gO aVantA

 

Nope, I did not run a marathon.

Didn’t even run a half.

But I still felt a little bit like superwoman when I finished.

Just a little bit.

Here’s my back story:

 

D’s company decided to sponsor an employee Ragnar Relay Team; and they asked if I wanted to participate.

I politely declined, since

A. I didn’t know many of the other teammates and

B. I haven’t ever ran a race in my life.

D would have loved to take part but unfortunately, his knee wouldn’t allow it.

 

Well, the day of reckoning for the team came and many of the members dropped out at the last minute.

This is where I come in.

Desperate, (obviously) they approached me the day before they were to begin and asked me to please fill in for just one 5.6 mile leg they were unable to cover.

My first reaction was that being a mother of 3, there was no way it was feasible.

D offered to stay back with the young'uns so I could go, but Miss Independence I am not, and getting up before dawn and driving an hour away to a place I had never been to meet up with a team I had never met to run a race I had never trained for didn’t strike me as appealing.

Enter: Bailey, my 9 year old niece whom my mom volunteered to spend the night and wake up with my kids to get them breakfast so D could go with me.

I actually got a little giddy when I realized I might be able to make this work.

I love a challenge, and I love me some adventure.

 

My next obstacle was – well, I had no running shoes, aside from my 3 year old, $11 Payless Champion ‘running’ pair, that is.

Luckily, at literally the very last minute, I was able to borrow some in exactly the right size and fit.

 

The next morning came way fast (as in, it was super early) and it felt strange to be quietly getting ready in the dark with my cute hubby, who acted as my assistant by providing me with the company uniform, figuring out how to serve me my workout beverages ice cold, lending me his watch, and charging up his iPod for me.

It was actually kind of romantic and spiritual.??  I know, weird, right?

 

Anyway, we were off and I was filled with a nervous excitement the entire way.

D kept telling me how hot I looked?? the whole way there, and I think he may have been even more pumped than me. 

I instructed him to keep his expectations low.

All I knew was that if I didn’t at least finish, I was going straight home to throw my Insanity DVD’s in the trash!

 

We got there in time for a couple of intense photo ops.

I could do without a few of them . . .

Go Avanta!! 

 

 

And then, I was off.  Surrounded by other runners, yet all alone.

I wasn’t sure what to expect or feel right at first.

So I cranked the iPod and got lost in the music.

I read the team names on the vans;  giggling at some, rolling my eyes at others.

I passed a few people, which made me nervous and cocky at the same time.

I also got passed by.

I watched everyone else get cheered on by their teammates.

I squealed with glee every time a new song came on.

I chewed my delicious gum.

I spotted my fan club and ran and smiled and waved my heart out.

I felt like a celebrity and a rockstar at the same time.

I drank the offered water initially.

I declined it the rest of the time.

I tried to gage my distance by D’s watch.

I spotted the last mile marker and tried to sprint, though it turned out to be uphill.

And I proudly handed off my baton 50 minutes from start time.

By then it was hot and I thought I might die.

But pretty soon I was ready to go again.

Unfortunately, no one got hurt or needed a sub.

 

And even though I am not an attractive runner (evidenced by the nasty picture^), Danny kept looking at me with such pride that I never wanted the day to end, and the real world to come back.

Don’t ask me why; I know it sounds odd; but it brought us closer.

We drove along side the next runner, laughed at his difficult lot (7 miles straight up a mountain) and snacked and talked with excitement.

He bragged me up to every person we encountered the rest of the weekend, telling them how I ran 9 minute miles without a day of training.

And with a fan club president like that, who wouldn’t fall in love with running??

Guess I won’t be throwing out those Insanity DVD’s after all.

But at least now I have something to supplement them with.