Philadelphia Marathon Finisher

My alarm went off at 3:30 am on Sunday, November 17th, 2013. When it went off, my first thought was, "why in the world did I decide to do this?" I got out of bed, sleepily scrambled to get things together, and grumpily made my way to the car in my trash bag to stay warm. My sister was excited, and my husband was more than kind and supportive considering what he was doing and about to do just to be there for us. He even walked us all the way up to the corrals and watched us go in just to make sure we got where we were supposed to be without a hitch up to that point.

It was cold. Don't get me wrong, I know it could have been FAR worse for late November in Philadelphia, but it was what I had to deal with at the time, and it didn't feel great while it was happening. I asked Grace if would be a big deal if I just went back to the car to wait with Matt while she ran. I was only mostly serious... I was so scared standing around in the cold knowing that there were hours and miles standing between me and a warm shower. We wandered around looking for a warm place to wait, and we ended up running into two customers from the running store that I work at, and we talked to them for a bit, which took my mind off my impending doom.


As we waited around in a starting corral to run, I was both nervous and excited. We had agreed that we would each run at our own pace since neither of us was really trained and ready. As we passed the starting line, Grace turned around, tapped my bib, and said, "remember why." And we were off. I decided at that moment that I would need to just settle into a slow, barely-jogging 12 minute pace. I said to myself, "I can do this all day if I just stay at this pace." Then within the first 3 miles, I managed to pause my Garmin without realizing it, and break my headphones. Yep. That's Michelle Style. I didn't let it get to me though. I just turned my watch back on, stuck the earbud that I managed to fix in my ear, and I just tried to run at my own slow pace.

The first 8 miles were gravy. I felt great the whole way. Between 8 an 13, things got a little rougher because the lines for the porta-potties were so long, and I didn't want to wait for them to open up. I was straight up walking by the time I got to mile 14. I stopped for a bathroom break again once I found some without a line that weren't overflowing...which yes, some of them that I stopped to check were. And I walked the next two miles, and caught up with Matt during that time who walked with me for a bit. Around mile 19, I started crying as I saw my sister on the opposite side of the out-and-back portion of the course. We stopped to hug and congratulate each other on making it as far as we had and that point and reassure each other that we were going to finish.

When I hit mile 22, everything went downhill for me. I thought, I only have 4 miles left. That's nothing. But the pain in my legs was intense. My hips were aching so much that I wasn't sure I could put the force of attempting to jog on them anymore. Two things went through my mind at that point: 1) I can never have children because this is pain is probably my physical threshold. 2) I can't even imagine how much pain my grandma was in, and I felt for her more than I ever had before. My brother Joe called me just as I passed the 25 mile marker, that gave me the push to pick up speed slightly as Matt joined me to jog the next half mile before he sent me on my way to finish.

As I entered the finishing area, the announcer asked me what my bib was about, and I told him I was running in memory of my Grandma. He made an announcement about my grandma and reminded people that all of us have someone in our lives who inspire us, and it is great to remember those people. Just before I crossed the finish line, Mayor Nutter high-fived me and gave me a big hug as the tears were pouring out, and told me great job, your grandma is thankful and proud. Grace was waiting for me in the finishing area, and with tears in our eyes, we hugged and laughed, and cried a little bit more, and then hobbled our way down to take pictures and get food.

We made it. It was hard. I wasn't sure if I was going to make it at some points, but I finished. It took me FOREVER, but I made it. I am not sure yet if I will attempt another one in the future, but I know that I was nowhere near ready for this distance when I stepped out on the course, but I raised money with the help of several very generous friends and family members, and I made it to the finish line of a marathon before my 26th birthday and one year marking of my grandma's passing. In the end, the time doesn't matter. I accomplished all of the important goals. Thank you so much to every person who has supported me during the last 6 months as I trained, complained, quit training, complained some more, and went through a roller coaster that leads up to a marathon. I appreciate every single one of you!

#MemoryMarathonMiles

Ok, so my friend Sheila usually dedicates each mile of a race to a person who has inspired her, so I have decided to list 26 things that I learned, appreciated, strive to emulate, or received from my grandma.

