First and foremost, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone who helped me reach my fundraising goal! Now I want to go above and beyond, so if you know anyone who would be interested in donating, send them to my website!!!!!! So far I have raised $3,100, which is great. I have decided to donate the entire NCAA Pool to Colleen, since she needs the money to reach her goal and I have already reached mine. I figure all the money goes to LLS in the end, so if it helps her reach her goal, it is all good!!!
On another, great, amazing, I-never-thought-I-would-do-it note, on Sunday, I ran 20 (yes, 20) miles!!!!!! And surprisingly, it wasn't that bad.
I spent the entire last week stressing out about the big run. Since we are traveling to Tampa this weekend, I wasn't able to do the 20 with the team, so I had to add six onto the existing 14 that the team was doing.
I was stressing because when we had to run 18, my knee was bugging me and I stopped after six. I was frustrated, scared and not really sure if I was actually going to be able to do it. The week leading up to Sunday was rough because mentally I was doubting myself, doubting my decision to run and doubting that I could actually do it.
Insert My Rock: TOM.
He has been my saving grace through this entire journey. When I first called him to tell him that I wanted to do it, he was on a bus to NYC and he told me from the start that it was going to be tough and that there were going to be times where I would give up things (going out) and that there were going to be times in which I doubted myself and that I would want to give up - just like last week.
Well, last week, he got me in the right mindset, kicked my ass, put on Rocky II and Rocky IV and got me to believe in myself again. And after the run, he said to me that what he saw before I left was a smile -- something he doesn't always see before my big runs. It is without this support that I wouldn't be able to make it.
As for the run itself, it was good. Very good. I started running directly from our apartment and crossed the Iwo Jima just as the sun came up. It was stunning as the sun came up over the monuments across the river. I have to say, I am lucky to have a backdrop like DC to train for this. From there I crossed the bridge and traveled to meet the TNT team at Fletchers.
The rest of the run was good - and I felt strong both mentally and physically. I think when you get to mileage like this, it really comes down to how you are mentally. Having the support of the TNT team is the best possibly situation in training like this. There is nothing like running and having people encourage you!!
As I neared my final 2-3 miles, I cranked up some Rocky and thought of the scenes that Tom pointed out to me the night before - in Rocky IV when he is getting his ass beat down by Duke and he continues to push and say "NO PAIN"... as I got tired, I thought to myself "NO PAIN" and of course the mantra "WIN SAM WIN"... nothing like a little Eye of the Tiger to get you through, right.
The best part of finishing it was at the end. As I saw my end point nearing, I saw Tom, waiting there for me. That meant the world to me -- it was like my moment in Rocky I when he screams "ADRIANNE!!". And for all you cheesy people out there saying "oh she is such a dork", I want you to run 20 miles and then let me know if you would like to see your rock standing there waiting for you as you finish.
Anyway, I did it. And I am going to DO IT. I am going to finish this marathon. I am going to make a difference. And I wouldn't be able to do it without each one of you that has donated your time, money and thoughts as I've been through this. I can do it... and we can all make a difference.
So THANK YOU to Tom and THANK YOU to all that have supported me... now we have taper (sounds like swimming again, eh?) and then the race... 25 days from now, I will have finished a marathon... who EVER thought I would say that! :)
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