Goal achieved
The last few days have been an emotional rollercoaster. I have gone from the depths of terror to the heights of amazement. Knowing this was a major milestone in my life, I wanted to try and take it all in. I tried to absorb everything as it was happening but wanted to share it as well.
Saturday morning, the alarm went off at 4:00 AM. I got up and a tidal wave of nausea hit me. I got a glass of water and met my brother in the kitchen. Bleary eyed, we looked for the toaster (mom had redone the kitchen since I was last home and nothing was where it was for 25 years!!) and made myself some toast with peanut butter on it. I ate a slice and tried to eat the other that I had made, but that wasn't going to happen. I went and got my clothes on (that of course had all been laid out the night before) and brushed my teeth. By that time, Sonya had gotten to the house to ride up with my parents and she asked how I was doing. I told her that I had hippos doing the tango in my stomach. Dan and I left shortly after that and I practiced my breathing the entire way to the race. Dan and I went over my race plan again and he, as the experienced one, answered all of my questions and tried to calm me down. We got there and he realized he forgot his bib, so he called our parents and they went back and got the bib and raced back to the race. We went to meet up with our cousins at the spot we had designated and started talking to them. We took a group picture and my one cousin was next to me and she said "Kate, I can feel you trembling. Are you ok?" I remember looking at her and thinking "NO!!! I can't do this, I am vastly unprepared, I am still too big", and a bunch of other horrible thoughts. What I told her was yeah, I think so. At that moment, I had received a couple of texts from my support crew saying they were praying for me. That started to ease the hippos down to dogs, but there was still a tango going on. We needed to head to the corral that we were starting from so I hugged all my cousins and we said our goodbyes and see you at the finish lines! I walked slowly back to the end of the corral near where my pace time was. At this point, Dan had went to go meet my parents to get his bib. Five minutes before the race, I am shaking uncontrollably and about to start crying when Dan came up beside me and said "I got my bib. I'll walk up and start with you." He used two of my safety pins because mom didn't bring any. Then, it was time. The first group started. We walked up to the next group. The next group started. Then, finally, it was my turn. We crossed the starting line and Dan ran with me for 100 yards, looked at me and said "you got this, I'll see you at the finish line" and he took off. It was happening. I was doing it.
The weather was absolutely perfect. The temperature was cool, but not cold. There was no humidity (hallelujah!), and the sun was just starting to rise. My plan was to run for three minutes, walk two. The course started off downhill and really before I knew it, I was at mile one and I had run the whole thing without walking. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep that up for the next 12 miles, so I started walking. Two minutes later, I started running. I kept that pace for the next 5 miles. Around mile 6, I stretched it out to four and one. I was feeling great! This was the best I had ever felt in a run. The crowds were fantastic, the signs hilarious and entertaining, the bands along the route encouraging, the police were amazing, I was having a blast. At mile six, I saw my peeps. Running up the hill, I saw my dad and started waving to catch his eye. I smiled at him and kept going around the curve to where my mom and Sonya were standing with the sign and cow bell! (My mom LOVES her cow bell!!) I continued now going through Akron U's campus. I was so amazed at all of the changes since I had been there 15 years ago that it helped carry me through that part of the course. Right around this time, I was starting to feel the effects of the long run and fortunately, that is where the gel station was. I grabbed one, sucked it down, and kept going. I was really doing this. It was happening. I started going four minutes and walking one. I was feeling great. My muscles were nice and relaxed, my breathing was even, I was pacing myself really well. At mile eight, I saw my team again and my mom shouted "You have got this, no problem!!" I smiled and kept going with tears in my eyes. At mile 9, I was starting to hurt, so I slowed down. Then, I reached one of the "Heroes" of the race. Since this was for Akron Children's Hospital, they had kids from the hospital along the route to give us encouragement. These heroes were the ones I was looking for as I knew someone who knew them. So I smiled, punched their circle and saw the sign being held. It said "9.6, you are here", at that moment, I thought "OK, Katie, 4/10ths of a mile, then all you have is a 5k. You can do a 5k. You've got this." I went back to three minutes of running and two of walking. Then, I hit mile 11. Mile 11 was straight up hill, the whole mile. I couldn't run any of it. I kept trying, but it felt as if my legs had fallen off. I kept looking down to make sure that my legs were still attached to my body, they were