{"id":3498,"date":"2015-10-27T15:38:52","date_gmt":"2015-10-27T20:38:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/?p=3498"},"modified":"2015-10-27T15:43:58","modified_gmt":"2015-10-27T20:43:58","slug":"where-to-begin-mcm-recap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/?p=3498","title":{"rendered":"Where To Begin? Marine Corps Marathon Recap"},"content":{"rendered":"

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What a whirlwind of a weekend! \u00a0I’ve spent all day yesterday and most of today trying to figure out which way to approach telling you about this amazing weekend.<\/p>\n

*For starters, I’m sending my most heartfelt apologies to all who met me for the first time this weekend. \u00a0It was an emotional time for me and I tried to hide it by talking non-stop Friday when I flew out through Monday when I flew home. \u00a0Y’all put up with listening (probably with half an ear~and I wouldn’t be surprise if it was a quarter of an ear or less! \u00a0HA!) to me babble on. \u00a0And on. \u00a0And on!<\/p>\n

Having just come off of running the Berlin Marathon and recognizing that a large portion of that race was run in what just a few short years ago (the Berlin Wall came down in 1989) was a communist country and then three weeks later having the opportunity to run this marathon in the capital of the greatest country in the world~a free country~it was simply overwhelming!<\/p>\n

MFH (My Favorite Husband) and I went out for flu shots at lunch today. \u00a0Afterwards we hit up Jimmy John’s for lunch. \u00a0While I was eating my #13 (no lettuce), the magnitude of this weekend hit me all of a sudden and it took everything I had not to start bawling like a baby. \u00a0So, I’m going to try to hit the highlights. \u00a0The wonderful runner friends I met. \u00a0The fabulous patriotism. \u00a0The struggles on the course. \u00a0The funny things…this promises to be a looooong blog post so grab a cup of coffee or something so you don’t fall asleep. \u00a0HA!<\/p>\n

Friday morning my friend (we’re going to call her Kathy) and I left my house for our drive to Birmingham, Alabama, to catch our flight to Washington DC. \u00a0We left a little early but had a few errands. \u00a0We had a lovely drive chattering along as I drove.<\/p>\n

We landed in DC and grabbed a cab, got to the hotel and crashed for the night.<\/p>\n

The next morning while on FB, my FB msg went “Ping!” and then, “Ping!” again. \u00a0Two people were msg me at practically the same time. \u00a0The first was MFH: \u00a0“Some guy named _____ just called the house looking for you….” \u00a0The second was that guy: \u00a0“I just accidentally called your house and talked to your husband. \u00a0Hope I didn’t cause any problems.” \u00a0HA! \u00a0*All’s well.*<\/p>\n

The guy was a friend from a FB running group and was offering a ride to the Expo. \u00a0Kathy and I took him up on it. \u00a0That was the first time I had ever met him. \u00a0Super nice guy! \u00a0He is one of the people with whom I talked non-stop. \u00a0Poor guy!<\/p>\n

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While we were at the Expo, we ran into another lady from that same running group! \u00a0How awesome was that!?! \u00a0Of course that meant another photo opp:<\/p>\n

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When we were just about ready to leave the Expo, I was very fortunate to meet a man from my Endurance Obsession Racing Team! \u00a0He was here for the race along with his wife and FIL. \u00a0I got to meet his wife at the Expo and his FIL after the race. \u00a0Super, super nice people! \u00a0I talked their ears off, too. \u00a0*I’m so sorry, y’all!* \u00a0More about this man later.<\/p>\n

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Race day finally arrived. \u00a0The ladies in my room (4 of us), we all slept pretty well. \u00a0I showered in the morning and was trying to get that silly sports bra on (TMI)~it was quite the wresting match! \u00a0My left hand slipped and my thumbnail put a nice gash in my chin. \u00a0Can you believe that!?! \u00a0Good grief. \u00a0I had to stop and try to get my chin to stop bleeding. \u00a0What a mess. \u00a0Finally managed to get myself dressed and we walked across the street and towards the starting line.<\/p>\n

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It was raining for the beginning of the race. \u00a0Before you could walk to the corral, you had to go through metal detectors. \u00a0Seeing as everybody’s bib’s were put on their race shirts\/belts with safety pins, those metal detectors were beeping like crazy! \u00a0The Marines working that area were patting people down and wanding them. \u00a0They were doing their best to get us to the start.<\/p>\n

Once you made it to the start, there were porta-potties as far as the eye could see. \u00a0It was a glorious sight! \u00a0I was sticking with Kathy. \u00a0Our other two roommates had headed off with some of their other running buddies. \u00a0All was well. \u00a0While Kathy and I were walking to where we wanted to start, they started the pre-race prayer. \u00a0I stopped for the prayer. \u00a0Immediately after the prayer, they sang the National Anthem.<\/p>\n

