{"id":672,"date":"2010-11-08T14:41:45","date_gmt":"2010-11-08T18:41:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hnetalk.com\/?p=672"},"modified":"2010-11-08T14:41:45","modified_gmt":"2010-11-08T18:41:45","slug":"after-action-report-marine-corps-marathon-26-2-miles-and-a-beer-shot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/hnetalk.com\/home\/2010\/11\/08\/after-action-report-marine-corps-marathon-26-2-miles-and-a-beer-shot\/","title":{"rendered":"After Action Report – Marine Corps Marathon:"},"content":{"rendered":"

26.2 miles and a Beer Shot<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It’s over.<\/strong> The MCM was October 31…and yesterday I was happy to watch part of the ING New York Marathon from the comfort of my home, and like so many others I was thrilled to watch Chilean miner Edison Pena cross the finish line.\u00a0 For those of you who might like a peek at what it looks like from the back end of a marathon….here it is….<\/p>\n

….the AFTER ACTION REPORT….(I promise, \u00a0only a few lines devoted to time, and then the real fun starts!)<\/p>\n

This time last year, I thought I\u2019d failed.<\/p>\n

I was picking up the pieces of the 2009 Marine Corps Marathon, and trying to make sense of the months of training that led to what seemed at the time to be nothing but heartache, pain and a totally un<\/span>deserved finish time.\u00a0 5:17\u2026it still stings, but remember that time.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to think that anything less than your goal time is unimpressive. Watching my amazing friends battle through their own Marine Corps Marathons made me realize all over again what a crazy adventure of a race the marathon is. When things go wrong, you can literally add an hour to your overall race time. That means that rather than trying your absolute hardest for four hours, you might be trying your absolute hardest for five hours or more. Then, even after trying your absolute hardest for an extra hour of your life, you might finish feeling conflicted, or even disappointed, about your finish since your time wasn\u2019t what you expected.<\/p>\n

The take away:\u00a0 The AHA!!\u00a0 \u00a0The rest of the world could care less about your time, and is more impressed with the fact that you simply finished than you could imagine.\u00a0 I mean, did ANYONE care how long it took Edison Pena to cross the line?\u00a0 Congratulations to all\u00a0marathon finishers\u2014you\u2019re my heroes!<\/p>\n

The Fun Begins<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pre-Race Expo:\u00a0\u00a0 The runners\u2019 expo on Friday and Saturday before the race is absolutely huge and an event unto itself.\u00a0\u00a0You can find just about anything related to running and snag a lot of free swag. \u00a0The bag of goodies you get just for registering is also chock full o\u2019 energy snacks, water bottles, coupons and gadgets. \u00a0Anyone knows me understands I am cheap <\/span>financially responsible, so normally I don\u2019t buy the cool athletic gear but this year Ben bought me a fantastic MCM windbreaker which I plan to wear every single day of my life <\/span>often and I bought a red headband with a Jack O\u2019 Lantern on it to commemorate Halloween.<\/p>\n

Runners go to the Expo to pick up their bib numbers and cool free stuff including the coveted LONG SLEEVE MOCK TURTLE SHIRT (they always talk about it in caps \u2018cuz it\u2019s just so cool\u2026) and I also got a gift bag from the Semper Fi fund.<\/p>\n

However \u2013 you had to get there first:\u00a0 Did anyone notice that there was a RALLY scheduled the day before the Marathon?\u00a0 Well\u2026here\u2019s a sample of the metro experience:<\/p>\n

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And here is a view of the crowds from the second floor of the National Air and Space Museum.<\/p>\n

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But we finally made it to the Expo and I picked up my race bib and shirt!<\/p>\n

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And then I found the WONDERFUL people at the Semper Fi Fund Booth.\u00a0 This is where I want to thank the people that supported me in my endeavor to raise funds for SF.\u00a0 This organization provides financial assistance to our wounded Marines and their families.\u00a0 I was very proud to be a part of their effort this year.<\/p>\n

