26.2

I honestly don't know where to start! If anyone would have told me on April 2nd that I was going to train and run in a marathon on October 22nd I would have told them they were in serious need of a mental health professional. As I sit here almost 2 days post marathon it still doesn't seem totally real, other than the pain everywhere below my waist! So where to start???
Race day finally arrived, the team met in the lobby of the hotel at 5:30am, all 91 of us. As we walked to the start about 5 blocks away I tried to look at all of the different faces, especially those of the people I have come to know. I have never seen a group of more beautiful women! Every single one of them had this look of quiet confidence and determination. It was quite a sight! After what seemed like forever we were off, not even half a mile in and I had to go to the bathroom, ugh!!! I knew I shouldn't have had so much water. The first part of the course was all down hill toward the water and Fisherman's Wharf. About 2 miles in a woman running about 10 feet away from fell, fell hard on the cement. She popped right back up, I only hope she was able to continue. A small group of us ran the first 4 miles together, I finally found a tree with my name on it and took care of the bathroom issue. At this point we were running along the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge looked incredible. Fog covered the water and most of the bridge, only the towers were visible. A fog horn every couple of seconds completed the scene, it was just the first of many beautiful sights we would see.
At mile 6 the hills started and most of us knew that, what we didn't know was it would last until mile 12!!!! As we meandered up and up and up we were taken past some very impressive houses that had the most spectacular view of the ocean. The fog was still thick, but none-the-less the waves crashing into the beach was enough for me. I felt so alive, it was really cool!!!!
At some point we entered what I think was called Golden Gate Park, which was full of these little ponds and waterfalls and really old looking trees. On a different day I could have parked myself on one of the benches with a good book and been perfectly satisfied. At this point I need to relate a story that Marilee, one of my team members told me.
Marilee was running the half marathon and when she was running in the park she was having a hard time. She lost her father about 2 years ago and she told me that his nickname was Buffalo and everyone used to call him that. Well as I said, she was really struggling and was ready to walk it in when she asked for a little help. About half way through the park as you came around this corner there was a pasture on our left side and what do you think there was standing in this pasture??? Yes, you guessed it, BUFFALO!!! Now I am not sure, but I don't think Buffalo are indigenous to California, at least not this part of California!!! I thought at the time that it was strange to see them, but when she told me the story I knew they were there for a reason.
By the time we exited the park we were half way there and the miles seemed to just be melting away. The group I was running with had trimmed down to just 2, Jill and myself. More on Jill below. At this point we started out on what I believe is called the great highway, although don't quote me on that. It was a 3 mile stretch of straight road that ran along the ocean. The ever present fog kept much of the water hidden, but the waves and the surfers were enough to satisfy me. At the end of the highway was Lake Mercid. And so began my little nightmare. I started to feel the tightness in the back of my left knee at about mile 16, but it was nothing too serious. As we started around the lake it was another Kodak moment, the water on the lake was like glass and the mist was hovering just off the surface. At this point it seemed as though somehow we time warped into the middle of rush hour in New York. Bumper to bumper traffic on our left and no place level to run. If you tried to run on the sidewalk you had to dodge the spectators and walkers. Not to mention that by this time my knee was significantly worse and I was walking more than running and there were no water stations. Almost 5 miles and no water!!! Nearing the end of Lake Hell, which I will now and forever call it we ran into coach Janet and she said that after the aid station at mile 22 there was a hill, and it would look "big", but after that it was all down hill. Now realize at this point I don't believe a word my wonderful coaches say because they lied to me all day long! "You're almost to the top, this is the last hill, yada yada yada!!" :o) Well, I should have believed her this time because it looked HUGE!! There no way I could run so I walked my way to the top and we had less than 3 miles back down the highway to the finish. At this point I really need to thank Jill for staying with me. I know there were times when she wanted to keep running but didn't because I had stopped and I think the walk breaks may have contributed to her pain in the last 2 miles.
Even though we had already run down this stretch of road it seemed completely different this time. The people had more energy, the music was a little louder, the old lady dancing on the side of the road looked better!! With half a mile to go the finish line started to emerge out of the fog and I have never, ever felt such a burst of adrenaline. At this point we entered a sea of people, everyone one of them cheering and urging us forward. I honestly could not have stopped running if my leg fell off at this point. The energy created by these people would have carried me across the line. Jill's 3 daughters came with her and she hadn't seen them yet and there was little hope of finding them in this mass of humanity. About 100 feet from the finish her oldest jumped out on the course and grabbed her by the arm and pulled her across the line. I'm usually not that emotional, but that was a really special moment and just slowed down a step or two and watched. The next moment I was done. Wait a minute, I was DONE, I did it!
For a split second I felt like I was totally alone, everyone and everything disappeared and I was alone with what I had just done. I felt more at peace in that split second then at any other time in my life and then everything rushed back in. I found Jill and gave her a big hug, we did it!! The guy who gave me my finisher's necklace did a double take, I don't think he was really paying attention and my hairy arm reaching for the box startled him!
All in all I could not have asked for a better experience. To everyone who inspired me and there too many to mention, I say thanks! To my coaches, especially Janet who always, I mean always knew exactly what to say, I could not have done it without you. To my training partners Tim and Jayne, you ROCK!!! Jill, who stuck with me all 26.2 miles and helped me more than she knows, thanks and congrats you made it!!!! Margarita, my mentor, thanks it was fun!! Finally to my daughter Rebeccah. If not for her I would not be typing this. She is my gift from God, my own personal angel! I hope she wears her new necklace proudly knowing that she earned it. She may not have actually run the 26.2 miles, but she was with me me every step of the way!!!

R.P.D.