At this point, I had close to a dozen Marines standing right next to me. \u00a0I mean, Right. Next. To. Me. \u00a0When that National Anthem started, they SNAPPED to attention and saluted. \u00a0Not like the people in the movies. \u00a0This was the real deal and made Hollywood look very, very lame. \u00a0Color me Impressed! \u00a0These guys and gals were all business! \u00a0I took my visor off and put it in my right hand and my right hand over my heart…just like at all my other races but I felt like what I did was so lame and insignificant. \u00a0My feeble efforts to show respect to my country paled in comparison. Then again, I didn’t know what else to do! \u00a0So, I did that.<\/p>\n

When the National Anthem was over, I looked around for Kathy and I couldn’t find her. \u00a0Oh Noooo!!!! \u00a0This was her very first marathon and I lost here! \u00a0What kind of a friend was I!?! \u00a0AGH!!! \u00a0*We never did find each other before the race. \u00a0She did great!*<\/p>\n

I did manage to find my Endurance Obsession Racing Teammate in that crowd. \u00a0He was there with his wife and we decided we would run together as long as we could AND keep our eyes open for Kathy. \u00a0I was frantic trying to find her!<\/p>\n

The crowd started to “Ooohhh!!!” and Awwww!!!” We looked up and there were skydivers. \u00a0They had made a jump. \u00a0The loudspeakers announced that during the jump, they would be unfurling the largest American flags ever! \u00a0It was too cool!<\/p>\n

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The helicopters did a low pass:<\/p>\n

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The Howitzer went off:<\/p>\n

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and 9 minutes later my Endurance Obsession (EO) teammate and I crossed the starting line and began the race!<\/p>\n

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We ran and chatted easily through the first 8-9 miles of the race. \u00a0We had hit some hills and all but it was a pretty easy run so far. \u00a0The thing we quickly discovered, though, was the long distances between the water stops. \u00a0This was my one and only complaint about this race. \u00a0They were too far apart and not well manned. \u00a0We would stop for water\/gatorade and there would be empty cups on the tables! \u00a0Some poor Marine would be frantically trying to pour stuff into the cups. \u00a0Those poor Marines working the water stops were seriously outnumbered by runners. They simply couldn’t keep up with the demand. \u00a0Due to having to stop and wait for water, I would venture to guess \u00a0that it added close to 5 minutes to my finish time.<\/p>\n

We were enjoying the run. \u00a0So was everybody around us. \u00a0Easy race banter was going on. \u00a0We were having a great time! \u00a0All of a sudden, it was dead silent. \u00a0We had arrived at the Blue Mile. \u00a0The Blue Mile is where\u00a0fallen service members are commemorated along the roadway. \u00a0There are photos of those fallen service members. \u00a0As we entered this area, the runners were removing their hats\/visors in a show of respect. \u00a0There was no talking. \u00a0That wasn’t in the rules anywhere, it was just instinctive or something! \u00a0I saw runners stopping and touching each photo and saying prayers over each one.<\/p>\n

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Once you pass through all the photos, you reach the part where family member and friends are holding American Flags. This is incredible!<\/p>\n

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Finally we arrived at “The Bridge.” \u00a0This bridge is located at the 20 mile mark of the race. \u00a0They close the bridge to runners a little after 1:00 PM gun time. \u00a0You have to maintain a 14 min pace to cross the bridge before they open it back up to traffic. \u00a0There are sag wagons that follow the runners around this time and if they haven’t successfully crossed the bridge on time, they get swept and do not get to complete the race. \u00a0No medal and a DNF on their record. \u00a0Runners turn themselves inside out to “Beat the Bridge.” \u00a0 *The\u00a014th Street Bridge<\/b>\u00a0is a complex of five bridges across the\u00a0Potomac River<\/a>, connecting\u00a0Arlington, Virginia<\/a>, with Washington, D.C. A major gateway for automotive and rail traffic, the complex is named for\u00a014th Street<\/a>\u00a0(U.S. 1<\/a>), which feeds into it on the D.C. end.* \u00a0Source: Wikipedia<\/p>\n

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My EO teammate and I made it to the bridge easily. \u00a0It was at the base of the bridge that I crossed 1900 miles run for this calendar year! \u00a0My mileage goal for this year is 2015 miles. \u00a0Almost there!!!<\/p>\n

Where I ran into trouble here is due to the unfortunate lack of water from the undermanned water stops. \u00a0I became dehydrated on the bridge. \u00a0We had gone quite a ways without anything to drink before we reached the bridge and I became very dizzy. Things were getting dark. \u00a0I was having trouble seeing and things were closing in on me. \u00a0It. Was. Bad. \u00a0I needed something to drink and there were no water stops on the bridge. \u00a0As a matter of fact, we had a long way to go before the next water stop!<\/p>\n

