Wake, Julie. It’s Late and We’ve Miles to Go Together. (Marathon Part I)
The week of the marathon, I forgot I was running a marathon.
“Have you booked your hotel yet?” my co-worker, Betsy asked me on Wednesday.
“Uh, no, but I will…”
My mind was preoccupied with other efforts, the Jack & Julie Narcolepsy Scholarship and Sleep Walk Dallas. So, I was last minute about everything – booking my hotel, shopping for race-day snacks, packing, and driving to San Diego.
The two hour drive took four hours on Saturday afternoon with traffic and my nap break. However, I arrived safely just an hour before the marathon registration closed. Phew. I had just enough time to snap some NARCOLEPSY: NOT ALONE pics before the expo closed at 5:00 p.m. Double phew!
From there, I couldn’t fall behind schedule anymore. Everything had to happen right on time, as narcolepsy + marathon makes for strict scheduling.
The marathon started at 6:15 a.m. on Sunday, which meant getting up at 4:00 a.m., which meant taking my second dose of Xyrem at midnight, which meant first dose at 8:30 p.m., which meant carbo-loading by 6:30 p.m. on Saturday night.
Leaving the expo at 5:00 p.m., I found a delicious pizza restaurant and dutifully ate my carbs. This is the best part about running a marathon for sure!
Checking in at my hotel, I laid out all my gear for the morning. Just before falling sleep, I found out that I’d reached my marathon fundraising goal, raising $2,000 for the Jack & Julie Narcolepsy Scholarship. (Thank you Steven & Melissa for this clutch donation and ALL my generous supporters – it’s not too late to show your love!)
Reaching my goal warmed my heart, literally. I felt this soft warmth and buzzing deep inside me. I wasn’t certain about running 26.2 miles, but I was certain that I was loved and that people were cheering for me around the world.
Honestly, I didn’t sleep well. I ate two protein bars in the middle of the night by accident. This hurt my tummy and my medication’s effectiveness. When my final alarm went off at 4:00 a.m., I dragged my lethargic body out of bed and zombie-walked into the shower. My stomach clenched with guilt about my night-eating. I was NOT starting this marathon with a fully recharged battery. Not even close.
I stretched my cranky neck from side-to-side. Wake, Julie. It’s late and we’ve got miles to go together.
I had to shower, roll on the torturous foam roller, stretch, drink my black coffee and try to eat a banana, all before leaving my hotel at 5:30 a.m., in the dark for the start line.
Read Marathon Part II: YOU CAN AND YOU WILL.
My journey to the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon:
Looking forward to reading part II!