As many of you already know, this Sunday I completed the Rock n' Roll Half Marathon in Phoenix, AZ! After 4 1/2 months of training, it is so hard to believe that the race has actually come and gone. I'll do my best to describe all that went on, and I posted a few pictures. For more photos, visit my Facebook page. If you'd like to see the professional shots (warning: they're not pretty), you can go to this website: http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=44488&BIB=36368&S=230&PWD=
Getting There
The following morning, my team and I met downstairs in the lobby for a final 8am run. We were only out jogging around for about 20 minutes, but it was nice to finally see everyone after having spent the entire day before working and traveling. Keri and I decided that after we showered we would walk over to the Expo so that I could pick up my race packet and do some shopping.
The Expo was only a couple of blocks from the hotel, just past the arena where the Phoenix Suns play. It didn't take me too long to get my packet and t-shirt, since they were very organized and had a separate table for each corral (The half marathoners were assigned corrals based on our estimated finish times, and our corrals would be allowed to cross the starting line in numerical order).
After taking care of business, Keri and I moved on to the fun stuff. An Expo is almost like a carnival for runners. We sampled the foods and drinks at a bunch of the little Expo booths. We also bought matching sunglasses, mini-belts - neither of us wanted to wear our fuel belts -- and little throw-away bottles for our Gatorade. Then we picked out new shirts. Keri got a t-shirt that says "Will run for margaritas", and I bought a long-sleeve pink tech shirt that says "I know I run like a girl. Try to keep up." I'm looking forward to wearing it on outdoor runs back home!
After returning to the hotel, we picked up Elizabeth and used Phoenix's brand new light rail system to navigate our way over to the Mill Avenue neighborhood of Tempe, the location of the
race's finish line. I liked having an opportunity to see where we would wind up, and I also enjoyed the lunch that we ordered at the local sushi place - in spite of the slooooow service. Dave met us there and ate with us before we returned to the hotel to relax before the pasta party.
TNT had reserved rooms at three hotels for it's various chapters throughout the country, and our chapter was fortunate to be located at the same hotel where both the Pasta Party and the Victory Party would take place. We met in the lobby a few minutes before the Pasta Party, and the sea of TNT people was totally overwhelming. The staff and coaches from all over the country lined up on either side of the entrance, making an alley-way for us to walk down. They dressed up, and cheered and used noise makers as we walked by them. While most of them wore purple hats and wigs, it was easy to spot our DC coaches in their tall red, white and blue flag hats. After walking through our little procession and getting carb-loading food from the buffet line, we moved into the ballroom to hear the speeches for the evening.
The MC for the event was John "The Penguin" Bingham, who is quite possibly the most famous marathoner in the world who has never won a medal (for more, visit: http://www.johnbingham.com/index.html) . That is because he is always at the back of the pack "with the recent divorcees and recovering alcoholics", as he puts it. At about 60 years old, The Penguin has participated in around 4o marathons. He regaled us with hysterical stories about women pulling lipstick out of their race tights before their finishing line photos, and setting off metal detectors at the airport with finisher's medals. The Penguin also explained his personal connection with TNT - he lost his first love to Hodgkin's Lymphoma back before the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society had the funding and research necessary to put people with this disease into remission. He really got us inspired and motivated, and best of all, Keri and I got our picture taken with him. He made me promise to friend him on Facebook, which I will do soon.
Keri and I with The Penguin
Additional speakers included a mom who lost her daughter to Leukemia, and there was not a dry eye in the house by the time that she finished telling her story and thanking us for what we were doing. In addition, a man who was somehow connected with the PF Chang's races - I'm not sure what his exact title was - also shared with us some of his favorite marathon stories, grossing us out with a story involving dried prunes on race day. That's the only moment of the evening that I wouldn't mind erasing from my memory! In general, the Pasta Party was a lot of fun, and it was just what we needed the night before the big race.
After the Pasta Party, we went up to Jenny and Katie's suite on the 31st floor (I'm still not sure how they scored that room) for a quick team meeting. The coaches went over the logistics of the day as they passed out coronas - none for me - and temporary TNT tattoos. They explained that they liked sharing a drink with their team the night before the race, and that we were all expected to put a temporary tattoo on our right cheek. This tradition probably wouldn't be as memorable if they meant the right cheek on our faces. When the meeting was over, I made my way back to my room, laid out my stuff, and attempted to sleep as much as I could before the big day.
It's finally here!
I was already up before the three alarms that I set had the chance to go off at 5:45am. As I applied Body Glide and prepared my belt, I tried not to focus on what was about to happen. I kissed Dave goodbye and went downstairs to meet the rest of the half marathon team (the marathoners had already left before us, since their race started an hour before ours).
