Where you lead Subbers, I will follow: A very long race recap that spans decades.

My "I eat hills for breakfast" face.

To truly tell the story of this past race I need to go back a little bit, about 25 years to be exact.  Okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration but not too much.  You see about 25 years ago, I met my best friend Annie.    That's a good story but not the point of this post.  The point is that about 23 years after that she invited me to be a Beachbody coach.  Also not the point of this post but I'm getting there.  My goal as coach is to help as many people as possible which means that I need to know as many people as possible.  So unlike before I was a coach where I would show very little interest in those "suggested groups" along the side of Facebook now I started joining those groups.  One such group was this little running group (my first running group) called the Sub-30 Club.  I didn't really know its purpose or much about it.  I actually didn't really know what an online running group could add to my life.  I joined anyway.  It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

I know so many people view social media so negatively and perhaps I should.  Instead though I view social media through the rose colored glasses of a Sub-30 member.  I know the power of an amazing online community.  Let me explain.  So I joined this group.  I would chat with some folks.  Read stories.  Learn some things. Find inspiration.  On one such tour of the group I saw that they all go together to run at the Runner's World Fest.  Interesting I thought...I of course can't run with a group.  I'm too slow.  Its too hilly.  No way.  On another post someone asked about yoga suggestions and cross training suggestions.  I said, PiYo is pretty awesome.  So we started chatting.  Then we became "friends".  Then she tried PiYo and Shakeology and became a coach like me.  Then 18 months later, yesterday, we ran a race together.  And now finally I'm at my race recap...no wait.  A little more background.

Last year, 5 months pregnant I drug my mom and two kids to cheer on my friends from my phone as they ran a 5k and 10k.  Kara, a real life friend was there (yes, I added her to the crazy group) and she ran the half marathon the next day.  After seeing this group.  Seeing the love.  The support.  After showing my sons that finishing a race at all is just as important as winning race I signed up to run the half marathon, 1 year later.  I figured heck, I'll have a baby but I know I won't be in the Back of the Pack alone.  I have people.  I have a tribe.

Before every race I insist on being interviewed by Runner's World, don't you?

So we finally come to yesterday.  7 months after having a baby.  More nervous than I thought I would be.  In the last week I remembered that my last half wasn't exactly awesome.  I lost my phone.  I had tummy troubles.  I was suddenly so nervous.  The only thing I knew.  I mean really knew in my heart was that I could finish anything I started.  I am tough.  I've run marathons.  I've had 3 babies without drugs.  I'm a boy mom.  13.1 miles has nothing on me.  Plus, you know, I trained.  A lot.  Yet I was sooooo nervous.  I started to go to bed early this week.  Made sure I healthy carb loaded (harder to do on Whole 30 than I would have thought).  Then the morning was here.  After waking up 2 minutes before my alarm because of a stressful dream where I actually missed the race, got the boys out and in the car, got my husband up and we headed to Bethlehem.  I nursed the baby, helped dress the boys and headed out to find a bathroom.  My husband took the boys to feed them and show them our college and I was on my own....sort of.  After the bathroom (runners understand how important this is) I found the race and was almost immediately interviewed by Runner's World.  (You know, like I start all my races.)

Amber and I finally meet in real life!

And do you know who was waiting for me as soon as the interview was over?  That woman who I suggested try out PiYo.  Well, her and about 100 of my phone friends.  So after months of training we started running.  2 minutes running, 1 minute walking for 13.1 miles.  We did just about whatever Mr. Garmin told us to do with only a few revolts when we wanted to run more downhill and walk more uphill.  We picked up a few awesome friends and told them about our most amazing running group.   We had amazing subbers running us up hills.  They fed us candy.  They cheered us on.  We passed people.  We were passed.  We got some "free high fives".  We were cheered by folks.  We cheered our water hander-outers.  We thanked police officers.  We saw Jesus.  Pretty much just another half marathon.  

Here we come!  Our merry band of runners!

Our little group of 3 became 4, then 5 then we merged with another group to be 8 and somehow added one more and finished as 9.  9 plus the subbers who came down the end of the course to run us home.  And you would think, or I would have told you that a 14 min 30 second pace would leave you alone at the end of the race.  We were not only not alone we cheered so loudly.  So very, very loud.  We were not alone.  It felt like they were all just waiting for us to come.  So of course we gave them all high fives.  