1. My Dad: He is amazing, and I owe that to her on more than one level.
2. Humility: My grandma taught me through her actions that it is more important to focus on what can be accomplished rather than who is getting credit for the accomplishment.
3. Spiritual guidance: My grandma was a woman with very strong faith, and she showed me that you must have faith at all times and trust that God knows what he is doing.
4. Casserole: Catholics may be known for their fish frying abilities, but I'll take my grandma's Baptist casserole recipes over fish any day of the week. There are few things in life that can't be cured with a combination of egg noodles, a cream soup, cheese, and some sort of meat all baked to a delicious perfection.
5. Driving: My dad may have taught me to drive, but I am definitely my grandma's granddaughter when it comes to the road. "Now, Mister Jeep! You just stay in your lane!"-- My siblings and cousins will understand.
6. Patience: I only ever heard my grandma raise her voice at us kids once in my entire life, and trust me, we deserved it far more often than once.
7. Storytelling: My grandma had an excellent memory when it came to things that happened long ago, and she told me stories pretty much any time I asked. And anyone who knows me, knows that I will tell you stories all day long...literally.
8. Cardigan Love: Who doesn't love a good sweater or cardigan? Grandma did, and I definitely do!!
9. Staples: there are two things your house should never be without: Velveeta and Vaseline.
10. Cookies: They should always be made with margarine or Crisco. Real butter causes cookies to become flat and crispy. And don't spray the cookie sheet!
11. Strength: My grandma endured far more than most people could even fathom, but she was never bitter or angry. She just carried on with strength, dignity, and grace.
12. Integrity: She always did right by people whether they were strangers or family, my grandma treated them with the utmost respect while following her convictions and always doing her very best in all she did.
13. Acceptance: Number 12 is misleading... my grandma didn't know a stranger. Everyone you meet is family... treat them accordingly.
14. Bookworm: The only books I ever witnessed my grandma reading were devotionals and her Bible, but she worked in a library, and I loved going to work with her when I was little.
15. Reverence for the Past: Grandma took me on multiple memorial day trips to pay respect and show an appreciation for those who had passed and how they impacted her life.
16. Gratitude: Give thanks in all things. There is a reason for every thing that happens, and you don't need to always know what that reason is. Give thanks for what you have because there is someone with far less, going through far more, who is not complaining about their circumstances.
17. Forgive: Bitterness rots the bones. Forgetting is not always an option, but forgiveness is always an option, and though it may be hard at times, it is far better to release that burden from yourself by showing forgiveness.
18. Love and Live Fully: Life is precious. Yours and those around you. Live, Love, and be loved.
19. Pray.
20. Give: There are far greater rewards in giving than in receiving.
21. Focus: It's not about being the best. It's about doing your best.
22. Play your high cards first: Don't get caught with a ton of  negative points in your hand, and never pick up a large number of cards from the discard pile unless you can score more points than you'd be caught with if the next person went out. According to my grandma, I never actually beat her in Rummy... the one time I did, I looked at the score pad afterward, and she had accidentally written Noelle (my sister) instead of Michelle, so no record exists.
23. Work: Work hard, but do what makes you happy... it's not only about what makes you money.
24. Cobbler: Unlike pie, it only needs one crust, and it doesn't have to look pretty! And always double check your cinnamon to make sure you didn't accidentally grab chili powder.
25. Keep your promises: If you lose everything else, you'll still have your word, and that stands for something.
26. Move: Your mobility is fleeting, and you may be robbed at any time.

For anyone who wishes to cheer me on virtually, I would greatly appreciate the support! Starting around 7 am EST on November 17th , use the hashtag #MemoryMarathonMiles on Instagram or Facebook! (Yes, hashtags do technically work on Facebook now.)

A GIANT THANK YOU to all those who donated to my fundraising page! I have met my goal, but if you would still like to donate to support ALS research, you can visit my page!

Marathon Roulette

I realized during this past week that I am not at all ready for this marathon. The combination of wedding planning, traveling, getting married, and changing jobs seems to have put a damper on my training. My wedding was amazing, and I love my new job, but my training has been a bit neglected. When I saw a short article on the Route 66 Marathon in my Runner's World I finally just got around to reading, I got seriously sick to my stomach. For a variety of other factors, it was becoming more likely that Route 66 just wasn't going to happen this year despite my signing up almost a year ago.

The bottom line is that I am not ready for this marathon. Has that ever stopped me before? NO! My original goal was to finish a marathon before I turned 26. I made that goal immediately after finishing my first half marathon. After watching my grandma gracefully endure the losses she experienced due to ALS, I decided that I would spend 2013 being thankful for all that I have. When my grandma passed away on my 25th birthday, I decided that I would raise money for ALS research as I trained for and ran my first marathon. My grandma was a fighter, and she believed in me at all times. I am going to stick to the goals I set for myself, and I am going to be thankful that I am able to do this in the first place no matter how slow I am. The catch is that as of yesterday afternoon, I am officially registered for the Philadelphia Marathon! I have one week less to get my butt in gear, but one week isn't going to make too much a difference in the long run. (Haha. No pun intended.)

I still need to raise $110 to meet my fundraising goal, and any help would be much appreciated! Check out my page if you are able to help!

Memorial Marathon

When I was growing up, one of my biggest role models was my grandma. She was to me, the pinnacle of independence, courage, strength, and  grace. My grandma lived her life with a strong yet graceful dignity that I admire. After seeing her maintain those qualities despite losing the ability to walk and talk due to ALS, I know that I should always utilize the abilities I have because I could lose them at any time. I do value my ability to walk, run, and be active, so I know that I should take full advantage of those things. I also know that I should use the abilities I have to help other people. My grandma was always doing whatever she could to help others.

The combination of my grandma's influence in my life and the suffering she encountered at the end of her life have reinforced my determination not to give up on the goal I set for myself to run a marathon before I turned 26. My grandma was not some running junkie who would be pumped about my marathon endeavor, but she had a strength that I admire and channel, and she believed in me with a pride and confidence that most people, even myself, often do not. She was also a fighter since the day she was born. She was the only sibling born in a set of triplets to survive, and that was only the beginning of the fighting to survive that my grandma would do in her lifetime.

My grandma was so giving. She gave whatever she could, whenever she could, and she often did so silently. There were so many people my grandma helped, but when she died, my family learned even more stories from people whom she had touched, but that she had never spoken a word about to anyone. My grandma was selfless, in a strong confident way because to her, it wasn't important that anyone knew of the deeds she was doing. She just believed strongly that it was what should be done, so she did it. It may have been monetary, lending an ear, saying a prayer, or giving a gift, but my grandma had an eye for those who were in need or suffering, and she always stepped up to do what was right.

When I add all the factors together, I see the best way for me to honor my grandmother's passing is to run my first marathon before my 26th birthday and the one year mark of her passing which fall on the same day, while raising money to help those in need. I have set up a fundraising page in my grandma's memory through The ALS Association national chapter. I know that this is a tough economic time, but almost everyone can afford to give even a couple dollars. Please view my fundraising page, and don't forget to cheer me on as I begin my training for my first marathon this week.