5 a.m. wake up call...
It's race day....
No, not mine...(unfortunately)
I had signed up to volunteer at the BMO Vancouver Marathon.
Reason being mostly was that my own recovery has become one big long bore. Volunteering was a way to distract me for the day. That and I had two friends participating in the race, and I wanted to go and show my support, and the best way to watch the race is at the finish line behind the scenes. #truefact
So V.I.P. Hostess/Chaperon it was.
Just as if it was my race day I had set out all my gear the night before, and had lined up what I was having for breakfast. Just because it wasn't my race day didn't mean I wasn't going to need all the energy I could get for the day. Helping people after they have run a Marathon especially in crappy weather takes a lot of get up and go so protein eggs, and toast it was.
I was dressed, and out the door in 20 minutes, and off to catch the bus. While traveling in to Vancouver the numbers of BMO Racers on transit increased until we reached King Edward Station of the Canada Line where throngs of runners where heading to their start line, and the beginning of what was to be a very grueling, unsuspectingly difficult, wet/cold day of racing, and reaching their own personal goals.
When I reached my destination downtown the roads were quiet. The finish line was still in the midst of being completed....Time to get to work. As the morning rolled on things got busier, and more people came on the seen. The fervor that I seem to thrive on had started.
It was race day.
Oh how I miss racing. True I am a cyclist, and have only recently gotten back in the saddle. But running (surprisingly to me) has become my savior. It didn't judge when I needed something to turn to to feed my soul, fire my energy, and give me the freedom I seeked. It just welcomed me.....and make no mistake Runners are very different from Cyclists. If you are either you know what I am talking about, but yet this peculiar community brought me in to their fold...so I was finding myself more, and more drawn to running...and here I was at my third running event this past year Volunteering, and loving it. I figured if I can't participate the least I can do is help out.
The timer was quickly coming up on an hour. The lead runner of the 1/2 Marathon was a kilometer from the finish....woosh 1:02...wow, an amazing time....the crowd was charged as the second place runner (the winner of last weekends Times Colonist 10k run) came in shortly afterwards. The excitement was building. Soon all of the lead Elite runners were coming in Hot, and I do mean "hot"...it was a cold rainy day and all of them were in skimpy shorts and tiny tops...must be nice.
My friend Kyle wasn't fairing so well. An accomplished Ironman/Athlete he found running the course challenging. As did most people I spoke to as the day wore on. He came in just after he had predicted at 1:44 . An Awesome time! He was shaking, and cold. Something a change of clothes, and a hot cuppa Soy Chai no water from Sbuxs would remedy soon enough. We then got a nice visit/chat in.
But then I was off to the trenches. I had more Premium Athletes to Chaparone...and I knew my other friend Macbeth (Kyle's wife) was out on the course struggling. She had thrown up at 13k. Still out on the course and a ways to go I simply didn't want to miss her at the finish line. So despite the down pour, being cold and drenched to the bone I stayed close to the finish line with my eyes peeled.
Finally the time had arrived for MacBeth to finally finish her Marathon. Kyle started to text me that he had spotted her...she was walking. Ok I was ready. Another text "Still walking Less than 2k" ...I was getting anxious, and worried that I wouldn't spot her...another text, "1k"...then another text..."Yellow shirt finishing now". Finally I saw her..and she was indeed walking...but she was finished 4:44 , and that was all that mattered. She had done it!
I was so happy, and proud of her. It's funny I didn't do any of the training or hard work that day. The day was hers, but I was still so proud of her, and every single runner. I know what it takes.I know how your body starts to hurt and ache, and in some cases how your stomach becomes so upset either from nerves, or to many gel packs. I know how many time you feel like quitting...and I know all the things that go through your head, and the things you tell yourself to just get yourself to the finish-line...and she had done it! Way to go Macbeth!
So to all who participated at the Sun Run, The Times Colonist 10k, The Boston Marathon, and The BMO Marathon these past few weeks. Be proud, walk tall and smile because you did it!
CONGRATULATIONS!
Cycling Cafe's Diva
"Uniting a Community; one Cyclist at a time"
"RIDE HAPPY"
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