The lobby of the hotel was a sea of purple, since pretty much all of the TNT runners were wearing identical singlets. We took pictures, munched on bananas, and waited in line in the dark and cold for the shuttle buses (basically school buses with the word "School" covered by a taped piece of paper) to take us to the starting line. It was dark and chilly when we got there, and we were able to meet up with the marathoners from our team one last time before they crossed the starting line. We spent the next hour or so checking bags at the UPS truck, waiting in line for the disgusting porto-potties, and sitting huddled next to each other for warmth. In spite of the chilly area, it was still a heck of a lot warmer than being back in DC.
At about 8:30, we made the move to our waiting spots. The walkway was narrow, and Elizabeth and I helped each other climb up and down over ledges before going off to our respective corrals (I was in corral 16, she was in 10). I donated my layer of throw-away items to children collecting clothes for charity, and I stretched and people-watched until I heard the gun go off. I had imagined a mad dash for the starting line, but that only happened with the people all the way up in corral 1. The rest of us remained roped into our corrals like cattle, and as each corral was permitted to cross the starting line, the people holding the ropes permitted the corrals behind them to inch forward. Finally, about 40 minutes after the initial gun time, it was my corral's turn at the front of the pack. The men removed the ropes, and we were off!
The lead wheel chair racer - amazing.
The first few miles passed in a blur, just as Andrea said they would. I knew there were other people from my team in my corral, but I didn't see them at first, so I kept going on my own. The first band we passed was an oldies cover band wearing poodle skirts. It was quite comical watching people try to run and do "the twist" at the same time.
Dave was waiting for me at around mile 2.6, and he took a picture of me and waved his "Run Autumn Run" and "My wife is a rock star" sign. I also saw Keri Peele, our campaign coordinator, at about the same time. She hollered my name and shook her TNT cowbell. All I could think of was the SNL skit starring Will Ferrell.
Overall, it was definitely nice to have my name printed on my shirt, because several people shouted out "Go Autumn" and "Keep it up, Autumn!" along the way. That definitely motivated me to keep going. I'm also glad that I had written "My first 1/2 marathon" on the back of my singlet, since several people congratulated me on that and told me that I was doing a great job.
After a bathroom stop at a row of porto-potties between miles five and six, I saw a few ugly green visors go by (the DC team's headwear of choice), and so I caught up with a couple of my teammates for a little while. They were going a bit too fast for me, so I eventually dropped back. It was nice to be with teammates for a bit, but I definitely missed the easy conversations I would have been having if Andrea or Kate were there. At the same time, I made the most of it and found that doing the majority of the race solo allowed it to be a very introspective experience. It also allowed me to notice some interesting people around me, such as the women wearing shirts that said "We've got the runz", or the lady handing out popsicle sticks of Vaseline to passing runners (it sounds funny, but when your singled has been rubbing up against the underside of your arm for the past six miles, Vaseline is actually very helpful).
Another unforeseen adventure was passing through the Cytomax and water stations. I had experience with water stops thanks to my two previous 10K races (see earlier posts for more information on these), but the high number of people throwing half empty water cups on the ground left the water stop areas particularly slippery. Likewise, the ground around the Cytomax stations had a thick coating of Cytomax, the sports drink that PF Chang's serves on the course (I had never tried it before and didn't want to risk putting something new in my body during the race, so I carried two small disposable bottles of Gatorade with me). Instead of being slippery, the Cytomax areas were actually quite sticky, and it required more of an effort to pick my feet up around those stations, especially towards the end of the race.
I was fortunate enough to get a chance to run with two of my coaches. Coach Colin was relegated to the marathon course, but Coach Rich ran with me once, reminding me to eat the sports beans in my belt. Coach Jim ran with me for a bit, and then caught up with me again about two miles later. He helped me stretch on the sidelines when my left knee was starting to bother me a bit (I stopped to stretch two different times throughout the course of the race). Coach Jim also attempted to take a picture of the Oakland A's Spring Training Stadium using my cell phone camera, so that I could show Dave where his favorite team trains. I love my coaches, and I'm really going to miss them!
As I was running my double-digit miles, I remembered something that The Penguin had said the night before at the Pasta Party. He told us that the best moment of the race is not when we finish, but when we know that we're going to finish. That moment hit me just after mile 12. I was running over a bridge into Tempe, and I could see Camelback Mountain , which I new was right next to the stadium/finish line. Spectators lined the road on the other side of the bridge screaming and cheering. They called out my name as I passed, and assured me that the finish line was "just around the corner" (it was still about a 1/4 of a mile away, but it was far closer than I had been up until that point). I became overwhelmed by the realization that I was actually going to finish the race, and the actual act of crossing the finish line is really just a blur. I'm looking forward to seeing it when the professional photos are ready. When all is said and done, I ran the half marathon in 2 hours, 35 minutes, and 44 seconds. Not too horrible for a newbie!
