Yesterday I did the 4th Annual Maj Megan McClung Memorial Run. It was the very first race I ran 3 years ago in 2007, just a few weeks after I started running-at the time, I was doing a mile or so on the treadmill and convinced I was going to die every time. I just looked at the distance on the treadmill and waited it for it to hit a mile so I could stop. I have no idea what possessed me to sign up for the race, but I did. I also had not been running outside, solely on the treadmill. I did that first race and while my feet were sore the next day-the treadmill is a bit more giving than pavement...lol, I was hooked and had fallen in love with running. I didn't run another race for several months, but I continued running several times a week, usually 2-3 miles at a time.
The following year, 2008, had me running many races, including my first half marathon-Bellingham Bay. I finished out 2008 with 15 races, including 2 half marathons. 2008 brought me a running buddy, Roxanne. We did many of those races together and had a blast. I did wind up with an inflamed tendon in my foot after my first half marathon-first running related injury, badge of honor if you will...lol. Actually, it was a lesson for me about not doing too much too soon, and listening to your body when it says it hurts(I ran for a couple of weeks on the foot and aggravated it before I went to the doc).
As I continued to run, it became so many things to me. A physical outlet-wonderful stress reliever. Part of that stress relief was chatting with Roxanne while we ran-we referred to our runs after work as bitch fests at times. It became a social thing...I was making more friends in the running community and it was nice to see familiar faces at various runs. I learned about various running groups...online ones, virtual running clubs where there members do meet up at races, etc. I set some goals for myself...to run a full marathon 'someday'. Rochelle and I talked about it and set the time frame of the doing the full by the time she turned 25 and I turned 35(which would be the same year). I learned about a crazy group called Marathon Maniacs and said wow it would be cool to be in that group 'someday'.
2009 dawned and I started the year out running on New Years Day-Resolution Run and Polar Bear Dive...yep, ran into and dunked myself entirely under in the chilly 42 degree water of Lake Washington. And I loved it! A few months later I decided I was going to run a marathon(at the age of 33, 2 years ahead of schedule). I signed up for Portland. I set my training plan in place and upped my mileage. At some insane point, I decided, well if I'm going to run a marathon, I might as well run 3 in 3 months and become a Maniac in the process. I looked over race scheduled to find what would work for me and signed up for TriCities and Seattle and my plan was in place.
I kept running through out the year, adding more half marathons along the way and then midway through last year, learned about yet another group...Half Fanatics. Yep, I was already Half Marathon Crazy and proudly became Half Fanatic #57 last summer. Roxanne became #59 along with me.
I was up early on the weekends to do my long training runs. I had the best husband ever who would pick me up when I needed it(I didn't always map my routes and would sometimes be a few miles from home by the time I hit the distance of my scheduled mileage for the day-ok and I won't lie, I didn't want to run up the hill back to my house hahaha). He cooked dinner many many nights so I could go for my medium distance runs after work. One night, I told him how long I'd be gone and it took a bit longer. He took the time I told him, and gave me an extra 15 minutes or so, and just as I was walking up the driveway, he was headed out the door, with keys in hand to come look for me and make sure I was ok. What a guy, I should keep him:)
I finished my first marathon and thought I'd never run that far again-I even emailed my girlfriend who I was going to stay with in TriCities and that I hurt so bad I wasn't sure I'd be out for the next marathon. I woke up the next morning feeling a billion times better-I knew then that my training had paid off. I recovered quickly and managed to knock out my other 2 marathons and become Marathon Maniac #1997. I also burned myself out, both physically(another inflamed tendon in my foot) and emotionally(STILL working on coming back fully-just haven't had the motivation).
This year, while I haven't been running much, I still have managed to get a couple of races in. One of the best was this year's Whidbey Island Half Marathon. I was able to share something I love with many close friends(Elizabeth-who truly surprised me with her not only showing up that morning but finishing the whole 13.1 miles-though I'm sure she cussed me the whole way; Team Reed, Becky and Rachel, Taru the Finn and my obnoxious man child). It was the first race and first half marathon for many of them. It also helped a couple of them get the bug and we did a few more half marathons and I helped create some new Half Fanatics-including my own son. After the Whidbey Half, he also did Tacoma City and Kirkland and became Fanatic #412(along with Team Reed-#414 and #415 and Steve Savage-#416). Then he and I did the Seattle Rock N' Roll Half together-well, if you can call him leaving me in the dust about 5 minutes into the race as 'together' lol. Going to try and convince him to do some of the other upcoming runs with me too.
Runners as a whole are some of the nicest, most supportive people you could ever want to run(haha) across. You wind up chatting with people at races before, during and after. You have that instant bond of ya'll drug yourselves outta bed extra early on a weekend, in windy, rainy, snowy, icey, extra hot(ok, 70 is HOT for us in the PAC NW, don't judge us...lol), etc weather. We're the people who opted to go to bed early on New Years Eve so we could be up early for a run. We're the ones who give up holiday shopping on Thanksgiving weekend to hit the Seattle Marathon Expo and then run a half or full marathon. No one but the person next to you at that race really gets it, everyone else thinks you're nuts. Maniacs and Fanatics just magnify the good qualities of runners. When you encounter each other at a race, they are your newest best friend and biggest cheerleader. From what I read, the namesake of my first race, Maj Megan McClung also exemplified these qualities and was very supportive of her fellow runners. So a big thanks to her for getting me started in my race life.
Yesterday's race was enjoyable in that I ended up walking(between being out late the night before and not having been staying up on my running, I walked a fair bit of it) the last bit of the race with an adorable little almost 7 year old girl named Isa. She chatted me up and I learned all kinds of things about her...lol. She just moved here from MD. She took ballet, tap and show dance back in MD, but might take horse back riding lessons here. She has a brother turning 5 at the end of this month-but he might not start kindergarten since he's mean and hits her and kicks her sometimes....lol. Also, the night before, he was not using his utensils properly and playing with his noodles at dinner. She is a fruit person(her faves are cantaloupe and honeydew)and her brother is a veggie person(beans were his favorite I think). Green apples are the BEST. Edemame is delicious if you sprinkle it with sugar. She had 200 friends in MD. Tomatoes are her favorite vegetable-and if you save the seeds and put them in the ground you are recycling. She also insisted on taking my picture after the race(anyone who knows me, knows I almost always run with my camera...lol). I am definitely not winning any races, I'll never qualify for Boston, but I love running for things like this. Wonderful memories.
I look ahead and wonder what the coming years will bring for me in world of running. While I haven't been running much lately-life being crazy at times has also affected my desire to run. It's funny, I know that it's good for my emotional health and does me a world of good in how I feel mentally, I still am having a dickens of a time making myself get out there. I am now accountable to a local running group, Average Joes and will be meeting up with them after work 2-3 times a week for runs. Hopefully it will get me back in the habit. I have the desire to up my level in both Fanatics and Maniacs-should increase a level or two in Fanatics in the coming months. I want to do an ultra marathon. I want to do a triathlon. I want to run a race in Disney World. I want to do the Bataan Memorial Death March. Some days, I just want to make it out the door to get a couple of miles in.
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