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But the real story starts when the alarm sounds\u00a0 just before 5am on Sunday, October 31, 2010.\u00a0\u00a0I had put out my gear the night before and carefully checked and triple checked it all for anything that could possibly go wrong.\u00a0 I got up, dressed and thought about eating.\u00a0 I fought to take a bite of a bagel\u2026and lost.\u00a0 I know you have to eat before the race.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t.\u00a0 I worried about that a bit.\u00a0 But I had a supply of gels\/bars\/beans which would be the calories\u00a0I could consume when I calmed down later.\u00a0 Just not now.<\/p>\n

Still dark and cold out, Ben and I took the walk to the nearby Metro station.\u00a0There were already others filing to the Metro…it was so quiet…and chilly, but not as cold as I had feared.\u00a0 \u00a0I was glad I brought a toss away sweatshirt to wear before the start. \u00a0\u00a0Ben and I had really enjoyed this part of the pre-race last year and were looking forward to it again.\u00a0 The pre-dawn walk through the Pentagon grounds is impressive, and\u00a0if we timed it right we would be there for the flag raising that takes place at daybreak.\u00a0\u00a0However, there was a slight glitch this year.\u00a0 The crowds were bigger, and I was distracted and – long story short, it happened<\/strong>:\u00a0 Ben and I got separated at the Metro station. One second we were holding hands and talking, the next thing I knew he was standing on the platform and I was on the train as it pulled away.\u00a0 He knocked on the window and gave me the thumbs up, but I was devestated.\u00a0 There was no reasonable way we would reconnect before the race.\u00a0 I called him as soon as I could get a cell signal to let him know that I was OK\u2026but there I was, surrounded by a tens of thousands of people and I was alone \u2013 and lonely, and nervous..no, scared.\u00a0 By the way, I had my phone, but no money or Metro card, so it would be a challenge to exit the station.\u00a0 The folks who saw Ben get separated really stepped up and before I knew it I had offers of money and a fare card in my hand.\u00a0 Nice!<\/p>\n

At least I had a crowd to follow.\u00a0 I silently walked the short distance into the pre-race runner\u2019s village. Still dark out, lines of people went through security where the Marines check all bags and we all poured into a huge lot. The lot is lined with UPS trucks for drop bags\u00a0 on one side and hundreds of port-o-potties with hundreds of people in each line on the other side.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t have a bag to check, but if I did I would have handed it to the UPS guy and he would have returned it to me at the end of the race.\u00a0 It’s amazing – otherwise conservative and cautious people simply hand i-phones, wallets, clothing\u00a0and banana halves to the boys in brown, fully trusting their stuff will be there at the other end.\u00a0 \u00a0Runners were spreading out with their pre-race breakfasts (again\u2026no possible way I could eat\u2026) stretching and preparing for the challenge. I met some very nice people in the port-o-potty line (which was so long I thought this lady was going to ask me to be her son\u2019s godmother before we left).\u00a0 I finally made my way to the starting corrals.\u00a0 This year I was very bold and walked as close to the\u00a0front of the line as I dared.\u00a0 I could actually hear it when it came\u2026 the National Anthem. 150,000 people stopped what they were doing.\u00a0 Miles of chaos and activity and noise simply stopped.\u00a0 Marines, soldiers and sailors snapped to attention.\u00a0 Veterans stood tall, civilians took notice and did the same.\u00a0 I sang the National Anthem with my hand over my heart and I knew\u2026just then\u2026that I was ready.<\/p>\n

I knew I had put in the time and effort and had earned the privilege of standing in this crowd, on this day, for this race.\u00a0 <\/a><\/p>\n

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The music was cranking, the DJ was playing, the emcee was shouting, the crowd was fired up, the canon fired (Marines, after all\u2026) and the runners ran. With so many people running, I didn’t even cross the starting mat until almost 8 minutes after the official start.The rush of excitement was physical, especially for the thousands that were about to begin their first 26.2.\u00a0 An F\/A-18 and\u00a0other jets flew and the crowd went wild.\u00a0\u00a0 Shortly after starting I saw the USMC Mounted Color Guard off to the left. This is the only remaining mounted color guard in the Marine Corps today.<\/p>\n