The next thing I knew, I had my medal around my neck and I was in a line to collect water and some post-race snacks. I picked up my bag from my corresponding UPS truck, dropped to the ground to stretch in the middle of the parking lot, called Dave, and made my way over to the TNT tent in Charity Village. I signed in with TNT, got my "13.1" pin (yay!), ate the hot dog that Dave bought for me, and hopped on the comfy coach shuttle back to the hotel - no school buses for half marathon finishers!
The rest of race day involved comfy pillows, bags of ice, and pizza from Uno's - courtesy of my wonderful husband. There was a victory party, followed by drinks - just one for this tired little distance runner - at the Mexican restaurant across the street (fulfilling the prophecy on Keri's "Will Run For Margaritas" shirt). Naturally I wore my new medal around my neck the entire time. Before I knew it, I was back in the hotel packing for the trip home. The day that I waited for since August passed so quickly!
Coach Jim
With Keri and Elizabeth
Going Home
The flights back to DC surprisingly took place with minimal discomfort. The trip took longer than expected because Dave and I gave up our tickets on the second (overbooked) plane in exchange for seats on a later flight, plus $200 in airline vouchers for each of us. We spent the majority of our annual vacation budget on this trip, but $400 in travel vouchers means that we can probably still take another trip this year. Another out-of-town race weekend, perhaps? Haha, don't worry, Dave - the next trip is your choice!
Tuesday was spent resting and watching the Inauguration in Alexandria's town square with a bunch of other residents, and today's arrival meant back to work for both of us. My sixth graders were excited to see my finisher's medal, and they all wanted to know if I had worn the green visor that they decorated for me, which of course I had. I wrapped up the afternoon on the Mall, taking pictures of what was left over after 1.8 million packed themselves in to watch history in motion.
In the long run
Basically, things are pretty much back to normal, except that I am now a runner. TNT really did provide me with a life-changing experience. There I was, the kid who always got yelled in gym class for throwing the softball in the wrong direction or completely missing the kickball, and I actually ran a half marathon. I also met plenty of people who found running even later in life than I did, which doesn't matter one bit in regard to one's ability to participate in and enjoy an endurance event. More than 7,000 women finished the race before I did, and I wasn't expecting to do any better than that; I just wanted to finish. Now I know I can do anything - maybe even run a full marathon some day!
There are so many people who made this experience not only possible, but highly enjoyable:
- To Dave, thank you for always supporting me with my decision to do this, from not complaining when I noisily rolled out of bed before dawn on Saturday mornings, to helping me with my fundraising, to cheering my name along the race course. You're the best husband - and best friend - a girl could ask for!
- Andrea, knowing that you would be jogging along by my side always made me look forward to those early morning training runs. I have no idea how you managed to train, fundraise so successfully, and be a mom to your three beautiful children all at the same time. I'm so glad that we're going to continue running together, because I would have really missed you otherwise. I can't wait for dinner at your place!
- Kate, I really enjoyed running with you, getting to know you, and getting the chance to baby-sit your adorable little boys. GW Parkway 10 miler, here we come! We're going to rock that course!
- Erin, I'm so glad that I found such a great neighbor, captain, and friend (not to mention race weekend cat-sitter) right down the street. I will miss our morning chats in the car about mysterious items on the playground. We need to keep running together - I can't cross 395 without you, or I might fall down!
-Keri and Elizabeth, thanks for making race weekend so much fun. I had a blast with you ladies, and really enjoyed getting to know you!
- Coaches Jim, Colin, and Rich were always so knowledgeable and helpful, and really made me feel like an athlete. Thanks for the motivation, support, and great new stretching techniques! You guys are awesome!
- I'm also super grateful to my family, friends, and coworkers who motivated me, asked for regular updates, and contributed to this wonderful cause on my behalf. You guys definitely kept me going when I felt like giving up!
What started as a way to honor a cousin that was diagnosed with cancer (who is having a wonderful recovery by the way!) has turned into a completely new way to look at myself and what I am capable of. TNT definitely gave me the courage to accomplish something that I never thought I would do, and inspired me to continue to see how far I can go. I'm excited by the prospect of being a life-long runner, and I'm at peace with myself and all of the pent-up anxiety caused by years of embarrassing Phys. Ed. classes. I'm also relieved that I finally found my sport. I may not be fast, but like John "The Penguin" Bingham says, "It was being a runner that mattered, not how fast or how far I could run. The joy was in the act of running and in the journey, not in the destination."* I'll go one step further and say that equally important is who you meet along the way. Stay tuned for more running adventures (I signed up for a 10-miler here in Virginia in April, and I won a free entry to September's ING distance run in Philadelphia), and thanks for reading!
P.S. Feeling inspired? It's not too late to donate: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates
Interested in participating in a TNT event? The spring and summer seasons are just around the corner: http://www.teamintraining.org/nca/
* Bingham, John. No Need for Speed : A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running. New York: Rodale P, Incorporated, 2003.