When I saw all my people cheering us.

High five for everyone!  Amber's first half and she's looking awesome!

 Then as quickly as it started the race was over.  I waved to my oldest son as I ran by him and he came looking for a hug as I crossed the finish line.  That moment.  His hug.  His smile.  While I didn't win the race, he was pretty excited that I got a medal.  I found my family or rather they found me and we sat down.  (Because pretty much the last thing that I should have done as soon as I finished the half was sit down, but you know, the baby had to be nursed.  Priorities, people.)  And with that we headed home.  The race was over.  I had no goal with the race but to finish and have fun.  Mission accomplished.

Now just one more note.  If you know me, and many of you do.  You know I don't ever or rarely post pictures of myself below my shoulders.  My body is a work in progress and I suppose it always will be.  This is not the most flattering of pictures and yet I would share this photo with anyone.  The woman in the picture, had a baby 7 months ago, nursed a baby, ran 13.1 miles, then nursed a baby again.  And I pretty sure she did it smiling.  I could not be prouder of this body.  It's amazing what your body can do when your mind knows it won't take no for an answer.

So that's my race recap that spanned about 25 years.  Perhaps a slightly long recap.  The post recap is this:  I was already looking for my next race with my tribe last night.  Where you lead subbers, I will follow.  Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall.  All you have to do is call.  I'm proud, honored and really lucky to live in a world where no subber is left behind.

No subber ever left behind.

Race Recap: The Unplanned Adventure

“Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. 

― Ralph Waldo Emerson

The day started out perfect.  Kids in the car, coffee in hand, still dark outside and we're on the road to the race.  My first half marathon since before my boys were born and I was ready and excited.  I felt good, I trained pretty well and based on a 15k a few weeks earlier I had hopes of a time that while it wouldn't be a BC PR (before children personal record) it would be a respectable time that I could use to get back into the swing of things.
We made it to drop off location with no traffic, even a bonus bathroom stop.  Things were good.  I said my goodbyes to my family and headed over with my extra banana ready to go.  I was meeting a friend who picked up my number and that went without a hitch.  The cool thing about the Long Branch Half is that you start at the Monmouth Raceway so there is plenty of room to get to the start line and of course wait in a very long portajohn line.  My line friends were friendly, it was sort of warming up and I was excited to run.  It was going to be long but the course was flat and my 12 mile run went okay and I felt great after the 6 miles I did the week before.

As the race started every heat would be started with the sounds of the trumpet like we were a horse race.  Bruce Springsteen Born to Run was on (so Jersey) and we were off.  And that is where the "perfect" race just about ended.  At my last 15k I had purchased this convenient little pouch to attach to my pants to carry my phone, keys, etc.  I hadn't actually used it carry my phone because I like to actually hold my phone but the cold day meant I had gloves on so I figured it could go in the pouch until I took the gloves off.  About 5 minutes into the race I took my gloves off and reached for the phone.  It wasn't there.  And that is where the perfect race definitely ended.  I stopped and ran backwards frantically looking for my phone hundreds of racers going by me in the opposite direction.  I ran until there was no one else coming except for a police car and I need to turn around and start the race.  In a moment of good fortune a nice runner mentioned someone asked him if he lost a phone, in all likelihood meaning that someone found a phone.  I used his phone to text my phone so if a runner had it they could get it to my husband.  And with that I was off...but no longer was I with my pace group,  No longer was I able to use the bonus of being in a race to get my pace up a notch.  Instead I was in the very back of the very big pack.

As much as I was disappointed by this my disappointment didn't have a chance to take hold because frankly the back of the pack is straight up inspiring.  People who if you saw them on the street you would not consider to be "runners" were most definitely running...and running hard.  Runners who were running on behalf of others and running on behalf of themselves.  So much good inspiration.  In case I forgot to be thankful I ran past two women who had shirts on that had "That was so last year" on the back.  When I passed them it said "Beat cancer" on the front.  Awesome!  Literally awesome!

So I just kept trudging along and passing people.  I had hopes of possibly catching someone I knew running but all of that fell to side when my tummy troubles started around mile 4.  I don't know what was going on and part of me thinks it was stress and it wouldn't have happened had I not lost my phone but either way I had two really long stops at very nice portajohns.  Any attempt at my time was gone and instead of passing new people I just kept passing the same people over and over.

