2:18

The half marathon is finished. I'm so glad I did it. Some thoughts:

Before the Run
The Lake Placid marathon was very well organized. Granted, this is the first marathon/half marathon I have participated in, but I still feel sufficiently capable of judging that it was well put together. It allowed the runners the freedom to worry only about the running. Which I did. A lot. I stressed a bit about eating just the right food and about not injuring myself in a stupid manner before the race. I worried about not knowing the course and about getting lost, and I worried a lot about the weather (which went from sunny and 70s to imminent rain and high 50s to sunny and mid-60s on race morning - yay mountains!). I worried about not being able to finish the race. I was really, really nervous the morning of the race. It was hard to eat. But I managed half a bagel with peanut butter, a quarter of a banana, and a quarter of a Cliff's bar. This turned out to be, like the weather, just about perfect. I also drank some OJ and a lot of water, and 15 minutes before the race shot some infamous goo into my mouth. It was Clif Shot energy gel, 90% organic and all natural, with 50 mg of caffeine. Tim, knowing me so well, bought this for me in mocha flavor. Expecting the worst, this stuff tasted good, like thick, earthy chocolate syrup. I recommend it. Make sure to drink water after you use it (mostly to get it off of your teeth).

The Run
I must have looked at the course map one thousand times, but I could have ran the course blindfolded and fellow runners and marathon volunteers would have got me where I needed to be. The course itself was beautiful - through Olympic Village/downtown Lake Placid, around Mirror Lake, down to the ski jumps, out River Road (with farms, fields, a creek, and the Adirondacks in the background), and back. I heard more than one runner say "this is the prettiest marathon you'll ever run." I also heard, after running downhill, "We have to run back up that?" Yes, yes we did. Lake Placid is in the Adirondacks, after all, so it was a rolling course. It really wasn't that bad - honestly - I do not particularly enjoy running hills. You start on Main Street and head up the hill toward Mirror Lake. I made sure to stand toward the back of the start line to allow those faster-than-10-minute-mile runners to start ahead of me. However, I must have overcompensated because I ended up running around a bunch of people walking up the first hill. Next year I'll start closer to the middle. At mile 1 we all did a little cheer. "Yay mile 1!" Runners were snapping photos with their cell phones all around the lake. As the miles added up I was surprised at how good I was still feeling. I stopped and walked at all aid stations except the first one (it was crowded) to have water and then Gatorade. This helped mentally and physically. At mile 7 I ate some more goo. Not many spectators made it out to the River Road leg, but that's okay. Running for me is a solitary sport, on purpose. Many, many "Team in Training" runners participated (raising $890,000 for the Lukemia and Lymphona Society), so "Team in Training" coaches cycled out on the course cheering runners on. Also, since River Road was an out-and-back, runners ran on both sides of the road in both directions, cheering one another on periodically.

It wasn't until about mile 10 that I started thinking, I'm ready to be done. When running I count the miles backward, so mile 10 was really "3 miles to go." I started walking a little bit before and after the aid stations then, and then for a section of the final, steep hill. At mile 12 I said a silent good-bye to the people I had been running with as some went ahead of me and some fell behind. As you approach the end, which is the Olympic speed-skating oval, you can hear the crowds cheering and the announcers announcing. It's a perfect way to end the race. You make it up the hill and onto the track, run a loop, and cross the finish line as the announcer announces your name and where you are from. They place a medal on your neck, then you keep walking until your heart stops racing and your legs feel like they may be able to do something other than run.

After the Run
After walking a bit with Tim, I found a patch of grass in the shade from a tent and laid down. The grass was still wet from the night before. I immediately thanked God, for just about everything. After a minute, Tim helped me up and I went and signed up for my free massage. I got some free pizza, free ice cream, went to the final hill and cheered runners on, got my massage, went to the Lake Placid Pub and Brewery, and rode home. I will be running this again on June 13, 2010. If you have ever thought about running a marathon or half marathon, do it in Lake Placid. Just train some hills, and in the rain every now and then, just in case.

Next Up
I'm giving myself until Monday to decide officially, but next up is the Disney Marathon on January 10 in Orlando. This is a fun, laid-back marathon, so I hear, and since I will never be winning a marathon this suits me well. You run through every park in Disney World in Orlando, only one of which I've ever actually been to, and even through Cinderella's castle. Since it is a marathon, it is taken seriously and Disney caters to runners and runners needs over the weekend, which is also good to hear. And it's a flat course! And Mickey and co. cheer you on. Bring on the Disney Princes!

If I decide to do this, training begins September 14. The idea of running 20 miles, ultimately, for fun sounds a little nuts to me, but as it turns out I like being a little nuts. I like a little better who I am while I'm training - focused, purposed, healthy in practice and diet (for the most part), and contemplative. My feet are a little ugly, but my legs make up for it :-) As I stood in the start-line crowd Sunday and looked around, listened to conversations, I realized that these are my people. Like fellow Allegheny students, Buffalo Bills fans, United Methodists, runners are now a sect of people among whom I can say, despite and because of their assets and faults, Yup, these are my people. I will never be their leader, but I am a runner.

