Today I ran the Cox Rhode Races (Eident) Half Marathon. It was truly an amazing day. It was a race where nothing went according to plan, yet everything fell perfectly into place.
It was a race that almost didn’t happen because on Friday, this happened.
Sickness. A sinus infection, to be exact. I hadn’t felt quite like myself all week, but I kept shrugging it off – pre-races jitters, allergies, busy days – excuses. I was sick. I needed a doctor, antibiotics, and lots of rest. I stayed in bed, but I didn’t count myself out. I went to get my race packet on Saturday.
The energy of the (very small) expo was just enough to boost me up. I ran an easy three miles on Saturday and felt pretty darn good. My emotions were high. This race held a lot of sentimental value for me. It was my first half marathon last spring and so many of my friends and family were running. I wanted to be there, too.
And so this morning started as most race days do.
All smiles, Adele sing-alongs, and ridiculously flashy race day attire.
I was with my favorite people and they were ready to race. I put my game face on and began the push to the starting line. My aunt was prepared to run a sub-two hour half marathon and I stuck with my plan to start with her, but I didn’t know what to expect of myself.
Although the start was congested, the crowd moved quickly and the first couple of miles were fast.
Thanks for the cheers and the photo, Evan!
My aunt was running strong and I felt confident that she could hold her pace. My body didn’t feel nearly as strong and I struggled to maintain the sub-9:00 pace. It was really hard to stay behind, but I knew I had no other choice. I waved her off and continued on.
I ran the next two miles with negativity screaming through me. Nothing hurt, but nothing felt right. My legs were tired and my heart was with my mom, who was minutes behind me, running her first ever half marathon. I knew I needed to change my plan and make things right.
Somewhere near the four mile mark, I saw my dad and I came to a screeching halt. The tears began to flow. It was not my day to race, but it was not my day to quit. Through teary eyes, I watched intently as each runner passed. Standing on the sidelines wearing my bib, I caught sideways glances and concerned looks, but I was focused on finding my runner – MomOnTheRun.
Minutes later, I spotted Mom. I jumped back into the race. She looked amazing, so strong, so happy, and so determined. I told her I wanted to be with her. She smiled. Energy surged through me and everything felt right again.
From that point on, my exhaustion turned into excitement. I was running side by side with my mom.
Suddenly, the miles that seemed to be ticking away so slowly started to fly by. We chatted about the day, the race, the runners, and the spectators. Together, we remained strong on the rolling hills and we shared only positive thoughts.
By mile eleven, Mom started to feel the fatigue of the distance. It’s an inevitable part of the race, but we both knew she had it in her to finish strong. I wasn’t wearing a Garmin, so I had no idea what our pace or time was, but I knew Mom was on track to beat her goal time of 2:15 and I didn’t want anything to stop her. I offered words of encouragement and refused when she urged me to go ahead. Sometimes just the sound of another person’s footsteps is enough to keep you moving. We stayed in sync. We ran…
Hand in hand to the finish!
And again, my eyes filled with tears. I was overwhelmed by bittersweet feelings of pride and joy.
My mom didn’t run a 2:15. She didn’t even come close. She ran a 2:09:13! She crushed her goal time. She’s an inspiration to many, especially me! Congratulations, MomOnTheRun! Thank you for allowing me to share this special day with you. It is something I will never forget.
And my aunt and uncle also met their goals and set new PRs on the course today. Congrats!
Stay tuned for MomOnTheRun’s full report!
