I put off all day packing my bags, did a gazillion loads of laundry and baked 3 pies. Finally Saturday afternoon, I thought I had better get cracking. *I would later be so thankful for that!*
Put kids to bed (my parents took 1, inlaws another, and we decided to take the babies), made my playlist on my IPOD, showered and Scott mentioned that I should sleep.
Set my alarm on my phone for 5:27am (I always chose off times), moved the cursor over to the S and went to bed. Read for a few minutes to relax, and finally decided lights out.
I have come to realize that my baby girl FEELS when I have a run the next day. Without fail, she will wake. 2-3am was 'playtime' & cuddle time. Then I needed to get back to sleep mode. I constantly was thinking the alarm would go off any minute. I must have dozed off and decided to check the time on my phone..........WHAT! 6:35a!!!!!
"SCOTT GET UP, THE ALARM DIDNT GO OFF!"
We jumped up, got the babies up and left! Scott was reassuring me he could get to Hamilton in 2 hrs. Stopped for coffee, and bagels. I had packed bananas' and PB the night before. (phew) We got to Hamilton at 9:03a, I changed in a Tim Hortons bathroom (!!!), parked, kissed everyone and ran up to the start line. Had enough time to tighten my laces (which still came loose at 11km--never happens to me!!) and start my play list. YA, talk about cutting it close!
After all my thoughts and fears this week leading up, I just kept chanting 'run your own run'. I looked down at the ground about 2 feet in front of me, trying not to people watch.
Last yr, when I hit the 10k, I remember wishing it was over (lol) and this yr, I felt so much stronger, 56min and loved the hill that follows into the 11k marker. I was pleased to think I wasnt running 'hard' and my 10k time was the same as a hard race last summer. I decided then to take a gel and apparently fix my shoelace. (eyeroll)
Continued on and decided at km 14 I was going to grab a cup of gatorade, so I thought I would pee as well. I shut my Garmin off for that, and thankfully it was not busy and no line. Came back out and back on the road, and hit the 15k at 1:27, (it was 1:22 on my garmin and I remember being confused for a second, forgetting about the washroom break!)
Last yr km 16, I was struggling and walked for a few minutes, this yr I was able to keep soaring and was loving the feeling that the halfway mark was done. I saw a sign that said 'dig deep the hills are starting' or along those lines. I have a long tribal trance song on my Ipod, and it started playing and I left it on for the whole hill travels. I congratulated myself on all the hill training I have done because they werent an issue at all.
Even high fiving the little person at the bottom of THE hill, I continued and ran up to the top. I had been running along side a couple for nearly the whole run, and they high fived each other at the top. I walked for a few seconds to catch my breath, and secretly wished that I had someone to high five too. Plus, I knew the worst was over. I was waiting for a glimpse of the grim reaper, it was starting to feel warm out, the sun was higher and I really felt the feeling of 'so close, yet so far away.' I refused to look at my watch, and people watching the crowd on the sidelines. It's really an overwhelming feeling, thinking of what you accomplished and that these people come out to cheer you on.
Coming around the sharp bend inside Copps, I looked up and saw it was just under the 3hr mark, and I took off into a sprint. A volunteer at the finish line told me to 'slow down' laughing. I started following the other runners into the end area, and trying to look into the bleachers for my husband. Remembered that I still hadnt checked my garmin or shut it off.
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