A day I won’t forget ..November 23, 2014

 

On November 23, 2014 I ran in the Philadelphia Marathon.

That was my 4th marathon..

When I set out to train, I have to put my heart and soul into it. It’s another job. It’s not just me that is effected. It’s my  entire family. Everything we plan out and every activity that the kids and my husband have during those 4 months, ..involves me checking my training schedule and figuring out what day and time my “long training run” is going to be, etc.

I have to get on “map my run” and plan it out. I have to hide water in the bushes. What if I have a pain somewhere? I have to figure out how to switch the schedule around to make sure I don’t make anything worse. I have to lay my clothes out. I have to wash all those nasty running clothes. I have to have my GPS watch charged up at all times. I have to communicate with my running partner to make sure our schedules match up. I have to make sure I don’t eat a funky meal the night before a long run so I don’t have to take a bathroom break along the road.

There is A LOT that gets invested.

All the things I listed above is important and takes time and energy, but the most I invest into it is my HEART !!!!

I am not the fastest runner. I don’t win the races. I have to wear 2 bras because my boobs are big. In the hot weather I get chafing in places you can only imagine. Boy does that burn when I hit the shower.

One other important thing you all should know is that I  collect the coins I find on the ground during my training runs and then I bring them with me to the marathon.  I run my fingers through them right before I go to the start line. That’s a tradition that has become an important part of my training. I find mostly pennies… Runny Money !!

I needed to get my point across regarding what goes into my training so that I can share this story.

Training was going so well last summer and fall. I was running long distances and my calendar was checking off as it got closer to marathon day.

I had 3 1/2 weeks until race day and I had my very last long training run coming up and then I start to do my “tapering”. Tapering is when you start working backwards in your training miles in order to heal the body up and rest it for race day. So you keep running but not as long distances and it keeps you in shape but not overdoing it so you are strong and rested for the big day.

25 days before race day and I was teaching a barbell class. I was all done teaching and I simply bent over to pick up a floor mat. That’s when I felt the top of my left calf start tightening then lostening then tightening and so on.. It was spasming and it hurt. When I walked down the stairs to leave the Y, it was hurting.

Well, that put me into panic mode. I think I may have posted 2 or 3 things on facebook about my worry of the injury. But in my head, that worry was posting non stop.

I was very upset. I had 3 weeks to try to keep my running schedule going and fix this problem. When I googled “pulled calf muscle” – all the websites said up to 6 weeks rest time to heal it.

Here is what I did to try to fix this…

I took advil every 6 hours, I took Epson baths almost every day, I went for a session at the chiropractor and she used some tool to break up what seemed to be a huge knot, I went for a massage, I iced it on and off every day , all day…., I also stretched and foam rolled . Remember, most of this went on everyday for 25 days…

I went to church and prayed.

Every day I would wake up and take my first few steps, I would have a knot in my stomach because the pain and weird pulling feeling was still there. I mean here it is, 7,6,5,4,3,.. days prior to race day and I am still feeling this and limping slightly.

I was still able to teach “spin”and barbell class. I was very, very careful and didn’t go “all out”. I tried to run and see how it felt and I think I only ran about 3 times in that 3 weeks. I had to skip the last, long 20 mile training run.

So, here I am packing my bags the last few days leading up to the marathon. I got my hotel reservations that I made since last April, I got my husband and sons coming on the trip with me to Philadelphia to cheer me on. My girls couldn’t join us because they had other things going on.

I was NOT excited to pack my bags. I felt sick. Why am I doing this? My mood was awful and I was on edge. At this point, I was freaking out on the inside and the outside…

Well, the day arrived to drive to Philadelphia…Here’s the timeline of events for the weekend…

Friday, November 21st, 2014

I had all day to finish packing and get things finalized. We were going to leave town when Steve got home from work at 5pm.

I had a crazy idea to stop at Sports Authority and buy some of this special sports tape that athletes use. It’s called “KT Tape”. I stop and I asked the employees where to locate it. I explained my panic of my pulled calf and they recommend I go on Youtube to learn how to properly apply the tape.

I get home and I am playing the youtube video and it’s walking me and Julia (one of my daughters)  how to apply the tape. Julia helped me because I had to stand up in a weird position and she’s down on the floor taping up my calf.. If y’all were a fly on the wall you would crack up. I read the great reviews online for this KT Tape and it gave me hope. I needed hope .

We all got in the car and drove to Philadelphia. The ride was about 4 hours, but was actually fun and exciting. My family was making me laugh and it helped  my nerves. I really love them !!

We check into our hotel and  settle into our room. Bed time came fairly quick. We got there late….I think we checked in at 9:00 pm.

Saturday, November 22, 2014 —- 1 day until race day….

I get up. Starbucks is nearby. Steve went and got it for me. We all relaxed a while, then got ready to walk over to the EXPO. If you are all not familiar, the Marathon Expo is usually at a big venue that has a all kinds of vendors that sell running related products and services. It is also where you pick up your running package. The running package has your running bib  and a free bag and free shirt that comes along with registering. We had to walk to the expo. It was 7/10 of a mile away.