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At least this year I was prepared for the elevation.\u00a0 You see, this is not only billed as \u201cthe People\u2019s Marathon\u201d since there is no prize money awarded, it is also a known as a very first time friendly marathon and a FLAT marathon.\u00a0 Puhleezz\u2026where did they get THAT idea?<\/p>\n

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Off I went.\u00a0I glanced at my Citizen Eco Drive watch…a black watch face with an hour and\u00a0minute hand.\u00a0 No Garmin for me….just the basics please.\u00a0 \u00a0For a split second I wondered where Ben was in the crowd\u2026but I knew he would be at the finish, and that\u2019s all that mattered.<\/p>\n

We ran past the outer fringe of Arlington Cemetery and could see the lines of headstones.\u00a0\u00a0 Ironically, we could see the finish line from the start; and sadly I had to run past it to get to it again.\u00a0 I knew right away my hill training would pay off on the first 8 miles (and it did.\u00a0 Yeah!) \u00a0 Runners quickly tossed off their hoodies and extra T-shirts as they warmed up. There were Marines at every mile marker\u2026but this one stood out as he said in his\u00a0biggest, loudest, toughest, Parris Island DI -inspired\u00a0voice:\u00a0 \u201cCome on Ladies, Easy DOES NOT Inspire!\u201d\"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Discarded clothing and gloves were everywhere for two miles or more.\u00a0 Excited and nervous chatter quieted down as the elevation grew at mile 8.\u00a0 The reward at the top was fantastic if you like to run downhill.\u00a0 The guys next to me kept reminding all of us to \u201cslow down, slow down, take it easy\u2026save your knees\u2026\u201d and they were right.\u00a0 I was afraid to fall on my face, as that would have made for a very ugly finish photo.\u00a0 Mile 9 puts you right in Georgetown which is a lot like the whole entire fan base for the Holyoke St. Patrick\u2019s Day road crammed into two blocks\u2026the marching band was playing, the crowds were screaming\u2026the signs were awesome and the runners were feeling the love.\u00a0 It was here I realized that I had not yet put on my ipod (ok, i-shuffle and no it is not lame<\/em>).\u00a0 I decided to go without it until I hit a “dead zone”, which never happened.<\/p>\n

I carried my phone with me so I could call Ben at the turn.\u00a0 Last year\u2019s call at 13.1 wasn\u2019t so great \u2013 this year would be much better.\u00a0 I had hit my goal for the half marathon distance and was feeling like a \u201creal\u201d runner.\u00a0 Good pace, decent form\u2026strong legs.\u00a0 I called Ben, reported in and told him I\u2019d call him at the 20 mile mark \u00a0(memories of hitting the wall last year at mile 20 were still very fresh.\u00a0 I hit that wall like a bug hits a windshield)\u00a0 The half-marathon distance is perfect.\u00a0 Absolutely perfect.\u00a0 Why would anyone want to go any further?\u00a0 Rats.\u00a0 13.1 to go….<\/p>\n

At this point I was still in good spirits, everything was going very smoothly.\u00a0 I drank water and PowerAde at every stop, managed to eat a few bites of a power bar, squirted some gel stuff into my mouth (never chocolate, always go with something pink or orange\u2026) so I was not missing the bagel – much.<\/p>\n

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And then I hit mile 15.\u00a0 Good ole\u2019 mile 15.\u00a0 Whose legs are those anyway?\u00a0 Mine?\u00a0 No way.\u00a0 Mine were keeping up a nice steady pace just ten minutes ago.\u00a0 These are stiff and heavy.\u00a0 I want my legs back!<\/p>\n

If it wasn\u2019t for the view I may have just quit, right then.\u00a0 Yeah, yeah, the Jefferson Memorial is gorgeous\u2026but I don\u2019t want to run anymore.\u00a0 I want coffee and eggs benedict.\u00a0 I want to quit.\u00a0 But where would this country have been if Thomas Jefferson had quit\u00a0 the night he wrote the Declaration of Independence?<\/p>\n

