A 12K
Today was the day! Oh deary me, what a day! The night before the race, my cousin came over to spend the night, and since the race started at 8 a.m the next morning, we went to sleep early-- 9:00. Well, we tried anyways. When ever my cousin comes over, we usually talk for at least an hour.
The next morning our alarm went off at 6 am. We needed time for our food to digest and warm up before the race.
THE RACE! A 12K!
My best friend and training partner met us at my house for a spot of oatmeal. All three of us were excited and a bit nervous about the prospect of running so far. Only my cousin had ran that far before -- and goodness it seemed like we would die on the journey.
Next, my brother showed up in his red Mustang, the motor rumbling to a halt in front of our childhood home. We all piled in my mom's van, and she drove all four of us runners to the starting line. We made sure we had our numbers pinned tightly to the front of our shirts, and walked on shaking legs to the starting line.
CRACK! Off we went, lost in a huge hoard of trampling, expensive running equipment. While my brother jetted of to the front of the pack, my two best friends and I stayed together, dodging around the slower runners. We were quiet. I couldn't think. I just ran. It was a good thing that I was too nervous to think, because two miles into the race when the jitters had worn off, I was thinking, "Oh my goodness, we still have 5 more miles to go!!" Could I keep running for that much longer?
It was about that time that I started to pull ahead of my friends. I felt a rush of motivation, and not wanting to waste it, I took off, feeling the ground hard beneath my feet. 5 miles in, I felt like I was on auto piolet. I don't think my legs could stop even if I tried. I was in a groove, but I was starting to hope that the finish line would come quicker.
Mile 6.The fatigue has set in. I knew there was a mammoth hill somewhere between me and the finish line... NOOOOOO... there it was, billowing up ahead of me. Just as I thought I couldn't go any more, I had a hill to the finish line to conquer. My feel pounded, my head dripped with cold sweat, and I kept going. All I could think to keep from stopping was "Just keep running, just keep running!" I knew that I would be so proud when I finally finish, that I just didn't want to stop!
And finally, when I had given up all hope of ever seeing the finish line, I saw lines of people lined up cheering for the runners. And there was my family, including my brother who finished well before me. I sprinted that last bit with the last crumb of energy I had left. The moment of crossing the finish line was one of the best in my life. I WAS DONE! I HAD DONE IT! I HAD FINISHED!! I impress myself! My legs felt like rubber, but I wanted to cheer on my two best friends at their finish line.
It was certainly a day to remember, and an experience that I will repeat one of these days....
I really connected with this because I am currently getting ready for a 5k. Which seems like nothing especially next to your 12k, but its a step. I have done 5ks before but this time my goal is to do it without stopping. I totally get the angst you must have felt prior to that hill. At least it was at the end so you could be done right after...I was wondering if this was something you did when you were young or if this was something more recent. I wonder if it would be of benefit to your story to add maybe how that confidence from completing something so challenging had an impact on other areas of your life and your perspective?
ReplyDeleteI do not run. I can't see the point unless a lion is chasing me! :) I did feel your excitement though. You did a great job sharing it. I can't tell how old you are in this story. Are you a young adult, a teenager or is it closer to the present? I wonder if you could make your journey up the hill it's own story.
ReplyDeleteWow! I'm impressed! Great job on your run! I think that your writing about it gave a good glimpse into what goes on in an athlete's mind when they are running. I wondered about how much running experience you had, why you chose the race you chose? I would suggest adding that into the story so that it further illustrates your success at completing the race!
ReplyDeleteI could almost feel your pain when your trying to push on. Is running something you did in high school or college? Do you still do it now? Hats off to all the runners who run because I have never been a runner. I like the treadmill but to run out in the open not for me. I felt this story just happened recently by the way the you descirbed the running part. The part you said about the hill reminds me of the Bloomsday race.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the ideas to add on! There are so many great things I will include if i choose to revise this! This was this past summer at the Sound to Narrows in Tacoma. It was my first 12k. I don't normally run, but I did it so that I would have a reason to run throughout my student teaching.
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