After the Race

So, this is the second weekend in a row on which Back on My Feet Baltimore exemplified the hashtag #NoOneRunsAlone.  Last weekend it was making one person’s day who ended up not being able to do the run this week.  This weekend, many of us participated in the Baltimore Running Festival. 

This was the third fall in a row in which I tried to run an entire race with a running partner from Back on My Feet.  Two years ago, I had another goal for the Freedoms Run Marathon—to get a time for myself, and I ended up not running the entire race with my partner.  Last year, I ran the Baltimore Marathon with a partner and everything went right.  Cool start.  Negative splits.  Boston qualifying time for my friend.  This year, I hoped to repeat last year and had worried that I would not be able to keep up with this year’s partner.  Instead, my job became much more important.  Keep her going to reach her goal of finishing her first marathon in which any tie is a PR.  And, she did—no stopping and now walking.  I stayed because #NoOneRunsAlone.  The race was not about believing in my partner and helping her finish. 

The things that I learned from this race include that:

• others find it just as important to have someone to run with as I know I have.
•  I could probably have run the 3:30 we had planned for, although I will never know
• my seven years of marathon running and training prepared me better than I’d thought

o   how much to drink the day before

o   what to eat the morning of

o   how to use the water stops including the water, Gatorade, and food

o   having done many hot summer long runs, my body was ready for the temps

• while my partner was just making sure she could continue, I was able to

o   greet many people who cheered me on and tell my partner who each was

o   hug a fellow Back on My Feet member at the BoMF water stop

o   sing along with “Sweet Caroline” as we rounded Lake Montebello

o   yell out “We are…” and “Go Blue!” when passing relevant runners or spectators

o   heartily greet volunteers from the business school at a water stop

I am not sure if I will run the race next year.  But this race has become a great experience each time and each time I repeat it I get to enjoy the atmosphere of the race and the group with which I run more and more.  And having someone to share the entire race with because #NoOneRunsAlone is wonderful.