13.1 - The friendship post

As I said yesterday, there were so many different parts of the weekend I had that I want to share. The race was obviously the biggest reason I was there and that had to come first. But there are so many other aspects of the entire weekend (and season for that matter) that I want to make sure I document. For a couple reasons, but mostly so I can remember it and I can hopefully share more of what Team Challenge gave me in my first experience.

It should be noted that the reason I even knew Team Challenge existed is because of Twitter (I know, tried to hide your shock). Over the past couple years I have seen a number of people I follow tweet about their experiences. I've followed them over race weekend via tweets. And quite frankly I wanted in on that fun. (Also, another pattern: me weaseling my way into groups and fun times.) 

After talking about it with Nicole and Annie I was convinced it needed to happen. They assured me I was capable of both the fundraising and the running. And they ended up being the strongest support team I could have throughout the season. Nicole became my mentor and ultimately my fundraising superhero and Annie became my coach and the little voice in my head that told me I was able to run 13.1 miles.

So it should also come as no surprise that what built up over the course of our 16 week training season came to the most awesome culmination of best friends forever possible over the actual trip. We had agreed long before we left for California that the three of us would be homies and we'd have tons of fun together. And we did just that. However, we became even better besties than I ever could have imagined. I guess with the fundraising leading up to the trip and then the whole running thing once I got there, the typical worry about flying half way across the country with people I had never traveled or spent more than a few hours with wasn't at the top of my mind. And both surprisingly and pleasantly it never even entered my mind.

I have spent the greater majority of my life in organized groups. First it was cheerleading and between camps, games and competitions I spent a good amount of time traveling with what were strangers turned best friends. Then in college I joined a sorority and spent FAR more time than most people do living in a house with 44 of my closest friends. After graduation I coached cheer and once again was traveling with strangers turned friends. So I guess I'm a bit of a pro at this. (Is it a good thing to be a pro at traveling with strangers?) I'm familiar with how quickly a bond can take hold and how one good weekend away from "normal" can turn into years of best friendships. But nothing prepared me for this weekend.

I spent every waking moment with Nicole. When Annie didn't have coaching things to attend to (which was really only for like a few hours, but felt like a lifetime) she was with me too. The three of us ate, talked, swam, ran, walked, shopped, and explored. Not once did it occur to me I hadn't done most of these things with these two at any point before the trip. We never ran out of things to talk about. We never stopped giggling and making inside jokes. I haven't laughed that hard in a LONG time and it didn't just happen once or twice. I felt so incredibly comfortable around those two I could  hardly believe it. There was no awkwardness, no trying to figure each other out. It was as if we just always knew each other and what we needed and wanted and had to say and didn't want to say and thought but didn't want to have to say. It wasn't as if they had become my best friends, it's like they always were.

And those were just two of my teammates. I formed (less giggly and constant) bonds with so many others on my team of 30+ individuals. I learned Noah is good with directions and has a tolerance of many men put into one. I met a new friend from NYC who I owe so many thanks to for being a best friend to Nicole and helping her when I couldn't physically be there. I fed off of Meredith's excitement and was ecstatic every time I got to see her along the course because of our bond as the slow runners throughout practice. Ethan's wife and I bonded over our former love for WWF wrestling over dinner one night. So many other little conversations happened throughout the season and the weekend that made me ultimately feel like such a team with these strangers.

So I guess, more concisely put, besides raising $4,175 for the CCFA and training to run 13.1 and my first half marathon ever, Team Challenge also became the conduit through which friendships that will last my entire lifetime were made.

Random Thoughts

I have more to say about the wonder that was my Team Challenge weekend experience but that last post really took it out of me so I'm going to throw this in between so it's not all tears and love fests up in here. Instead here's some random things...

I registered for my second half marathon today. I don't know why officially registering feels like such a big deal. I've been saying for months if I didn't hate the Napa to Sonoma race I was going to do this one. It's in my hometown, it's the inaugural race by the Brewers, you run on the warning track and training is practically already done (remind me of that mid-August when I'm bitching). Actually registering for it made it real though. I have no idea what happened to me. Apparently everyone was right (much like when I got my first tattoo) this shit is addicting.(Sidenote: I think I'd like to get a tattoo to commemorate me running a half marathon. It's like my addictions are forming a bond to become a super-addiction.)

Once again I found myself really wrapped up in an episode of American Ninja Warrior last night. Ugh, that show just grasps my attention in an instant and I feel devastated for them when the inevitably fall. The suspense is almost too much for me. ALMOST.