there, but I certainly couldn't feel them. Mile 12. One mile to go. I was going to be finished in 15 minutes. I only had to do one more mile. One mile is easy. However, there was a sign that said Half mile stay left. On a good day I have trouble with my left from my right. This was not a good moment. I was struggling. I was hurting. I was tired. I said out loud "CRUD!" and held up both of my hands. The volunteers at the sign started cracking up, looked at my bib and pointed the way I needed to go. So at least I gave them a moment of levity during the race... Mile twelve started to go down hill. I could run downhill. I could do this. I was hearing my playlist start for the third time. I was done. I wasn't done, though. I started walking for four minutes running one, then I hit the turn to go into the stadium to the finish line. I could barely lift my legs. I felt like I was going really fast, but I was barely running. I saw my family. I heard the cheers and the finish line. I saw the time 3:18. Perfect. Right where I wanted to be. I crossed the finish line, got a bottle of water, and my legs gave out. All I could think was "Get up, your mom is watching and she is going to panic". The medic came over, asked if I was ok. I looked at her and said "yes, my legs just gave out". I got up unsteadily and tried to figure out where to go next. I wandered around the finish corral and got my medal, my socks and my picture taken three times. I was so disoriented I didn't know where to go. Fortunately, my brother came to my rescue again. He was there with one of my cousins and they took me to get some food and water and led me back to where everyone was waiting for the one who was doing the full. I got to them and hugged both of them and then I collapsed. Literally. My body had shut down. I sat on the ground for a couple of minutes drinking my water and my chocolate milk as I was shaking. My brother wrapped his blanket around me to keep my temperature regulated and I started stretching my legs. I had done it. I got my phone out to turn off my music and several friends had texted me with a screen shot of my splits and times. I started the race at 7:08 and finished the race and 10:17 for a total time of 3:09. Six minutes faster than I thought I could. My projection was at least 3:15, at most 3:30.
The rest of the day passed in a very surreal moment. I knew that I had finished and was proud of that, but I was still really overwhelmed and couldn't process it. Today, however, it's really hit me. Something that I have wanted to achieve, but never thought I could, I have. My parents got me one of the 13.1 magnets for your car. I put it on and just smiled. Now, I am weepy over this thought. I did it. I can cross this off of my list, because it is done.
Now, to figure out what the next big thing is...
Saturday morning, the alarm went off at 4:00 AM. I got up and a tidal wave of nausea hit me. I got a glass of water and met my brother in the kitchen. Bleary eyed, we looked for the toaster (mom had redone the kitchen since I was last home and nothing was where it was for 25 years!!) and made myself some toast with peanut butter on it. I ate a slice and tried to eat the other that I had made, but that wasn't going to happen. I went and got my clothes on (that of course had all been laid out the night before) and brushed my teeth. By that time, Sonya had gotten to the house to ride up with my parents and she asked how I was doing. I told her that I had hippos doing the tango in my stomach. Dan and I left shortly after that and I practiced my breathing the entire way to the race. Dan and I went over my race plan again and he, as the experienced one, answered all of my questions and tried to calm me down. We got there and he realized he forgot his bib, so he called our parents and they went back and got the bib and raced back to the race. We went to meet up with our cousins at the spot we had designated and started talking to them. We took a group picture and my one cousin was next to me and she said "Kate, I can feel you trembling. Are you ok?" I remember looking at her and thinking "NO!!! I can't do this, I am vastly unprepared, I am still too big", and a bunch of other horrible thoughts. What I told her was yeah, I think so. At that moment, I had received a couple of texts from my support crew saying they were praying for me. That started to ease the hippos down to dogs, but there was still a tango going on. We needed to head to the corral that we were starting from so I hugged all my cousins and we said our goodbyes and see you at the finish lines! I walked slowly back to the end of the corral near where my pace time was. At this point, Dan had went to go meet my parents to get his bib. Five minutes before the race, I am shaking uncontrollably and about to start crying when Dan came up beside me and said "I got my bib. I'll walk up and start with you." He used two of my safety pins because mom didn't bring any. Then, it was time. The first group started. We walked up to the next group. The next group started. Then, finally, it was my turn. We crossed the starting line and Dan ran with me for 100 yards, looked at me and said "you got this, I'll see you at the finish line" and he took off. It was happening. I was doing it.
