Race Report- The story of my second marathon

My mom came with me to Oklahoma City, I had a nice hotel room and wanted company.  We arrived in the early evening and got settled.  We went out for Italian since I needed to carb up and ended up at Bellini’s…a really nice place within walking distance from our hotel but it was prom night!  We ended up eating outside on a patio even though it was a little cool.  Really good food and I ate a ton but still took about a third of my lasagna home. 

I set alarm for 4:30am and slept surprisingly well.  Getting ready went fast and I was in the lobby waiting for the shuttle to take me to the start by 4:50.  I had a mini bagel with peanut butter even though I still felt full from the night before and my traditional red bull.  Other runners were mulling around having coffee in the lobby.  We waited and waited…shuttle didn’t arrive until 5:25 even though we had been told they would run every 15 minutes.  This was annoying and I missed the 5:45 group picture with FTO (Faster than Oprah-my running group) and the rest of my Runner’s World peeps.  I barely had enough time to get to First Church on the corner of the start to connect with my running friend DeDe.  We met in the bathroom line and high tailed it to the starting corals.  Thousands of people lined up.  It took us a full 15 minutes to cross the starting line! 

It was great start, sun just coming up and lots of crowd support to see us off.  Mile 1-8 seemed to go pretty good.  Got warmed up still enjoying lots of fellow runners (all the half marathoners were along the same route, as well as the relay folks) and lots of crowd support.  I made a mental note when we ran by neat antique/junk stores including one called the French Cowgirl, on Western Ave.  Also  ran by a burger joint that boasted grilled onions and it smelled so good!  Another mental note taken.  

By mile eight I was hungry!  I’d been drinking water and already had a gu or two.  Luckily, Lisa and Jason were spectating at mile 8 and Lisa gave me a bag of sport beans.  Here, the half marathoners split off so the crowd really thinned.    

Mile 8-13 seemed rough.  Probably, it was the hardest for me.  I felt heavy, tired and was a little surprised at all the hills.  Lots of low, drawn out,rolling hills.  I told DeDe I wanted to walk.  But we didn’t walk; we kept going and made it to 13.1 which was big.  I thought about how all I had to do was do what I had just done but it didn't really seem to be a good thought.  So I stopped thinking about that and kept running.  

We made it to Lake Hefner and ran into the wind for less than a mile.  After that we had the wind at our back which was a big boost.   DeDe’s family came out and encouraged us at about 16.5.  

From there we just got to 20.  I remember thinking, I feel great!  I can totally do an ultra…just pick one out.  I felt really strong and steady.  DeDe clocked our miles roughly the whole way and by our calculations we were very steady at 13-14 minute miles.  At about mile 25, I changed my mind about the ultra.  Feet were hurting and some muscle cramping as I ran it in.  Finished in 6:10 and am proud that the second half was faster than the first. 

Cried some before and after the finish because it was so emotional.   Names of those who were killed were on banners the whole way.  Lots of runners were running in honor of someone killed and had names on special banners.  I also kept thinking about the survivors and families who lost loved ones.  I also thought about the Veterans I work with.  I thought again, that running a marathon is the least I can do.

After I finished there really wasn’t any good food left (I had been looking forward to a Carl’s Jr Burger ‘cause they were sponsor) so I said goodbye to DeDe and her family and headed for the shuttle to get back to the hotel room.  A volunteer at the gear check said the shuttle pick-up was at 5^th and Harvey. 

I walked through the memorial.  I saw that a lot of folks had placed their finisher medals on the chairs in the memorial that represent each person killed in the bombing.   Mostly 5k, relay and half-marathon medals.  A few full marathon medals.  The most touching sight was a chair, wrapped in a marathon blanket, with a full marathon medal, handing from the back.   On the seat was a Carl’s junior burger, bottle of water and two chocolate chip cookies.  I took a picture of it.

The shuttle never came so I called my mom to come pick me up.  Turns out the volunteer told me wrong pick-up place.  Bad shuttle experience all around.  We got back to hotel and I had the rest of my lasagna.  Iced, napped and hot tubbed.  Then mom and I ate at Red Lobster that night.  The next day we went back to Western Ave and shopped the antique/junk stores and I got a super cute dress at the French Cowgirl that I’m going to wear to my brother’s wedding next month.  It really was a very good weekend.