All runners were required to be lined up by 7:30 a.m., so the day started quite early. It was more than a little odd to see so much activity and energy congregating in the pre-dawn. Cheryl and Marc signed up to be volunteers, and had to report to campus by 6 a.m. to catch a bus out to their assigned stop. Yikes! I guess the day started even earlier for some of us. ;-)
Doing the race with a wonderful group (pictured below: Yinka, Cayla and Michelle) made for a really memorable experience. In the weeks leading up to the race, the four of us met on Saturday mornings at 8 a.m. to train. The night before the race, Michelle hosted us at her place for a fabulous carb-loading dinner. I'm honestly still having salacious dreams about the heapings of spaghetti, meatballs, garlic bread and red velvet cake. Only when I'm gearing up for a half marathon is it acceptable to eat like that!
Aaaaand we're off! San Pablo Road and the MC campus were transformed into a veritable marathon village for an entire day... it was an amazing and unforgettable sight. The marathon route took us over the bridge and into Jax Beach. The residential streets and beach stretch were full of awesome supporters. Bands were performing at various locations, and spectators young and old were lined along the route with noisemakers, encouraging signs and pink-clad pets.
At one point early in the race (around mile #3, I believe) there was a commotion behind me and I looked back just as another runner took a hard fall onto his front and a group clustered to him yelling, "Runner down!" Seeing he was adequately assisted, I continued on my way, but was troubled by a nagging thought: Did I let Cheryl know I put her down as my local emergency contact in case I have trouble along the route?! I couldn't remember, but was comforted in knowing my drivers' license and medical insurance card were tucked away with my i-pod and chewing gum supply in the plastic baggie wedged into my sport bra.
Crossing the finish line... Kudos to the random 9-year-old kid who unknowingly served as my pacer for that last treacherous mile over the JTB bridge!
2/15/09 was a day to witness and feel many good things, and it will continue to be the impetus for many more. All the proceeds from the race support breast cancer research, with a majority going to MC's programs. With efforts like these, we come closer and closer to finishing breast cancer. And that is a sweet, sweet thing.
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