The weather was absolutely perfect. The temperature was cool, but not cold. There was no humidity (hallelujah!), and the sun was just starting to rise. My plan was to run for three minutes, walk two. The course started off downhill and really before I knew it, I was at mile one and I had run the whole thing without walking. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep that up for the next 12 miles, so I started walking. Two minutes later, I started running. I kept that pace for the next 5 miles. Around mile 6, I stretched it out to four and one. I was feeling great! This was the best I had ever felt in a run. The crowds were fantastic, the signs hilarious and entertaining, the bands along the route encouraging, the police were amazing, I was having a blast. At mile six, I saw my peeps. Running up the hill, I saw my dad and started waving to catch his eye. I smiled at him and kept going around the curve to where my mom and Sonya were standing with the sign and cow bell! (My mom LOVES her cow bell!!) I continued now going through Akron U's campus. I was so amazed at all of the changes since I had been there 15 years ago that it helped carry me through that part of the course. Right around this time, I was starting to feel the effects of the long run and fortunately, that is where the gel station was. I grabbed one, sucked it down, and kept going. I was really doing this. It was happening. I started going four minutes and walking one. I was feeling great. My muscles were nice and relaxed, my breathing was even, I was pacing myself really well. At mile eight, I saw my team again and my mom shouted "You have got this, no problem!!" I smiled and kept going with tears in my eyes. At mile 9, I was starting to hurt, so I slowed down. Then, I reached one of the "Heroes" of the race. Since this was for Akron Children's Hospital, they had kids from the hospital along the route to give us encouragement. These heroes were the ones I was looking for as I knew someone who knew them. So I smiled, punched their circle and saw the sign being held. It said "9.6, you are here", at that moment, I thought "OK, Katie, 4/10ths of a mile, then all you have is a 5k. You can do a 5k. You've got this." I went back to three minutes of running and two of walking. Then, I hit mile 11. Mile 11 was straight up hill, the whole mile. I couldn't run any of it. I kept trying, but it felt as if my legs had fallen off. I kept looking down to make sure that my legs were still attached to my body, they were there, but I certainly couldn't feel them. Mile 12. One mile to go. I was going to be finished in 15 minutes. I only had to do one more mile. One mile is easy. However, there was a sign that said Half mile stay left. On a good day I have trouble with my left from my right. This was not a good moment. I was struggling. I was hurting. I was tired. I said out loud "CRUD!" and held up both of my hands. The volunteers at the sign started cracking up, looked at my bib and pointed the way I needed to go. So at least I gave them a moment of levity during the race... Mile twelve started to go down hill. I could run downhill. I could do this. I was hearing my playlist start for the third time. I was done. I wasn't done, though. I started walking for four minutes running one, then I hit the turn to go into the stadium to the finish line. I could barely lift my legs. I felt like I was going really fast, but I was barely running. I saw my family. I heard the cheers and the finish line. I saw the time 3:18. Perfect. Right where I wanted to be. I crossed the finish line, got a bottle of water, and my legs gave out. All I could think was "Get up, your mom is watching and she is going to panic". The medic came over, asked if I was ok. I looked at her and said "yes, my legs just gave out". I got up unsteadily and tried to figure out where to go next. I wandered around the finish corral and got my medal, my socks and my picture taken three times. I was so disoriented I didn't know where to go. Fortunately, my brother came to my rescue again. He was there with one of my cousins and they took me to get some food and water and led me back to where everyone was waiting for the one who was doing the full. I got to them and hugged both of them and then I collapsed. Literally. My body had shut down. I sat on the ground for a couple of minutes drinking my water and my chocolate milk as I was shaking. My brother wrapped his blanket around me to keep my temperature regulated and I started stretching my legs. I had done it. I got my phone out to turn off my music and several friends had texted me with a screen shot of my splits and times. I started the race at 7:08 and finished the race and 10:17 for a total time of 3:09. Six minutes faster than I thought I could. My projection was at least 3:15, at most 3:30.
The rest of the day passed in a very surreal moment. I knew that I had finished and was proud of that, but I was still really overwhelmed and couldn't process it. Today, however, it's really hit me. Something that I have wanted to achieve, but never thought I could, I have. My parents got me one of the 13.1 magnets for your car. I put it on and just smiled. Now, I am weepy over this thought. I did it. I can cross this off of my list, because it is done.
Now, to figure out what the next big thing is...
Katie,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your achievement! Be proud of what you've accomplished. Someday, I hope to do something similar.