The two most beautiful things about the Long Branch Half are that you spend most of your time in residential areas so there are always spectators.  Mostly people in their PJs drinking coffee but they are there cheering you on.  There's one particular fantastic neighborhood that puts encouraging words out there.  Things like "Run Forest Run" and "Worst Parade Ever" and "Because 26.3 would just be crazy."  I love it and look forward to it during the race.  The second most wonderful thing about the race is that it ends on the beach.  The last 1.5 miles you are running with the ocean to your right and it is uplifting.  I made the turn to run along the ocean and I was so thankful to be almost finished.

Without my phone I don't know what my mile breakdowns were but I felt like they got faster.  I ended more than 1 minute per mile slower on average than I had hoped but despite all that nonsense I finished the race.   My goal was to in fact finish the race.  When I started training I was recovering from a minor knee injury, mid training I strained my calf and I had a 46 day running streak as well that didn't exactly help the training.  (Thank you Iron PT for keeping me running!) It got me out of my rut where I thought a 5k was long.  All of those goals were reached.  The time goal will still be there.

After I crossed the finish line I started looking for lost and found and I found a fellow running "friend" who I  had never actually met but online in the greatest online running group ever! (Thank you Sub-30 Club)  She was the lucky recipient of a mini breakdown on my part and she also lent me her phone.  By some miracle, or just thanks to really nice runners, my phone ended up in the hands of my husband.  Crisis adverted.

Eventually I found my family, changed my shoes and got a coffee.  My race was over.  It was not the race I had planned or hoped for.  It was about 15 minutes slower than the slowest I was hoping run it and 25 minutes slower than what I had thought I might be able to pull off.  Those numbers though seemed to be the least important ones.  I passed about 450 people (many of them 2 or 3 times) to get from the very back of the pack.  I ran all 13.1 miles (and actually more if you count the back tracking) and despite all of the extenuating circumstances I kept my goal of only walking during the water stops (darn you race photographer for positioning yourself at the top of the only "hill" in the race forcing me to run).

I will tell you that while you will find inspiration all over a race, that group at the end of the race are by far the most inspiring group of folks on the course.  They are warriors.  It was an honor to run with them, and certainly an adventure.

Thank you for letting me run for you!

Two weeks ago today I ran the 46th of 46 runs. It was the Hot Chocolate 15k (that's 9.3 miles in case you were wondering).  That sounds impressive and I'll admit it was not easy, but what was most amazing about the whole process was that each run was dedicated for a person or people who needed to be lifted up, supported.  People who were suffering or needed to be honored.

I ran 46 days in a row.  At least 1 mile every single day.   It was amazing.  It was amazing not because of the fact that I managed to do that physical challenge but because of the people I met, and learned about and honored over those 46 days.

For the entire length of lent, along with a good friend, we ran each day and dedicated that day to someone who need remembering, honoring, loving or supporting.

It has taken me two weeks to write this blog entry despite many starts.  I'm having so much trouble even writing this because I don't know how to describe this experience.  Somehow in trying to write this I feel like I'm making this experience about me and it wasn't.  Or it was only in the sense that I was the one learning not just about these people but people in general.  Some of the dedications were personal.  Friends or family I've lost.  People I've wanted to honor.  People who are alive and are deceased.  The majority of the people I dedicated these runs to were strangers or friend or family of friends.

What touched me, was not just the people that were lost or suffered, but the people that remained.  The parents, spouse, sibling and friends that requested the dedications.  These were the people that picked up the pieces when they lost a child or a wife and carried on making a life for themselves and their children or family.  To me these people are the real heroes.  The children and parents and spouse that suffered or died, they are deserving of being honored and remembered every day.  So however are the people that were left behind.

The people who support their children each and every day.  Children with extra special needs and extra special gifts.

Running for others was inspiring and uplifting and at its purest level got me up and out every single day...or at the very least up (there was the occasional run around the living room).

The only way I can describe this experience was as blessing.  A gift.

Proof that humanity is doing just fine.  Despite, sadness, loss, challenges, people find joy.

Thank you for letting me run for you!