Race Day, Part I

It's Sunday night. I am back home. I am exhausted! So here is Part I of race day!!!

IT. WAS. AMAZING!

I didn't sleep great, but I slept. Rise and shine at 4:15am so that I can get a shower to loosen the muscles, eat some breakfast and be ready when Deanna and her family come to pick me up to head to my dad's and then down to the start line.

I have everything I need. Bondi Band. Fit Belt stocked with GU. iPod nano. iPhone with a fully charged battery. Headphones. Lucky socks on the right feet. Bib filled out and attached!

LET'S DO THIS!!!

Of course when we get down to the race and start walking to our start zone, my stomach wakes up and it seems like all 15,000 race participants stomachs did too. Get what I am saying. O.M.G. Enough said. Glad I wasn't the only one. 

There are so many people there. I am completely overwhelmed. So. Many. People. It was so cool though.

Half, Full, Relay!

We get split from my dad and Deb but eventually find them and so glad I did! Also got to see my dad's relay members too! I actually babysat the one guys son, who is also running a leg of the relay. Craziness I say! 

Dad and I split off from Deb and go back up to the "slower" paces. My dad is going to start with me. So is Deanna. Makes me so happy. My biggest fear was starting alone. I was okay with running it alone, but I just didn't want to start there. Plus I wanted to see the look on Deanna's face! It was her first 1/2! 

Steinbrunner Family!

We get a couple of pics. Life is good. 

Race starts. Totally different from the Cap. It's not started in waves, they shoot the gun and you just start going. It's just this big pack of people. 15,000 to be exact. There was a firework show when the gun started for the wheelchair racers. 

So, we go. Turn the corner. And I don't see my dad. He is fast too. So proud of him.  

Cross the start line and Deanna hears someone yell my name! I look over and there's my mom and Terry with a sign that says "GO TAMI GO!" That was sooo cool! I was so happy to see them down there.

Head over the bridge, mile 1 is complete. I start to slow down because the pack of people is thinning out. I still have 12.1 miles to go. I don't want to overdo it at first. I nod to Deanna to go ahead. I'm good. Have fun. Run. Strong. And we are off.

I am still working out the kinks by about mile 2.5 but I'm getting into my groove. Come back up the hill after the bridge and my stomach, well, it's not cooperating. I see my mom and Terry again. Okay. This is okay! I smile, mouth to my mom what is happening, but keep going.   Low and behold mile 4-5 there is another water break and a port-a-john. Kinda funny. At the Cap City, I made BFFAE stop at that exact point because I had to go to the bathroom! LOL! And there we were in an awesome groove too!  Go figure. I stop my Garmin, get my water, go to the bathroom. Feeling better. Text BFFAE to let her know what just happened (she will laugh!) and start at it again. And when I start again, it doesn't hurt. I honestly was feeling great. I know, I know. It's only mile 5.

But mile 5 turns to mile 7 and I know my family will be somewhere between miles 6-7. And they are there! OH, I needed to see them. I first see Nate and Kate (my adorable niece) running towards me. I am so excited. I have dreamed about this moment...when my son sees me running and I get to hug him! And it comes true! And as a bonus, I get to hug my niece too. And then my sister and brother-in-law, and my "other" sister Trisha and her son Blake too! My own little cheering squad! It was so cool. Get a couple quick pictures and start again. Only to yell back to them "do you have any water?" "No." "Any tissues?" "No." UGH! Next time, I will make sure they are more prepared for me at the next race! :)

Water station is ahead. I am so happy! I just want to walk a minute. Training Planner Cult Lady advised me to walk thru the water stations. It's okay. It will save me for the end. So I do. And I am fine with it. It actually worked too. And I didn't regret stopping. I thought that if I stopped it would be hard to start up again, but it wasn't. It was actually easier. I also walked the few hills in there. And glad I did. I couldn't risk an injury or fatigue. 

Thru the University of Akron. That was kinda cool. There were random people that would make a tunnel for you to run thru and high five! And it was downhill. There was a lot of downhill coming up. We cross back over the start line. There's my mom and Terry again! So GREAT to see them again. So I stop and hug them! I needed the hug. And I keep going. Back across the Y-Bridge. I tell myself to run across the bridge. Run. The. Bridge. So I did. I dug deep and I ran it. Turn the corner and it's a hill. I walk it. Just till it levels off. And then I will run again. For a block. The next turn is onto a brick road. And ironically enough it's around mile 10-11...just where the brick/cobblestone road was on the Cap....and it's a downward slope. I run it anyway. 

Turn the corner. MORE WATER!!! Back across the bridge 3 turns and I am FINISHED!!! I snap a quick picture. I need some help. I send it to BFFAE and tell her the "Last leg..." I know by sending her this picture, that she would get it and it would mentally push me! And it did. Life is getting good. Run across the bridge. Walk up the little hill. And get ready to finish strong. 

I can't really tell you what is going thru my head at this point. I keep looking at my watch and doing the time in my head. I think I might just make it to my goal time. I just might make it. I'm gonna have to push it. And I do. Because the last 1/2 mile or less is FULL of people. They are all cheering. The 1/2 marathoners are mixing in with the full marathoners now on Main Street. It's kinda cool!  I see the entrance to the stadium.  

OMG! This is my BIG FINISH!!!

Turn the corner into the Akron Aeros Baseball Stadium and it is such a rush. The stadium is full! I take off my headphones so I can take it all in and I can't hear a thing. My head is spinning with words of encouragement from everywhere! It's almost like I can hear everyone back at home cheering me on! It's sooooo crazy! I hear my cow bells and turn my head and there is my entire family shouting and screaming! I start to tear up (just like I am now writing this!) They are all there. I have an official cheering squad. I look over and see Deanna! Thank goodness! She FINISHED!  I raise my hands and SMILE! I hope they caught that smile and not the tongue hanging out of my mouth at that last 400 meters!  

THE RACE DIRECTOR SHAKES MY HAND!!! He does this every year to every one! Can you imagine?!?!?! Pretty amazing story of this guy and how he started this race 10 YEARS AGO!!!

Waters are being handed to me. I just keep walking. OMG! I did it again. I did it solo. I DID IT! I CAN DO ANYTHING NOW! 

Go thru to get my medal....they put it around my neck!   Then one of those "heat" blankets, you know, the solar plastic/metal/hell I don't know what it is but it looks so damn cool!  It says "AKRON MARATHON FINISHER"  Deanna greets me!

WE DID IT!!! 

This was just so amazing.

So, my official finish time.....in case you didn't track it.....3:02.36  

My training time was for a finish of 2:35. I was going to be happy with a finish time of 3 hours or under. I will take the 2 and half minutes over the goal of 3 hours. Why? Because I had to stop for the bathroom. I stopped to hug my biggest fan, my son. I stopped for pictures with my family! And mostly, because it was a PR for me. My first 1/2 was 3:35. I am just happy. 

I will give ya more of the post-race and more pictures in the next post. I am tired. I am probably forgetting a lot too! 

Thank you to everyone for all the FB cheers, posts, texts, good thoughts, encouraging words, during the race! It really pushed me! And every single of you were on the run with me in my thoughts!!!

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

Run. Strong. Soon I promise!

-t-