My friend Erica said today, "I want my nails to look like yours because they're always perfect." I have very few totally vain moments, but when someone compliments my nails that's one of them. I never used to paint my nails, occasionally I'd get them done. Something happened in the last year or two and I've become obsessed. They're always painted, I've gotten really good at painting them and refresh them every week. I can't stand the look of them unpainted. It's one of the few super girly and totally high maintenance things I've got going for me. So thanks Erica for giving my a totally vain moment this morning. I feel so good about myself :)

I listen to R.Kelly's "Gotham City" (yes from the Batman & Robin soundtrack) a lot. I don't know why I love that song but I really really do. I never get sick of it either. I remember recording it from the radio to my "mix tapes" I made when the song first came out. I've loved it for years. No clue what that means.

Once again this weekend I spent a considerable amount of time with people who used to be complete strangers and thanks to the power of Twitter felt like life long friends. We sat at Renee's housewarming party for almost 6 hours talking about anything from running to the cold war commentary behind Fievel Goes West and it felt comfortable and wonderful. And no one batted an eye when we all responded "Twitter" when asked, "So how do you all know each other?" I love when I find my people.

This weekend I head up north to the magical resort called Silvercryst. Or as I like to call it: Adult Summer Camp. As you may recall from last year, the weekend required for a self-imposed detox when I got back. I feel like I should have been training just as hard for this weekend as I did the half weekend but in totally different ways. I need to be able to hang with much bigger drinkers than myself. Here goes nothing.

13.1

I have been trying to write this post for a week now. At first, it was because I knew I couldn't write it without crying. Then I realized I could probably write without crying but I became so intimidated by finding the words to do justice to this fantastic experience. Now I'm just forcing myself to put words down. I accept they can't possibly do justice to what the weekend gave me, but it's worth a try. There were many parts to the entire trip and I do plan on touching on them in a few other posts. Today I just wanted to focus on the race itself. So here goes...

My first race bib! 

 

As I've said over the course of the 16 weeks leading up to this race, I was not a runner. The last time I ran was in middle school and it was a mile for the damn presidential fitness tests. And I hated every minute of it. So the fact that I was waking up at 4 a.m. to head towards the starting line of a half marathon continuously blew my mind. I was nervous on the bus from the hotel to the vineyard where we gathered for the start of the race. I tried to calm my mind down as we stretched as a team. I entered a near panic as I figured out the final things I'd need from my bag at gear check. By the time I got to the corral to start my legs just wanted to run. The weather could not have been more perfect. It was 50's and overcast. The course had one big hill on it and it was right at the starting line, but we were promised some fantastic views once we got to the top. They weren't lying, at the top of this mile ascent we got a panoramic view of vineyards as far as the eye could see.

 Top of the hill at about mile 1.5 It was breathtaking!

Right off the bat I felt like I was in a good groove. I was running by myself, fueled by my favorite songs. I couldn't get over how good my body felt and how peaceful my mind was. Having been training in 100+ temperatures with insane humidity levels it was such a welcome relief to be running in the conditions I was. As I hit each mile marker I tried to remember what it was like the first time I hit that distance. 2 miles was at South Shore park and I promised myself I'd run as long as Meredith did, at the end we both were so excited we couldn't stop screaming. We had run 2 whole miles without stopping! I recalled running 3 miles around Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis and how happy I was when I finally saw Sae and Maggie around the corner waiting for me as I finished my run. I kept this up at each mile marker, and naturally there were tears. I couldn't believe how far I had come and how great it felt for me to have set such a lofty goal. I never questioned throughout the entire course if I was going to finish. I felt great and all the training had paid off. I can't possibly put words to that feeling.

I paced myself incredibly well. Regardless of the ideal times I had in my head my number one goal was to finish so I wanted to make sure I had enough gas to last all 13.1 miles. Around mile 8 I could see my friend Nicole off in the distance. I picked up the pace a little bit to catch up with her. She and my coach Annie were the reasons I had even known about Team Challenge. I was so excited to be able to see her on the course and thank her for the feeling that was blowing my mind. I had to stop at the bathroom though and lost her a little bit. (There were some nervous runner tummy issues - maybe TMI but it's the truth.) I picked up my pace a little bit and caught up with here. We walked together for a little bit - and I couldn't have imagined a better way to spend my first and only walk break along the course. We immediately started crying (because that's what we do) and had a breakdown/hug right in the middle of the course.

 Before we parted ways again at mile 10.