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Mile 16 was no better.\u00a0 And who cares about Jefferson anyway?\u00a0 Did HE ever run a marathon?<\/p>\n

Oh-oh\u2026the dreaded stop\/go conversation takes over.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cWhat a stupid idea this is!\u00a0 Why do I do this to myself anyway?\u00a0 I mean, what\u2019s wrong with a nice 10k?\u00a0 My feet hurt, my legs hurt\u2026my time is slow, this means nothing to me. I don\u2019t need this to be a complete person\u2026just stop.\u00a0 Now. I can call Ben and he will come and get me.\u00a0\u00a0I can go back and put\u00a0my feet up and just hang out.\u00a0 I can tell people\u00a0I got blisters, a cramp, anything.\u00a0 They won\u2019t care\u2026just stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suddenly I remembered:\u00a0 \u201cCome on Ladies, Easy DOES NOT Inspire!\u201d<\/strong> There it is:\u00a0 The Lincoln Memorial, surrounded by tens of thousands of people cheering you on\u2026and this, my fellow Americans, is why you don\u2019t quit \u2013 yet.<\/p>\n

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And I finally get it\u2026mile 16, 16th<\/sup> president\u2026something to think about for almost a minute until you remember that your feet are killing<\/em> you.<\/p>\n

And then it gets fun again.\u00a0\u00a0You find yourself at mile 17 running by the Washington monument headed on the way to the Capital.\u00a0 I am finally \u201cOn the Mall\u201d where just 24 hours before a 100,000 plus crowd of people were screaming for Steve Colbert and John Stewart \u2013 and may I just say that the National Parks Service deserves some serious high five for keeping our nation\u2019s capital so clean despite us.<\/p>\n

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So that\u2019s two more miles behind you.\u00a0\u00a0And you look around a bit and think – \u00a0\u00a0Hey look at her!\u00a0 If SHE can do this I sure as heck can do this.\u00a0 And check HIM out\u2026if they can do it dressed like that then I sure can do this\u2026.<\/p>\n

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But seriously\u2026many, many\u2026far too many people dress like this:<\/p>\n

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People wore the pictures of those who had\u00a0been injured or killed \u00a0in the line of duty, or paid tribute to loved ones lost to cancer.\u00a0 \u00a0People ran to raise funds for cures, children, community outreach projects, and more.<\/p>\n

The back of my T-shirt carried the Semper Fi fund message as well as photos of my Marine son and my Marine might-as-well-be sons.\u00a0 Fortunately they are all alive and well\u2026and I did not forget for one minute how this makes me the luckiest mom in the world right now.\u00a0 I met an incredible man named Steve who was running to honor his son, his friend and his hero.\u00a0 Eric was supposed to run this marathon with his dad, but LCpl Eric, 19, was killed in Afghanistan earlier this year.\u00a0 So Steve ran alone.\u00a0 We talked\u2026ok, he talked, I listened.\u00a0 It was ten minutes that changed my life.<\/p>\n

I looked up and there was the 20 mile mark!\u00a0 I called Ben and\u2026he DID NOT ANSWER!\u00a0 Really.<\/em> So I kept going.\u00a0 I knew the dreaded bridge was ahead, and I wanted to get over that bridge in one piece.\u00a0 By now I knew I was falling behind my goal time with every step, but I also felt my legs get steady again which was very reassuring.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Looking forward, the view from this bridge is toward the Pentagon, with the promise of the finish line within reach.\u00a0\u00a0 Just a 10k to go. Rats.<\/p>\n

At the 21st mile water stop I decided to walk a bit\u2026stoop down and stretch my lower back, rip open a gel and gag down a bit\u2026and call Ben.\u00a0 Yeah!\u00a0 He answered!\u00a0 I told him my location and ETA, cringing at the thought.\u00a0 By now I knew what I would have to do if I had any chance of meeting my goal.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t looking good.\u00a0 A minute later I was off.\u00a0 Just 5+ miles to go\u2026umm\u2026where are my feet?\u00a0 Did anyone see my feet?\u00a0 They are smallish\u2026decent pedicure for a runner\u2026and yes, all ten toenails are intact.\u00a0 But where did they go?\u00a0 I looked down again to make sure\u2026jumped up and down a few times\u2026apparently it was all in my head and they were there the whole time.\u00a0 Funny how that goes.<\/p>\n

