MCM part 2

There may be no enumeration of every part of MCM. There are, instead, flashes of images and moments which still capture the feeling of the day. Getting up so early we were on the 2nd shuttle bus to the staging area, waiting hours in the cold and dark for dawn and the start. Standing in the corral with the other 5-6+finishers, hearing at a huge distance as the gun went off- and still standing, shuffling for another half an hour to get to the start line. Blasting off through Arlington, not feeling my feet for a good 2-3 miles, which ironically enabled me to take the hills since I couldn't feel 'em! Parks. Lots of them. Rock Creek, going deep into nature before the first punishing hill, my first potty stop and on into Georgetown. The crowds. The police. The Marines. Impromptu stands with beer, champaigne, cookies, candies. The sweep down towards the Potomac and Hain's point and my first serious doubts about my conditioning, big discomfort, and not even at the halfway point. The steady stream of old, young, fat, skinny, raucous and quiet runners all around and the groups I keep passing, who pass me, who walk, run, shuffle their way - we keep moving forward, somehow. The vast Potomac and the eventual turn up into downtown and the Mall. Crowds. Many are oblivious to the race...looking at us like, what are you doing??? The monuments, huge granite buildings, greenways, and endless roads until I first see The Team....! The two minutes of emotional release over hugs, screams, shouts and encouragements before taking off again to 'catch the bridge' to Crystal City. Hitting 'the wall' between hydration/food tables and shouting out loud "I need something!" before miraculously a food stop and 'sports beans' are handed right to me...taking the bridge to Crystal City in a run/walk (mostly walk) and getting fooled when I see the turn off, because I think its short when in fact its a bunch more miles to get us heading back to the finish again....Seeing the team again, then again like magicians popping up where I least expect them! With water, good cheer and following their instructions NOT to let me quit! Realizing I may not make my time, and that it was all about survival in the last miles, hurting, hurling myself forward, crying my eyes out with all the Marines surrounding us, holding Dad's picture. The last mile, endless! The crowds had thinned...and everywhere finishers were placidly walking back past us. The last punishing incline up to the line and gobs of people everywhere! Crossing the line and thinking, THANK GOD ITS OVER while scanning the crowds for the kids- and finding them right there, tracking me as I come in.

The reunion, hugs, tears, painful walk and finally, sitting down in the cafe over coffee and cake. Throngs on the subway making our way out of the city. Pizza with the team and the final downtime at the hotel with CeeCee.

It took a Village to pull it all off. I realize, as more time goes by, that the commitment we made as a team to make this happen was stellar. Everyone stood with me and made their sacrifice; Vitae to walk those many miles, CeeCee to take all those days traveling in to be my 'second'; the kids to coordinate, document, support and give me anything I needed when I needed it....and the Marines who really know how to throw a marathon!

Now that it's back to the thick of work/exam time, I try to catch up with the surreal wonder of it all. I have run a handful of times now since getting back to SoFlo and cherish my weather, my open roads and flat terrain, conditions favorable to a middle-aged runner gal. But I'm glad I pitted myself against extraordinary challenges and found I could make my way up those hills, through those crowds, push past the pain and make it to the line. The marathon helps me believe I can do anything I set my mind to. Just taking it one step at a time, eating those miles and accepting the help I need.