Valentine's and Marathon Weekend

This weekend was a big weekend for our family.  On Friday, we woke up and had a special Valentine's Breakfast.  The boys made special Valentine's for mom and dad, and we had some sweets, books and dvds for each of the boys.

By about 10:30, the snow and ice had melted enough that we were ready to hit the road and go to Myrtle Beach.  It took us a bit longer, because we stayed on the major highways instead of the more direct route, but we arrived safe and sound.  The first thing we did was head to the Myrtle Beach Convention center so I could pickup my packet for the Myrtle Beach Marathon.

I've done a couple half marathons, and plenty of shorter runs, but this was my first full marathon.  I've been training for about 5 months and felt as ready as I could be.  With the countdown clock and map of the run in the background, posing for this picture made it all feel real!

 We checked in to our hotel, and as we promised the boys, headed straight to the giant indoor water park.  It was so humid in there, I didn't even try to get many pictures.  But, there was a sprayground, lazy river, 2 water slides, a water basketball court, and much more.  The boys were in heaven!

By the time we were done with swimming for the night, Mom and Dad had arrived.  We all went out for a not-very-glamorous Valentine's Day dinner.  Mom even made the boys special Valentine's Day cookies for dessert.  Then, it was off to bed, I had a big day ahead of me.

Saturday, February 15th, I woke up VERY early and got ready.  I headed out the door before 5:30am and took a cab to the start of the marathon.  It was pouring rain, but luckily I found a small spot under one of the 2 tiny tents they had set up, and no one kicked me out!

 

It was hard to imagine, even as I crossed the starting line, that it was actually happening.  But soon, I got into the grove, enjoyed the scenery (and my music), and started knocking out the miles.  Perhaps one of the most pivotal moments was when they divided the route and sent the Half Marathoners in one direction and the Marathoners continued on.  At that point, I knew there was no turning back!

Mile 14 gave me a big boost when I saw my cheering section!  Standing there in the cold were Mom, Dad, Gill, Patrick, Sully and Finnegan.  They held signs and wore personalized shirts for me.  It was awesome.  I stopped for a minute, so Gill could refill all my drinks.  Finny said it was my "pit stop".  

As I jumped back on the course, Mom made me laugh by commenting "the pink is working for you", referring to my new running outfit!  I told the boys I would see them at the finish line, and I was off!

I won't lie, around mile 22, things started to get hard.  My dear friend Melissa prepared me for that.  She told me that I would hit "the wall" and talked me through how to conquer it.  Thank goodness for Melissa.  It wasn't easy.  By mile 24, my mind was playing tricks on my body, but I knew what to do, and before I knew it, I was turning the corner to the finish line!  

They announced my name as I came up to the line.  I saw Mom before anyone else, and she was cheering so loud!  Then, I looked up, and somehow my dad had gotten up on a basket tower and was looking down on me taking pictures!  As I crossed the finish line, there were Gill and the boys.  Such an amazing moment.  The volunteer shouted at me "you can stop running now" and placed a medal around my neck.

My bib number was 2098.  I think it was appropriate.

When I started the race, I felt like a 20 year old.

When I ended the race, I felt like a 98 year old.

My final chip time was 4:38.  I'm thrilled with that.  My goal was to come in under 5 hours and as close to 4:30 as I could get.  I'm happy with my time.

After the race, we went back to the hotel.  I took a bath and rested for a while.  Mom and Dad headed home, and Gill ordered us some lunch.  We spent the afternoon at the waterpark again and then had dinner in the room.  

 On Sunday, after the buffet breakfast, we went to the beach.  It was very cold and windy, but that didn't stop the boys from playing, collecting sea shells, chasing the birds and building sand castles.

It was a great weekend, one that I will never forget.