It's been a week since my last post, and I'm not really sure why it's taken me this long to sit down and write again. I'm at the easy part now! Last time I posted, I was on my way to the finish line on the Best Straggler Bus. If you need a refresher or are just jumping in, check out part 1, part 2 and part 3.
The bus dropped us off at the bag claims/family meetup spots, so I had to find my way to the finish line and my team's tent. When I made it back, most of the team was gone, but RWD was there with some of the Ability Experience guys, including our team leader, Kyle. Predictably, I hugged RWD and cried for a bit. Then, we sat down in the tent, and I attempted to eat the pizza and drink the water he'd saved for me. Everybody told me how proud they were of me, and I did my best to be gracious. (Sweaty, puffy-eyed, and tired or not, I am a Southern lady, and it's my job to be gracious!)
When I trained for the Chicago Marathon last year, I read The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer, and it is still one of my favorite running resources. It's geared toward first-time marathoners, but I think much of the content is valuable for runners of any level. One bit of advice in for first timers is not to set a finish time, because if you finish and don't meet the time, you'll focus on the failure to meet the time rather than the amazing accomplishment of finishing the race. As I sat in the tent, I was encouraged to focus on what I had actually accomplished that day.
Although I hadn't finished, I had still done something pretty amazing. I gave the race my all, and I did it for something beyond myself--I did it for other people and for an awesome cause. Kyle and the other Ability Experience guys were so encouraging and even told me they want to see me back on the team next year. I said I'd be there. They also remembered that everyone on the team was supposed to get a Push America Challenge medal, but they'd forgotten to pass them out. I was the only one who got one on race day, and it was nice to have a medal!
After everything was packed up, RWD and I headed back to my friend Drew's apartment, where we were staying. When Drew and Sara came home, we discussed the race, and Sara offered me a drink. I took her up on a glass of scotch--not my normal beverage, but it was tasty--and tried to decompress. She, Drew, and RWD offered lots of encouragement and told me over and over how proud they were of me. Even though it felt good to hear, nothing made the situation totally better. I knew it was going to take time to heal. About 75% of the way through my scotch, I did have a pleasant revelation: I'd completed more than 80% of the race, which basically meant I made a B on the marathon. A B is pretty impressive.
Nearly three weeks after the race, I am grateful for the time I've had to process. Other than the initial blow of not finishing, followed by having to tell people I didn't finish, my Marine Corps Marathon experience has been a really good thing. More than ever before, I am thankful for my body and what it can do for me. I am increasingly appreciative of the ability to run, and I want to run faster. That "harder, better, faster, stronger" thing makes sense, and now I'm actually making efforts to strive for improvement. I'm still struggling with the early morning runs, but I am less inclined to sleep in than I once was. Unless I am injured, I do not want to be a part of the Straggler Bus ever again...even if it is the Best Straggler Bus.
Perhaps this setback is more meaningful than a finish would have been. I'm moving forward. I'm coming back for MCM 2015. I'm ready to rise up and run again.
No comments:
Post a Comment