We (my mom, my dad, and the kiddos) got to DC on Saturday around lunchtime. We had lunch and checked into our hotel rooms before getting on the Metro to go get my bib. I hadn't been to DC since before I was married and navigating the Metro with two little kids was... well an adventure. They did great though!
The line to get into the expo/packet pickup was so very long. Holy cow. So we're standing there (and it was kinda hot) and then I see a sign for a separate entrance for DOD ID holders. Um. I've got one of those! So that was cool. I mean, I wish I had seen it earlier, but we still got to skip most of the line. I texted James and told him thanks for marrying me so I could get a sweet ID.
The expo was nutso. My friend Jessie had gone on the first day and had snagged me a jacket, so all I really had to do was grab my bib and check in at the Semper Fi Fund table. There was so much to see! I could have spent so much time (and oh my goodness so much money!) in there! A marathon expo of that size with a 3 year old and a 1 year old who had skipped naps that day though, not really a recipe for a fun time. We did a quick loop and then headed to Union Station for dinner, ate some yummy food, and went back to our hotel.
I had plans of putting the kids to bed and then lounging in my bed watching Netflix on my computer and eating oatmeal. By the time I got all my stuff laid out for the next morning, got both kids to sleep, and set my alarm for 3am (yikes!) I figured it would be smarter to just go to bed. Especially since there was a good chance Kate would be up once before my alarm. I had expected nerves to keep me awake, but when you're working on 15 months of sleep deprivation, not much keeps you awake. So that actually worked in my favor! Kate was up around 2ish to nurse, and luckily went right back to sleep so I snagged a little more shut eye.
I was so stinkin excited that my alarm going off woke only me up! I had been expecting it to wake up both kids and wasn't looking forward to trying to get ready with both of them underfoot! It was really nice to have some quiet time to myself to get dressed and ready. I wasn't really feeling nervous, but I was so so very excited! Like I wanted to jump up and down and have a dance party. I'm smart enough to know when to let sleeping babies sleep though, so I refrained from dance partying.
Instead of dance partying, I went on a selfie spree. Because... you know... I had to do something!
Took a sleeping Kate out of her crib around 4ish and got her to nurse a little more. That made me really happy because I knew it was going to be a long time before I could nurse her again. I let her sleep a little longer while I got Sam up and dressed. Once she was up and dressed my parents had come into our room. My mom was amazed at how awake my kids were at 4:30am. I was less surprised ;)
We got on the Metro when it opened at 5 with all the other runners staying in Springfield. It was such a weird energy. Everybody looked sleepy, but there was palpable excitement and nerves in the air for sure! I felt surprisingly calm and just sat back and ate my bagel. A couple people commented on how well behaved my kids were for it being so early. I said they'd had plenty of training during early morning summer runs!
Once we got off the Metro, we had a solid mile walk to the runner's village. That's when I started getting nervous becaus it was windy. And cold. Cold wind. I was not excited about that! In the runner's village though I found friends and fellow Stroller Warriors and my excitement came back!
Mom and Dad came to my corral with me with the kids and they hung out just outside the gate. That was great because I didn't know anybody else in my corral. That didn't last long though! A girl came up to me and told me she recognize used me from my Instagram account! How cool! We chatted for a while, and I also chatted with an older woman who told me, after learning I was a Marine Corps spouse and did a lot of training with my stroller, that she picks a hero every race she runs and that I was her hero for this one! Wow! I was getting emotional and the race hadn't even started!
The opening ceremonies were awesome. I bawled like a baby watching Medal of Honor recipient Kyle Carpenter parachute in (with many others!) holding American flags, and listening to our National Anthem. The energy in the crowd was so emotionally charged! I kissed my parents and kids goodbye (and held back more tears) and made my way out into the middle of the corral. A group of us found the 4:15 pace guy and crowded around him. To say space was limited at that point would be a massive understatement. Tight quarters.
Those red and white balloons were being held up by the 4:15 pace guy!
Standing and waiting for that howitzer blast signaling the start of the race was a crazy feeling. So much like waiting in the wings before a show! And yet so different! Before a show I used to have at least a pretty good idea of what to expect. Before the race I had no clue! The memory of the start is a little foggy actually because I was so jittery, but I do remember nervously chattering on and on about when I wanted to turn my watch on and when I wanted to start trying to pick up GPS. I didn't want to waste any battery and I also didn't want to not be able to get GPS until after I crossed the start. I was fully consumed with thoughts of my watch!
I did take at least one moment to stop my racing mind and think, "I did it. All that work. All those miles. All that time. I did it. I'm here. I'm ready. Let's DO THIS." Despite my nervous chatter, I felt ready. So ready.
Race re-cap post to come soon!
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