Peace.....and reflections from the Marine Corps Marathon (2nd Edition)
Peace....yes, I feel much more peaceful as the days have passed since I finished the MCM.Grateful to my friends who helped put my achievement in perspective as being just that, and achievement. And while I am not content with my finishing time, focusing on that as my "sole" indicator of success seems to be missing the bigger picture. Thank you to everyone who has helped me to see that again. It was only a few days that I was off course on my journey towards peace....that's not too bad, right?So, reflections....the good, the bad & the ugly.The "bad & the ugly", I'll do first as I don't want to end on this note.
- Package pickup. The only thing I can say was thank God it wasn't raining. It was a seemingly endless maze of runners waiting intertwining lines only to pick up your "bib number" and then have to go in another line to get into the expo. Only to find out that the one item you wanted as a memento and sign of accomplishment, the coveted "finishers jacket" in a beautiful pink with MCM 2013 on the front/back was sold out in every size but XS. What? Yes.... after a bit of sulking, and "are you seriously kidding me?"...... we left after purchasing some arm sleeves (which came in handy during the race), throw away gloves, and a runner's belt for my husband. Sad. Frustrated. But thinking, what can you do? Life. 2 1/2 hours to pick up one's bib and new mock-turtle neck running shirt that I'm certain I'll never wear....but registered and ready to go.
- Music. I often run sans music, but in a marathon, I have it for back up. Might be a good idea of I make sure my headphones are working as they literally broke 2 songs into the race, and I was faced with running the entire marathon without tunes to occupy my mind.
- Lost my running friend in race. Oh where oh where did you go at mile 6? In the sea of people headed for Gatorade and water, she was lost, and there I was....looking at 20.2 miles alone with just. my. thoughts. A very scary place.
The Good: Because it was mostly Good!
- Starting line. Before the race started, marines jumped out of planes with parachutes (thank goodness) and unraveled American and Marine Corps flags. The sight was stunning. Dramatic. And made me so proud of our beautiful flag and for all that it represents.
- We're off.... a gigantic cannon, called a howitzer, instead of a starting gun signifies the start of the race. For all the military buffs out there, this is a very cool way to start a race.
- Crowds! Everywhere. There were very few parts on the entire course where people were not present. As a runner, I cannot express my thanks enough for people who get out and cheer us on at races. For all your "you're looking great", when I'm quite certain I do not, or "you're almost there" when I know I have miles and miles left to finish, or the "keep it up!"....I say thank you. When I want to quit, I am reminded there are others there who are pushing me to continue.
- Random music of crowd....Many mini-boom boxes were along the course, playing just the sort of music one would want on say, his/her iPod if perhaps the headphones were working (Ok, I'm still a little disturbed by this)....but my absolute favorite was the spontaneous and random rendition of "You are my sunshine" that broke out among runners as we passed under an overpass....I used to sing that to my boys when they were younger and it made me tear up.
- Sights......on course, you run by Georgetown University, several times by the Washington Monument, The Smithsonians, The Capital Building and countless other stunning views/sights along the way. If I was going to "not" have music or a running buddy on the way, this would be the course to do it because quite frankly, I was distracted most of the way....
- Hand Cyclists....of all the races I've run, I've never seen as many. When I wanted to quit, and yes, there were many moments, I would suddenly hear "on your left" and look back so see a soldier who was an amputee doing this very challenging course.... I would then think to myself "I have nothing to complain about and keep on running...." Humbling.
- The Marines.....totally separate category and by far the most memorable part of the race. From the "yes ma'am" or the uniforms or the American flags EVERYWHERE, it wasn't lost on anyone present (I'm sure, I didn't take an official poll on this) how profound the patriotic spirit was for this race. Two moments stand out in my mind from race day: (1) Running by photos/bios of soldiers who died in combat, followed by a sea of American Flags that lined the street where we were running.... it was SILENT as we passed by. SILENT. Not a person said one work for the half mile or so of this portion of the race. Nothing. Rather, for me it was a time to reflect, and to remember why we all run. Because we can. (2) Receiving medal from a marine, and having him/her salute me and say "good job".... I was a puddle of tears. Uncontrollable. The marines MADE the experience amazing. I was so proud to be an American, and a marathon runner.
So....as the dust settles this week, I am again proud and peaceful and joyful in the experience. I got out an ran 2x this week, and signed up for a half marathon in 2 weeks. And, I found out that I was selected for the Berlin Marathon via the lottery....so I guess my days of running full marathons isn't over "quite yet". Note to self, never make that decision 2 minutes after finishing a race, never, ever a good time to decide.....Duly noted.Quote for the day "It's not so much what happens to us in life that matters, but how we choose to react to it"..... I've paraphrased this so I am not exactly sure who coined it. But for me...in reflection of MCM, I think, so I didn't do my best (or worst), but I did it and now, what can I do to learn and grown and keep on running?Peace, and Happy Day....