After we hit mile 10 I decided to go back out on my own and pick up the pace for the 5k that was left! Around mile 11 I ran into Noah one of our mentors. I was starting to hurt and it was probably the first time I was feeling like I was ready for the damn thing to be over. Seeing Noah in his blaze orange headband and shoes come around the corner was like he was placed there just for me! He kept telling me how happy I looked and what  a big smile I had on my face. At that point I felt so excited that I was so close to the finish line I couldn't stop smiling. Shortly after Coach Darrell met up with us and we all ran together for a while. They kept talking about how good it looked like I felt. I was so happy to hear how apparent it was that I was enjoying myself. I WAS ENJOYING MYSELF while running 13.1 miles. My mind was officially blown. Noah had turned back to find Nicole and right after he left us Coach Annie met up with Darrell and I. The happiness I felt at that moment was more than I can possibly begin to describe. I was going to cross the finish line of my first marathon with the two coaches who had helped me get there. You can see the finish line of this course far before you're actually there (like almost a half mile before you're there). Had I been alone I think this would have gotten to me. Instead, Darrell and Annie kept telling me how proud they were, how amazing it was that I had come so far. Seriously I felt like I was running on clouds.

As we got closer to the finish line there was a stop sign about 50 yards before the official finish line. Darrell asked me if I had enough gas to sprint out that last little bit. To cross the finish line in a full stride and put this half to bed. We got to the stop sign and the 3 of us kicked it into high gear. As we got closer to the finish line and I could hear the crowd cheering Annie turned to me and said, "This is all for you!" Darrell (knowing my crying tendencies at this point) also asked me one other thing, "Please wait to cry until you pass the photographer. Smile the smile you've had since I started running with you, keep that on your face til you get past him. Then you can breakdown." And smile I did. I crossed that finish line with a HUGE smile on my face. One of the biggest smiles I've ever had on my face. And as soon as I got past that photographer, I cried. I cried while I hugged Annie and she told me some of the nicest things I could imagine hearing at the end of that race. I cried while Darrell hugged me and told me how proud he was. I cried when I got my medal, when I hugged our team manager and when I called my mom.  Then Nicole crossed the finish line and I cried some more. I was overwhelmed with what I had just accomplished and so pleased with myself.

 Noah and I at the finish line with our medals!

I knew my body was going to hurt. I knew no matter how much water I drank or stretching I did, my body would eventually hurt. But at that finish line party I danced, I laughed, and I soaked up as much as I could. There would be plenty of time for the hurt, but for now I had accomplished one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) goals I had ever set for myself and I couldn't even feel the pain.

View from the course, Nicole and I with our medals and 

the 2 best friends anyone could ever have on race weekend.

It happened again.

I made friends with a stranger. I have lost track of how many amazing people and wonderful new friends I have met through the wonder of Twitter. It no longer shocks my mom when I say I'm going to play with strangers I've never met. My "IRL*" friends don't bat an eyelash when I respond with "a Twitter friend" when they ask who I'm talking about. I find myself often referring to people by their handle when I'm talking face to face with friends.

Let me first remind you that last Sunday, Erica (of the "favorite Twitter married couple" The Stoli's) joined me on a TWELVE MILE RUN because she's nice and wanted me to not go it alone. She's a twitter friend. And the decision to run with me, came while she and her husband (and another couple of Twitter friends) joined me over drinks and conversations at my house. 

Last week I had two great encounters. On Tuesday I went to Chill on the Hill with Renee. I have met Renee in the real world before, but our friendship did originate on the Twitter. We've since done happy hours and lunches and now this. I also got to meet two new "twitter friends" who I've only talked with via computer. Sara and Aaron were just as cool in person as they have been on the interweb and as they've done via 140 characters for the last few months, they provided more running support and stories of their own experiences.

Then on Friday I went to see Magic Mike. With Mel, who I sometimes forget was a stranger from Twitter not all that long ago. We met up with another new strangerfriend Allie. Though, to be honest, it was hardly like meeting a stranger at all. Allie and I have bonded over Aaron Rodgers, cute puppies and the Green Bay Packers for months now, so it was only natural we took our frat boy-esque chats about muscles and abs off the internet and into real life. Right off the bat the three of us bonded (introductions went like this, "Hi I'm Allie, I'm going to hug you now.") It honestly felt like the three of us had been friends for more like years than minutes. And I have the feeling this is just the beginning of the trouble the three of us are likely to cause.

Those big smiles and dreamy eyes are brought to you courtesy of 

a shirtless, dancing Channing Tatum.

For the longest time I have been asking, "How do you meet people once you're out of school?" I couldn't figure out how you make friends once you're not running into new people with each turn of a semester. Now I find myself asking, "How do people make friends without Twitter?" I have met more wonderful people in the last year than I have in the previous five before. They're wonderful, non-threatening people who are hilarious and smart and so much damn fun to be around. And not one of them has tried to kidnap me. 

Strangers: your next best friend.

*It needs to be noted, I only use IRL in complete sarcasm and hilarity. I mean, yes I'm obviously obsessed with Twitter, but I don't ever go as far as to use IRL seriously.