A personal victory

For Sarah Layer....and other runners out there.

I've never been a runner. I "tried" a couple times. but I couldn't breathe (go figure) and it hurt (again...). I had bronchitis, pneumonia and reactive airway disease and was hospitalized when I was three, then struggled with these sicknesses growing up. I just figured my lungs were too weak and I couldn't do it. A man on my extension one weekend in college, a runner, once told me I could strengthen my lungs, but I just figured he didn't understand and was OK with my state of being. I remember watching Sarah Johnson and Kelly (? shame on me... mk from Cameroon, long blonde hair) run cross country and I thought they were super-human. I walked. Well, around May of 05, I wanted to try again. I needed to "defeat" something, overcome something, accomplish something. I started with running around the pond in our neighborhood. I would come home and tell Abram "I ran FOUR laps this time!!!" ha ha. Then one day - let's see, it was about 90+ degrees out, I ran from my house to Sherry's, which at that time was two miles. I didn't make it, I had to walk the last half mile. When I arrived at Sherry's I was red as a beat and literally thought I was going to die. She gave me water and suggested I walk back and to wait till it cooled to try it again :) Well, I did try it again, and again and soon I could run there no problem. Then I ran 3 miles till I could do that with no problem. then 4. I remember the day I ran 5 miles without stopping. I felt like I had conquered the world! then I did 6 miles. 7. 8. 9. then 10. I wanted to run a mini marathon. These stupid things cost money tho. Abram said he would set up a mini marathon for me and all my friends could run with me and he would video and it would be just like the real thing! Well, then Sherry surprised me with a gift of paying for me to enter the Indy Mini. I was to run with her and Troy. One day I was excited, the next I was terrified and was that way for the six months till it finally came. May 6, 2006. Sherry was having problems with her knee and it scared me to think of running alone, but I was committed and there was no backing out. Abram was out of town working with Aaron,and the night before the race I was in Indy getting my packet, they called and said they might not make it the next morning for the race. hmmm, not a happy girl. But they said they would try. I stayed in a hotel room by myself in Indy. I passed the time shopping. I found a shirt that was unique - at the suggestion of Sherry, so friends could see me in the sea of people. I was so nervous I couldn't eat that night. Abram and Aaron showed up around 2 am. I got up at 5, showered and started my stretching for the race, starting at 7. My poor boys were exhausted, but were troopers and were ready to go on time. Aaron pinned my bib on me and they stayed at the starting line with me until it was finally time to start.
The anticipation was intense for me. I had many experienced runners offer lots of advice - one being to not jolt off at the start and lose my stamina by exerting all my energy in the first five miles. I told the boys that I was guestimating it would take me 2hours, 15 minutes to 2hours, 30 minutes. I had not run 13 miles yet and figuring 10 minute miles, I guessed that long. I had two goals in this run. 1. Finish. (I heard about the bus that picks up stragglers... not cool) 2. never stop running. I did NOT want to walk. when we finally got to the start line and I took off running, I was filled with so much purpose and single-mindedness that I knew I was going to accomplish this. I ran. and ran. and ran. I passed people left and right. I kept thinking I should slow down, but I felt so good, I didn't want to. I wanted to keep going. I remember thinking a lot - i cant believe I am doing this. and sometimes - we are stupid! we are all running for no reason!!! ha Mile 10, exiting the race track, my stomach was growling, I could feel myself running out of energy, but I wasn't even close to walking. Mile 11 my legs started feeling weak. mile 12 my feet were killing me. mile 13 I wanted to walk. People were passing me now. COME ON CURTIS, YOU CAN DO THIS. KEEP RUNNING!!!!! I did, I was half a mile from the finish line and it looked like a thousand miles away. Quarter of a mile left and I looked to my left and there stood my husband and brother, both with huge encouraging smiles on their faces - they had spotted my shirt :). Wow - talk about a burst of energy!!! I sprinted my way to the finish line, with Abram running thru the crowd off to the side to meet me. I crossed the finish line at exactly 2 hours on the nose. I got my metal, my bag of goodies and my sensor taken off my shoe, my picture taken then met the boys. We sat for a while and I stretched out and guzzled so much water and gatorade I about made myself sick. I did it. I ran a mini marathon. Some people there had done it a hundred times. But it was my first time and I felt on top of the world. When we left I called friends. I fell asleep in the car and was pretty well done for the day. The next day I felt fine! Hardly any soreness. Given the chance, I will do one again. Perhaps not the Indy Mini - 30,000 people is tooooo many for me. In retrospect, it was good that I ran alone. It was an outstanding experience for me. A personal victory. I know, I can do what I put my mind to. No excuses.