Steve and the boys decided to get on the subway to go see a college basketball game at LaSalle college while I perused the huge expo and could take my time.

I saw there was a booth that had a chiropractor who was doing free “taping”. I had brought that tape I bought at Sports authority with me in my purse incase there was a professional there that could help me. I waited on line and I told him where the pull is/was and he taped up my calf. Again, getting “taped” was a way of giving me hope. My last chance..

While I was there, I bought some great running clothes for my oldest daughter, Sarah, for Christmas. Sarah is on indoor track, outdoor track, and cross country. She lives in those clothes.

I walked back to the hotel all alone and every step I took I was so intuned to my pulled calf muscle. I was so scared of what was going to happen to me.

I ate a “veggie delight” sub from Subway for dinner. That is something that works for me. Doesn’t bother my stomach the next day. I tried to drink lots of water all day.

I laid out my clothes that night. My race bib, my lucky running coins from the money I find during my training, etc. I set my alarm.

I couln’t sleep.

I got up in the night, looked out my hotel window down to the street below. I saw all the police cars starting to block off the roads. It was so dark and quiet inside my room but bright flashing lights out the window..It was me vs my brain being negative .. I started getting night sweats. I was a mess. This was getting REAL…

“I can’t do this, I can’t do this”,  ” My family is here and there going to see me dropping out and failing”….

Sunday, February 23, 2014 — MARATHON DAY

I get out of bed at 4:45 am after my alarm went off. Lord knows I didn’t sleep. I had not one ounce of excitement in my body. I was scared. I went through the motions of putting on my clothes. In past marathons, I would take a shower first and make myself look nice for the start line, just so I felt good about myself at the start. This time I didn’t. I looked awful. I don’t even think I looked in the mirror other then when I was brushing my teeth. The first order of business, after that, was coffee. Starbucks in the lobby was opening early for the runners. I took the elevator down and saw a pretty long line formed already.

I stood on line. Everyone else was laughing and relaxed. I was not. My forehead started forming sweat beads and I was dizzy. I felt like I may pass out. What was happening to me?

I managed to make it back up to my hotel room and sat on the bed. I sipped my coffee. I felt like I needed ice for my forehead. I walked a few steps down the hall on our hotel floor and put some ice in a bag using the ice machine. After I returned with the ice, I sat on the bed holding the ice on my forehead and got on my phone and googled “Symptoms of a panic attack”… Yup… I was having a panic attack.

I composed my self and continued to get ready. I prayed !! I prayed and talked out loud… “Please,  please let me finish this!!” My entire family is still asleep in their beds and I’m sitting at the foot of one of the beds praying in the dark…

I was supposed to meet my friend, Amy, in the lobby at 6 am. I was still dizzy. I whispered to Steve and gave him a kiss. He hugged me tight and wished me luck. I kissed the kids on the forehead, ran my fingers thru my “runny money”, and quietly opened the hotel door to leave and it shut behind me. I remember that sound of the hotel room door clicking shut.. They all make that same noise.

Well, HERE I GO.. !! Reality was setting in .. That door locked behind me and I had to march forward …That click of the door shutting behind me was the sound of “there’s no going back now.”

I was on the 10th floor. I get on the elevator. The entire hotel was filled with marathon runners. One runner got in and he looked all dressed and good to go. I said “Good luck” and tried to play along like I was cool as a cucumber. He said “I may not be running today”  Then he said “I went to get dressed and I can’t find my running sneakers” … I look down and the dude was wearing a pair of moccasins. No joke….. He was in the elevator because he was going to check the trunk of his car. It was parked in the parking garage below the hotel. “I swear I packed them” he says…. Really dude??  That was funny, but not funny, and I wonder if he ever found his sneakers??!

I meet up with Amy. We walk to the starting line. She and I had different start areas assigned.

We are walking over, it’s still dark out. .. 30,000 runners walking like zombies to one general area… I felt a bit calmer at that point for some reason. I think just having Amy talking to me helped. We went our separate ways to our start area.

I settled into a spot. It’s crowds of people, shoulder to shoulder…. The excitement of the crowd starts building up… The marathon sets up loud speakers all over the start area (Which is situated at the famous ROCKY STEPS of  Philadelphia)… The rocky theme song is blaring. There’s excited people all around me. Every other runner is cheering and clapping and I’m standing there listening to the little voice in my head .. “I’m going to fail. What am I doing here?, I have no business being here, My calf hurts and it might just GO” ..over and over ..

The gun goes off and it takes my “choral” about 30 minutes to make it’s way to the official starting line.

HERE I GO… I hit the start button on my watch… and I start moving my legs… I’m going really slow to feel it out…

Every step I pray … and I tell my self “take it slow, listen to your body”..

I get to mile one and I see Steve and the boys. I give them a thumbs up…. “1 mile down, 25 to go”…

So, now I’m moving along, I refuse to look at my watch and be disappointed in how slow I am going. I just kept saying “finish this thing”..I feel that tightness in my calf …

I get to mile 3 and a person passes me and they are pushing a handicapped grown adult in a big adult stroller. The person in the stroller had a SEVERE disability. I said to myself “Thank you, god for allowing me to see this” … It inspired the hell out of me. But , I’m still feeling my calf..