Straight Girl Secret #17*

When given the choice between the needy, neurotic girl and the cool, fun-to-be-with girl, a boy will choose to date the needy, neurotic girl. On more than one occasion he will say to cool girl, "I wish my girlfriend were more like you," but he will never leave NN girl for cool girl. In fact, if this boy is spending time with cool girl, it is most likely to make NN girl angry and more NN. He will tell cool girl, and maybe even himself, that it is just because he needs a break from his girlfriend, but this is not the truth.

So, if you are a cool girl, you have a few options to avoid being used. You can choose one or more of the following:
1. Tell boy exactly how you feel about his girlfriend and then stop spending time with him.
2. Call him out on his behavior, especially if in the past he's said he does not like needy girls, which he has likely said on more than one occasion, and then stop spending time with him.
3. Start acting needy and neurotic yourself.

The outcome of this situation if you choose options 1 or 2 will be the following:
1. He will eventually leave his girlfriend and you two can be friends again (be prepared for the obligatory ex-girlfriend phone calls, notes, threats, etc.)
2. You will be invited to their wedding, to which you will bring a gift that was not on their registry and that you know only he will like, and then you will never see him again.

So as you can see, it's much better to be the needy, neurotic girl.

If you are already the needy, neurotic girl: Well played, my friend, well played.


*If you've found yourself a secure man and you want to be with him for longer than a week, unrealistic demands, using sex as punishment and reward, and daily tests of love in which the rules are always changing, are not the glue. Honesty and communication work much better in this situation. So boring.

Straight Girl Trick #5824*

Suggest "seeing other people" only if you are currently dating someone you know will not see other people. That way, you have a fall-back for when you are alone on a holiday/birthday or are feeling lonely or need a crutch in social situations. Bonus: you never need to reciprocate. In this situation you also have a go-to for when you are feeling unloved and need a self-esteem boost.

Since this boy still wants to be with only you, in his head and heart he'll believe that if he sticks this through he'll "get" you back. You and I know this isn't true, that you'll date him again only if you get desperate since "seeing other people" is just a code phrase for "keeping you around until I find somebody better," but he never needs to know this.

Inevitably, he'll begin to drift away, pay attention to other girls, maybe even catch on to your game. Here are some tips to help delay this:

1. Send random yet often text messages about something you saw/heard that made you think of him.
2. Leave "thinking of you" posts on his Facebook wall or comment often on his posts.
3. Wear clothes you know he likes to see you in when using/seeing him.
4. Bring up as many "remember when we" comments in conversations with him as possible.
5. Invite him out on "dates" or over to your place to hang out. Of course these are not really dates. You want to maintain your, um, friendship. It's very important to you.
6. After these dates, if you are looking for some nooky or REALLY want to keep him hooked, have some nooky.

If he's a giver, which he likely is if he's still around, while completing steps 1-6 make him believe the door is still open a bit by talking about how you are confused by your feelings for him and need some time to figure it out.

Worst case scenario: He starts to actually see other people. When this happens, call him and tell him you want to get back together. Then, if you do get back together, just date for a bit and repeat this cycle. If he chooses the other girl, call a little later and lay it on really thick. Maybe even mention that you wanted to marry him (especially if he has brought up marriage in the past). Then, if you get back together, just date for a bit and repeat this cycle. Unless you've already found another boy to fill this role. If so, you know the drill.

So go get him girl, you deserve this one-way relationship. After all, it's not your fault he still loves you (or is it? wink, wink).



*If you are concerned with being a decent and unhorrible person, you may want to ignore this advice.

A report.

I didn't screw up my reading parts, and in fact spoke once in front of the entire conference and was (1) nervous for about half of the usual time and (2) didn't read the script while at the podium and still got all of the information in without adding any extra crap. I realize this report would be more cute (or cute at all) if I were 14, but, oh well. Late bloomer.

Grace achieved = about 80% of my ideal. Much better than I expected. I did lose some of that grace once home on Saturday night. Baby steps I guess.

A goal.

Grace.

What little grace I have is always tested at Annual Conference. Thankfully, it is also always heartened. May the latter outweigh the former. (Partly for your sake, but mostly for mine.)

A confession.

I do not like to speak in front of people. As much as I love to run my mouth I love it in the comfort of groups - at the dinner table, at a book study, yelling at a baseball game - or, even better, in writing. I could write a brilliant sermon and ruin it by trying to preach it. I could yell from a soapbox on the street corner but then hop down and run away when someone stops to actually listen. If I were a Shakespearean hero, my fear of speaking would be my tragic flaw. I would have insights to share, injustices to make known, prophecies to tell, but the world would never hear them because I was too afraid.

Rest assured, however, that you aren't missing any life-changing wisdom from my fear of speaking. And if you think you are, just read this blog. I know those of you who know me in real life probably find this fear incongruent with the amount of information I feel it necessary to share using my mouth, but it's true. I get up in front of a crowd and I get nervous, as most people do I suppose, but so debilitatingly nervous that I have trouble forming words. It's frustrating, totally not cute, and a little annoying. I'm too old for this crap.

Because I am so self-aware and smart, I've volunteered to read during two worship services at Annual Conference tomorrow. In front of a lot of people. But since it's reading, I may not screw it up. We'll see.