Miles 22-24 take you through Crystal City.\u00a0 This is a very robust, exciting part of the race \u2013 IF you are a spectator.\u00a0 If not, it is the longest two miles ever.\u00a0 These people hand out candy, popsicle sticks with dollops of Vaseline, band-aids and\u2026beer shots!\u00a0 Yup\u2026never did one ounce of beer have such an effect on anyone as it did for me at that moment!\u00a0 Those cool guys handing out beer shots are my new BFFS\u2026we laughed, we cried, we hugged\u2026sigh\u2026.and then they shoved me out of the way and told me to go get my medal!<\/p>\n

Ok, so it was an absolute that I was slow \u2013 again \u2013 this year.\u00a0 My race pace goal was bust.\u00a0 I was kicking myself (yeah right, as if \u00a0I could even lift my foot) for stopping to take pictures, talk to people, drink water, stretch\u2026after all, if\u00a0 had just kept to myself and ignored everyone and everything I could have met my goal.\u00a0 I was so sad I had tears streaming down my cheeks.\u00a0 Honest to God. Until I looked up and saw a line of one hundred Marines waiting for us at mile 25.\u00a0 ONE HUNDRED.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ok, maybe 40…but still….I high-fived and hugged and kissed all of them!\u00a0 No more tears.<\/p>\n

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Finally the 25 mile mark came, WOOOOOOO, let\u2019s DO THIS!!<\/p>\n

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\u201cAghhhhhhhhhh, now it\u2019s one more mile!<\/em>!\u201d But I knew what was coming and it is the most exciting part of the race, of course. By now I just wanted the medal, a bottle of water, and maybe a chair.<\/p>\n

The crowds are crazy at the 26 mile mark\u2026just time for a look around, a reminder that this is why you are here and there it is.\u00a0 The signature finish is an 80 foot hill in the last 0.15 mile stretch leading you to the Iwo Jima Memorial.<\/p>\n

And there it was, FINISH<\/strong>.\u00a0 I crossed the mat, and this is the guy who caught me as I collapsed<\/span> congratulated me as he hung a medal around my neck.<\/p>\n

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The next thing I knew a Marine was wrapping a foil blanket around my shoulders \u2013 I LOVE those blankets! Then a Marine handed me a bottle of water and a bag with snacks, and another directed me to the area where you get your picture taken in front of the Iwo Jima Memorial.<\/p>\n

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And I was trying to call Ben but I couldn\u2019t get through for the first few minutes. Finally he got the call and just as I said hello he was standing in front of me on the other side of a fence.\u00a0 I was so glad to see him!<\/p>\n

Way back at the beginning I asked you to remember the finish time of my first Marine Corps Marathon \u2013 it was 5:17.\u00a0 This year? 5:17. Really.\u00a0 You see, my goal was a sub 5 hour finish.\u00a0 Instead I got the experience of a lifetime.\u00a0 I win.<\/p>\n

Thank you again to those of you who supported my efforts with the Semper Fi fund, friends who encouraged me to keep training when I wanted to stop, who laughed with me and at me, who showed up to help me on my long Saturday training runs\u2026and who showered me with encouragement and congratulations when it was over.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

26.2 miles and a Beer Shot It’s over. The MCM was October 31…and yesterday I was happy to watch part of the ING New York Marathon from the comfort of my home, and like so many others I was thrilled to watch Chilean miner Edison Pena cross the finish line.\u00a0 For those of you who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-goals-and-motivation"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6ZZxW-aQ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/hnetalk.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/672","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/hnetalk.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/hnetalk.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/hnetalk.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/hnetalk.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=672"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/hnetalk.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/672\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/hnetalk.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/hnetalk.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/hnetalk.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}