.
There is one final push the last half a mile to the finish. The push is UP HILL. I saw the hill but not like I had seen it so many times before. This time it looked like the Grim Reaper. Like Death. A death crawl, a death march... What I do remember about that last hill and turn was I had the life slowly removed from me. By the time I made it up the hill, around the corner my ears where ringing, my tummy was churning, and things started getting real blurry.
Lacey was prancing and laughing a few feet ahead of me.
"laaaaceeyyyy" I whispered. I could barely hear my voice. I was so weak and trying desperately to focus on something.
"laaacceeeyyy" I wimpered with everything I had. I could make out the Finish Line just a few hundred feet in front of us. But Lacey couldn't hear me with all the spectators.
I was going down.
"LACEYYYYY" I screamed in panic.
I made it to the fence, dry heaving. My body lunged forward, over and over and over. I was in so much pain then SKADOOSH...I felt my most amount of talent at this moment. I began projectile vomiting and peed my pants all in one swift move! All two tenths before the Finish line.
I wiped my mouth, looked across the road and saw Andy looking at me a MORTIFIED.

THE CLOCK..Crap the Clock! I had 3 minutes to get myself in order and make it across the Finish line.
I did it!

I was a hot mess at the Finish Line but I FINISHED!
Time: 3:58:19

The BEST BLING EVER! They gave out neck gaiters in our goody bags! 

I always try to keep it real. The reality is I said "I am not running another marathon..."
Less than 24 hours later I remembered I had Marine Corp Marathon next year that I deferred.  I also caught myself looking into the Ann Arbor Marathon as a training run for an Ultra I am highly considering in June.

Its fun to push yourself. To see what you are made of.
So many times I said to myself "What do you have to prove?"
The answer came back the same. "You set a goal, a goal you knew you could achieve, no one said it wasn't going to hurt....."

It was so fun seeing Andy biking through Detroit cheering me on. Big girls can still have adventures and dreams. I am grateful to have someone who still cheers me on in those. 

Just a REMINDER...Life has its own Clock. And it does STOP. 

LIVE life. Love Life. Stay Humble. 

Love the tears, the victories, feel the defeats and the discouragements but what ever you do, Don't live life to EASY. 

Take Chances, Set goals and No MATTER how old you are NEVER quit DREAMING. 

Anita~