Then I hit mile 6, and I realized I didn’t feel my calf pain anymore… I can’t believe it !!!!! There is hope!!!! Maybe that KT tape was really working !

I kept the same pace.

Suddenly, I came upon a huge hill and when I got to the top, I found a new pain. The top of my right quad BURNED.. I thought… “DId I just pull my quad?”… I can’t friggin win!!

I took it slower and I think I stopped and went to the side of the road and stretched it.. Thank GOD it disappeared eventually..after about 10 minutes … That was a scary 10 minutes.

This marathon has great entertainment and huge crowds along the course. I read signs and heard people cheering and bands were playing. That distracted me. I saw Steve and the boys , again, near miles 6 and 13. That lifted my spirits.

I then started telling myself “Get to mile 20 ~ Get to mile 20 ~ Get to mile 20”.. Because ,after mile 20.., I have no choice but to finish.  It’s a long road straight road (with a few small hills) for miles 20 to 26, but at that point there’s no choice but to make it to the finish line.

So, I eventually hit mile 16…, 17…, 18…., 19….., and , ….finally…. mile 20 !!! (I wish the time, that day, went by as fast as I could type this in my story.)  At this point I was very tired. I felt nautious. This was the point that the lack of running the past 3 weeks is going to haunt me. I had to skip that last 20 mile training run and I hardly ran at all the past 3 weeks. I felt weak and tired.

So the final 6 miles was a challenge. I ran near the side of the road because I felt like I was going to PUKE… It was really bad..

I had my music playing in my ears in my headphones, then suddenly I heard a voice…. I pull out one of the headphones and I hear “Please watch out, there’s a BLIND GUY coming through”. I hardly had energy to turn my head and look, but I see a guy running along side me and he’s holding a rubber tube and on the other end was a guide runner.

Well, that was a HUGE inspiration to help me along… Again, “Thank you lord, for letting me see that” … That helped me…How can I complain when there’s a blind dude running next to me?

I am sure I was running extra slow. Everybody was as this point.

Time seemed to have been going backwards at this point .. My body just hurt .. Every.single.muscle.

It really did feel like forever, but I eventually got closer to the Rocky Steps, closer to the finish. The last quarter mile…I FINALLY made it to that point …That’s where the spectator crowds are huge and loud !. I pulled my headphones out of my ears… I fix my shirt with every ounce of energy I had, I made sure my hair was tucked nicely in my hat so it didn’t look messy.  I am conscious of my posture. The finish line is ahead and there are crowds of people cheering and professional photographers everywhere. I had my name on my shirt and spectators where yelling and waving “GO COLLEEN, YOU CAN DO THIS, YOU ARE ALMOST THERE”…

I suddenly got a burst of energy and then I heard my family.. Yelling “HUNNY, COLLEEN, MOM”.. I looked to the right and I saw them all cheering and waving and so proud of me !..Well, that was IT…Now, I really had what it took to cross that finish line.  I used all I had..to push thru ..

I “high fived” the mayor of Philadelphia who always stands under the finish line.

Then, I crossed the finish line…… With a HUGE smile on my face .

I DID IT !!!

… A girl came over and I was all hunched over… She put the medal around my neck..

I stood up.. I remember this part in SLOW MO…. I put my right hand up over my mouth … Another person came up to me and put that foil blanket around me… I was barely walking out of nausia  and tiredness…. It was right then and there .. all by myself.. It happened..

I BROKE DOWN… I had my hand over my mouth and I just lost it…My shoulders were bopping up and down. The tears were flowing. My eyes were flowing the tears and I was out of control crying. I lost my breath…I was crying so hard.

I stood there embarrassed that I was crying like a baby in the middle of the chaos of a finish line..I was just so overwhelmed with relief and with happiness.

My family found me and saw me crying.. The 3 boys – Steve, Brad, and Will all confused … “Why is she upset?”… I freaked them out..I looked in all of there eyes and shook my head and said “I Am So HAPPY” “I am so happy”” I am so happy”…

Wait .. There’s more..

We were standing there in the finishing line area. They took my picture (with the rocky stairs behind me ).. I was telling them all some things about my experience, …. All the while wiping tears off my face …And, suddenly, I look down ……. I look down…. on the ground….. Right in front of me …. in front of my 2 feet…… THERE WAS A PENNY !!!!!!! I kid you not !! I could hardly bend over.. I was so still tired and sore and nautious, but I bent down and picked it up with all I had left.

I don’t know why I didn’t ask Steve or one of the boys to bend down for me to pick it up .. I guess I was just so amazed that I felt like I had be the one to pick it up.

(I have since saved that penny in a special envelope to separate it from the other pennies)

My “boys”, my cheering section,  helped me walk back to the hotel and I was feeling sick. They had a soda for me to settle my stomach. They kept telling me about all the spots they saw me go by and how great it was and how good I looked…

I finally made it back to the hotel , ….went right to the bathroom, and …I THREW UP…!!

I took a shower, brushed , and made my way to check out… And off we went back to Lake Katrine, NY. One of the most amazing days of my life .