Every feel like your standing at that bottom of huge task, just a little afraid to start forward? That is exactly how i felt as early as a week before the race. Tons of anxiety and not just a little regret. That is where Mary comes into to play. She is my motivator! My dreamer friend who's positive outlooking is always major inspiration to me. We went and walked the course on the Wednesday before the race. I was feeling a little better but still not "excited" like before. I hadn't been working out, i been stressed about money and work, weight gain and everything else that women worry about.
The day of the race came an it was clear we out numbered. Those that were ready to race and us. We were trying to help each other stay hyped up but i could help but get the feeling that everyone that helped sign us in and give us our shirts were looking at us with pity. Minutes before the start the were young me sprinting all over the place. There sixty mile an hour dashes were enough to make me want to crawl back in the car. But who was kidding. This is all for a good cause and "HELLO" were here to have fun.
Ready, Set, Go! We were off and jogging with everybody else. If only it had been a race to the red light only 50 yards away. Just past the red light was the first hill on our list. it was bad but it was straight up. The crazy thing was Mary's soon attack. She could breath. She was still walking on with me but i could tell she wasn't feeling right. I kept trying to encourage her to breath deep and pump her arms and all that crap nobody wants to her when they are seconds away from stroking out only 100 yards into a race. But i didn't know what else to say, so i smiled and praised her efforts. At the top she gained control of lungs and down the road we went at a slow trot but excited. It was at our next walk interval that we realized was were being trailed. How is this possible you say, you guys were the slowest. Why yes were were! So slow in fact that a cop car was LITERALLY escort us through the race. I"m sure he thought that morning would be a twenty minute breeze of tailing some juves around clock tower. Instead he ended up bumper to heel with two staggering sacks of potatoes. Poor guy. I over heard one of the water giver outers encourage him to stay vigilant so he didn't accidentally fall asleep and run us over. Well somewhere around the trip past the good ole Rome News-Tribune Mary starts talking about needing to throw up. "Oh Mary, you can't, not in front of a police officer!Just keep breath and moving, you can over come this" I won't repeat what the reply was. But she didn't get to feeling better and after the first mile of the trip we off to a good start.
At one point in the race you cross over a very busy road and an officer was holding traffic for us and our cop car pulled ahead to ensure our safety. Let me say this is a very good thing that he did. Not three days before when we were "practicing" the course Mary almost got me killed. I was walking along, prepared to stop at five lanes of traffic and wait for the light (and texting) when Mary yells, "We can go now!" I'm looking down texting and thinking alright, i'm with you. I get half out in the road only to see a GIANT black SUV barrelling down on me. It was time to (whats the phrase) "Fish or Cut bait". Boy i started hauling it across the remaining three lanes as fast as my little legs would go. Horn blaring as the vehicle went flying past us at break neck speed. I can only imagine what they thought. (Oh i hate this song, kids stop fighting, crap there goes my coffee all down my shirt, is that my phone, where did i put that things, I need to clean out this purse, HOLY CRAP THERE'S PEOPLE IN THE ROAD!!!!)
So any ways, We stumbled and stumbled and stumbled. And then stumbled on some more. So where through the cop decided we were going to slow to get hurt and left us and we round the RN-T again and then it was time for Clock tower hill. Up up up up up we went hurting all the way! We were so out of shape. I can't believe we quit training. What a disappointment. At the top mom was waiting to get a great picture of us passing by clock tower, i was to tired to really smile for the picture. It's probably for the best that and moment she clicked the camera she in actually hit the off button or something and managed to only get a picture of a white trucking that was passing by moments later. Moms are great! All and all though we did great. We managed to bet our last race time by a solid two minutes and i LOVE the t-shirt, it is going to look so good in my 5k t-shirt quilt. (On an aside, did you know that it takes over 60gallons of water to grow enough cotton for one t-shirt. That's ALOT!)
After we finished i felt so sore for days and felt discussed with myself for not training and eating better. Because of that i was determined to stop letting life stress me out. And my new motto has been "I may not be able to control what happens to me in this world, but i can control what I put in my mouth!" As a result, in less that two weeks i have lost 4 pounds+ and have really good about our up coming Relay for Life.
May we all find motivation to achieve what we need to do and not just what comes easy! God bless you all! I love you Terry Cordle, The Next Race is for you!
Jamie