This is where my EO teammate get major Kudos! \u00a0This guy is the best!!! \u00a0He was wearing a hydration belt and had Tailwind in the bottles. \u00a0They were his fuel for the race. \u00a0He had extra Tailwind with him to mix more at the water stops. \u00a0He had planned well. \u00a0This guy made me drink some of his Tailwind to get me to the next water stop. \u00a0Bless him! \u00a0If he hadn’t of shared with me, they’d still be scraping my carcass off that bridge. \u00a0I was in a bad way.<\/p>\n

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At the base of the bridge, your spirits are lifted for a little bit. \u00a0You think, “Only 10K left!” \u00a0My 10K PR is 1:02 and I about killed myself for the 1:02. \u00a0I knew there was realistically a good 1:15 if I ran well before I finished. \u00a0I was not running well. \u00a0That bit on the bridge had hurt me. \u00a0Hmmm…maybe I could do the 10K in 1:20? \u00a0We would see.<\/p>\n

We got off the bridge all set for a water stop. \u00a0Instead, they were handing out donut holes. \u00a0I couldn’t believe it! \u00a0Hahaha!!! \u00a0You had to laugh or else you would cry. \u00a0All I wanted was a drink of water! \u00a0Hahaha!!! \u00a0Finally, around the bend a little further, there was a water stop. \u00a0I got a cup from the first person and tossed it down. \u00a0I grabbed both the cups from the next person. \u00a0Pounded both of those down, too! \u00a0I was a little pig at that water stop! \u00a0I took 7 cups of water there! \u00a0I needed it! \u00a0Had to happen. \u00a0I felt guilty but much, much better.<\/p>\n

Right about here is where I lost my EO teammate. \u00a0His knee had been bothering him for quite a while and he told me to go on. \u00a0He was going to try to stretch it out to make it happy. \u00a0I saw him again after the finish.<\/p>\n

Finally turned the corner and saw the “hill” I had read so much about. \u00a0Yea, it was ugly. \u00a0This hill was the last .20 of the race. I would swear on a stack of Bibles that looking at that thing after having run 26 miles that it looked like a 45* hill. \u00a0HA! \u00a0I know it wasn’t that bad but it sure wasn’t pretty.<\/p>\n

As soon as you reached the top, you cross the finish line. \u00a0My head was ready for this! \u00a0I charged that hill. \u00a0BOOM! \u00a0That .20 hill was lined with Marines yelling at you. \u00a0Encouraging you. \u00a0The poor souls who tried to walk it got a good old fashioned boot camp yelling. \u00a0It was AWESOME! \u00a0I seriously loved that last part of the race.<\/p>\n

I crossed that finish line so grateful for the opportunity to have run this race. \u00a0Yea, I suffered on this due to dehydration but boy, it was great!!! \u00a0As soon as I crossed the finish line (and was out of the way of other runners who had just crossed) I grabbed me a Marine and we had our pic taken. \u00a0I had put my 1900 mile bib in a zip lock and put that in my SpiBelt before the race. \u00a0I took out the 1900 mile bib and that sweet young man stood next to me and we had our pic taken. \u00a0I couldn’t think of a better way to mark hitting 1900 miles for the year at such an incredible race!<\/p>\n

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The finish line is at the base of the Iwo Jima Memorial. \u00a0It gives you chills when you realize this. \u00a0Now, on race day, it was a zoo there so when Kathy and I were getting ready to go to the airport yesterday, we asked our cab driver to take us back and take our pics. \u00a0He very kindly did that (the meter was ticking so why not! \u00a0Right? \u00a0HA!)<\/p>\n

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Now tell me, in all honesty, can you ever in your wildest dreams envision a more fabulous finish line!?! \u00a0*goosebumps*<\/p>\n

So, yes, I talked non-stop all weekend because I needed to be home so I could process everything I was experiencing…later. \u00a0In privacy. \u00a0I have been sitting here with tears streaming down my face reflecting on this weekend. \u00a0The awesome runners I met. \u00a0The difficulties on the course. \u00a0The bond runners share. \u00a0My EO teammate who very generously shared and saved me from a DNF. \u00a0The love\/respect of country I witnessed in those actively serving in the Marine Corps~how truly humbled I felt when that young Marine put that medal around my neck and said, “Congratulations, Ma’am.”<\/p>\n

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What a whirlwind of a weekend! \u00a0I’ve spent all day yesterday and most of today trying to figure out which way to approach telling you about this amazing weekend. *For starters, I’m sending my most heartfelt apologies to all who met me for the first time this weekend. \u00a0It was an emotional time for me […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6,8,3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3498"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3498"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3498\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3521,"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3498\/revisions\/3521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}