Outside The Girl Box

My cousin's husband, John, snapped this photo at Mile 11. I pretty much felt like this the whole race.

This Sunday, I proved to myself that with hard work and a positive attitude, you can do anything.  Anything.  You can even go from the girl who used to cry the night before "the mile" in gym class to a girl who runs 26.2 miles with a smile on her face the entire time.  How do I know?  Because I just did it.

I have run marathons before.  Each one has a special story, and I am proud of each one of them.  But I am proudest of this year's marathon.  I want to share the story with you, but the teacher in me is having a hard time.  Stories are supposed to have rising action, conflict/resolution, and falling action.  Every other marathon I've run has had a really, really difficult point that I had to get through. My day on Sunday had no conflict.  I was just... happy.

If you want to hear a story about overcoming odds and being truly awesome, head to Pace of Chicago or Cubicle Dad.  The lesson here today is no more than this: if you keep trying, keep working, keep pursuing your dream, you will catch it.  On Sunday, all the pieces came together for me and I just had fun out there.  Still, here is my story.

Like I shared on Saturday, I went into the race on Sunday feeling great.  I knew the weather wasn't going to be great for running, but I also knew that sunny skies would mean more spectators, cheering, and happy faces along the way.  I knew I had done all I could to be ready for the day, and at that point, it was time to just have positive mental attitude.  (Right, ladies?)  I had a temporary tattoo that showed what time I needed to be at each mile on one arm and a list of all the family and friends who would be along the course on the other arm.  I was thrilled to have the support of loved ones along the course.

I met up with my cousin Theresa before the race.  She was running her first marathon, and we chatted about the course, how awesome it was to see Dan Malinski's face all over the city, the weather... and then we chatted some more.  We had 30 minutes to walk and talk between the time the gun went off and the race began.  Honestly, back where we were standing, I didn't even hear the National Anthem!  We were just getting caught up in race energy.  I felt calm and ready to take on the race.  I knew it wasn't going to be easy in the heat, but I knew I was prepared, and most important of all, I remembered to pack my PMA.

Chatting with Theresa before the race

Yes, you need to train to run a marathon.  You can't really just hop on the course and run 26.2 miles.  But the training is so much more than just running.  This year, I worked very hard on my mental training.  I practiced thinking positively and pushing through hard runs.  During a marathon, part of it is bound to get hard.  If you're slow like me, you're out there for a long time.  Staying positive can make all the difference.

I crossed the start and felt a wave of happiness.  I love the Chicago Marathon.  I love the city, and running the marathon is, in my opinion, the absolute best way to see it.  I saw my family at mile 2 and 3 and felt their love and support.  I blew them kisses and yelled, "I LOVE YOU!" while they yelled back, held up signs, and cheered.  For the first half of the race, I had spectators all over the place!  My aunt and uncle were at mile 4, my inlaws, parents, and family friends were at mile 7, my aunt and uncle were back at mile 11, and my family was at mile 12.  I didn't really think about anything besides how happy I was and where the next spectators would be!

My rockstar parents and husband hopped in a cab at mile 12 and hustled to mile 14 to see me at the Charity Block Party.  It's such a fun part of the course.  All the charities line the course with cheers for their runners.  And wow, are those charities good at cheering.  Especially the Girls on the Run SoleMates!  Girls on the Run - Chicago was out in full force with three staff members running and the rest out there cheering, joined by some fabulous women from the national office.  They yelled "We love you, Lauren!" and slapped a pink bracelet on my wrist that said Dream. Run. Celebrate. 

Celebrate I did.  At each point on the course, I thought to myself, "I have never felt this good at {insert mile here}."  I got a little nervous around mile 18, when I noticed they had put up red flags on the course.  Red flags mean that the weather is dangerous, and I started to get nervous they would cancel the race.  Boy, was it hot out there.  I saw friends at mile 19, including Barb, who helped me make it through last year's marathon.  I told her I was nervous about the heat, but making really good time and feeling great.  "That means you're doing everything right!" she exclaimed, and sent me on my way.

After I left Barb, I had to unpack my PMA.  I still felt good, but the red flags had me nervous, and I was at a difficult part of the course. I passed the part of the course where, last year, the Official End of Race Vehicle passed me and I cried.  There was no way it would reach me this year.  Still, there were fewer spectators, and my family had gone on to the finish line to wait for me there.  I had one thing on my mind: get to Kay.  Kay and her brother, Jake, are former students of mine, and Kay has more PMA than anyone I know.  We made plans ahead of time for her to run the last 5k of the marathon with me, and I knew she was waiting for me right by US Cellular Field at mile 23.  For four miles, I repeated over and over in my head, I am a powerful runner. Just get to Kay. I am a powerful runner. Just get to Kay.  It sounds silly, but it worked.  Before I knew it, there they were.  With a hug for Jake and high-fives for their parents, I looked at Kay and said, "Okay, girl. Are you ready?!"

As we ran, I explained things to Kay along the course.  She was my own personal cheerleader, a mini-Awesome Barb.  When I wanted to quit running with one mile to go, she said, "Mrs. Kaminsky, you've run 25.2 miles.  I think you can do one more.  Let's go."  I kept getting teary-eyed and telling Kay how much it meant to have her there with me.  From the start of the race, I had KAY! written on my arm at the bottom of my spectator list.  From mile 19, I told myself, Just get to Kay.  I knew once I got to her, she'd get me through the rest.  And she did.

Kay and I chatted and the miles went by quickly.  Before I knew it, we were running around the corner, up the hill, turning and... there it was.  The finish line.  I saw my family cheering and yelled, "I BEAT THE END OF THE RACE!" I could not stop smiling.  I grabbed Kay's hand and we ran across the finish line, celebrating.  I was bursting with pride.  So many things went right on a day where the weather wasn't what I'd hoped.  I had a plan, I stuck with it, and the love and support of family and friends helped me meet my ultimate goal of crossing the finish before that Official End of Race Vehicle. 6:08:56.  I couldn't be happier.