The 2nd Annual NC Charlotte Motor Speedway Half Marathon

The second time around should be fairly easy, Right? Wrong? I was so going to be ready for this race, be prepared, ready to kick some asphalt this time around. But with a knee injury healing and being sick, I almost missed this race… ALMOST!

I decided my knee was healed enough (and it was), and I felt pretty healthy (enough to run) so I decided not to forfeit my $75.00 and run the half at The NC Charlotte Motor Speedway.

I got up to a cold and windy morning, getting ready I felt pretty good. I had taken heed of previous races and eaten the correct foods for fuel and to keep my stomach from giving my problems (or I thought I had). I got in my car and headed to the track. As soon as I got there I had to go to the Bathroom, and my food choices were not correct (so lesson one learned for the next race).

It was raining heavily when I arrived and people were not happy.  We crowded into the car garage (where during a Nascar race all the cars are worked on and get ready for the race) to stay warm and dry. Then 30 minutes prior to race start time, they asked to go stand at the start line. What!?! It’s raining; well I will go to the bathroom one more time. The line was about 400 women deep, Dang it, where is the other bathroom, across the way in the other car garage. I headed over to that bathroom. That was a little better, only 100 women deep. I used the facilities, praying that I was “cleaned out” and ready to run. As I made my way to the start line, God smiled on us 1244 participants, He shut off the tap. No rain as the gun went off for us to start running. I always love the start of a race, the nervousness, the adrenaline, it’s a rush. As I got into my grove my knee was holding up very well and I could breathe. We did our first full lap on the Track then headed toward the outside of the stadium for the long trek of the race. As I was finishing my 5K (3.1 miles) I saw the winner coming back into the Stadium to finish his half marathon. I was on 3 miles at 45 minutes and he was at mile 9 with 4 to go to win and finish this race. As we were at the back of the herd, we cheered on the leaders as they were going to finished in about 20 minutes and we knew we had a couple of more hours to go.

Then we rounded the area away from the stadium to run around the Dirt Track, and down into the “hole” to get that extra mile and a freaking long hill added into the race. This brings us back into the land of Racing and over to the Drag Track. God has a huge sense of humor and it’s said what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, well on this Day God was laughing pretty good and I became so strong I should have Wonder Woman written on my chest; because as we entered on to the Track, God opened the faucet again and He turned it on full.

Now the rain was not really the problem, rain I don’t have a problem with, in fact I laugh in the face of rain, I run in rain all the time. The problem was the track, because it was a drag way it was completely flat, so the rain hit the track then bounced up and hit us, so we were getting to hit from above and below. Then as the water had no where to run off from the track, we were also running in about an inch of standing water. Fun, Fun, Fun, NOT!

So after that hell on earth run of a mile we came off the track and got a little bit of relief from the rain and water. It started to ease up and the rain was a drizzle. I however could have added about 2 gallons of water to the race, but no bathrooms were available to use. I just don’t understand the reasoning behind not having enough bathrooms for runners during a half marathon. Don’t they know when you run things get jostled and a lot of runners have to “GO”; then I see a bathroom facility on the back part of the race, go over to use it and it’s lock. WTF! Are you serious? This is ridiculous didn't I go through this last year? I even asked if they had added more porta-pottys for the race and was told yes. I saw 7 extra, but not where they were actually needed. So I move on and try to hold until the next set of bathrooms.

It’s at mile 9-1/2, I make it to the facilities and I am so cold, wet and tired I can barely get my gloves off to get my clothes off to go to the bathroom. I make a decision; my car is parked about a mile away, when I get to the lot I’m going home. I don’t need any medal; I just want the heat of my car and to go home. As I finish and struggle to get my clothes and gloves back on, I pray; “God, Help Me, Please!”

So I come out of the warmth and dryness of the bathroom into the cold and light to medium rain. I am cussing up a storm every time the wind blows because I am soaked through, every part of my body is wet, cold, numb and in pain. I am blindly following the course as two women come up behind me. They ask if I am all right. “I will be in about 10 minutes, I am going home, enjoy the rest of this race and your medal, I’m done!”

“Oh don’t say that, we only have a 5K to go 3 little ole miles, finish this with us.”

As I turn to look at the women talking, I see the one next to me, no sleeves on her shirt and a half of a garbage bag to keep the rain off her (she is colder than I am) then it hits me I asked for Help and here it is, two angels here to get me to the finish and accomplish what I set out to do 2 hrs and 50 minutes ago. So I agree and run/walk with them. We pass my car, I look at it longingly. But I am determined to finish this. I introduce myself to Trish and Melissa; we become fast friends bonded over will power, rain, cold and being runners that don’t need to win, but to at least finish.

Left to Right: Angel #1- Trish, Me, Angel #2- Melissa

I cross the finish line at 3:26:24, which is worse that the previous year of 3:14:04, I take into consideration; I walked the last 4 miles of this race (the first year I ran the whole thing). I was injured and finishing up fighting a cold. It was also raining and freaking freezing that day. But God is great and He taught me a valuable lesson, you can run by yourself, you can win be yourself, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to by yourself, but when you are hurt, in pain and need help if you ask and accept that help you are unstoppable as to what the future will hold for you. Always listen and look for those “Angels” God sends to help his children. 

Soccer a New Season… 25 Years Later!

Two years after my heart attack, over a 100 pound weight loss and being in the best shape of my life because of running, exercise and eating healthy, I got an itch, that itch was soccer. I played as a child and fell in love, In Jr. High School I was moved to the goalie position and fell deeper in love. I played Keeper and Sweeper/Stopper during my two years in HS, I even coached that position. I remember getting into “shape” for the season of play I would complain “Why do I have to run… I am the goalie I don’t move out of the goal box?” I was told “You need to be in shape and have endurance just like the rest of the team.” So grudgingly I ran and I hated it.

So 25 years later, I have fallen in LOVE with running, I am miserable if I miss a scheduled run. So God in His infinite wisdom says to me, quietly, “Robin now you are in “Shape”, you can play soccer again”. At first I was taken aback, no He really didn’t just say that. “Yep I really did, find you a league and get out there and play”. So I went on the internet and found PASL, Premiere Adult Soccer League of Winston-Salem, I contacted them and was assigned a team for the Spring Season of 2013. I was ready… wait I needed equipment, I was in heaven at the sporting goods store, buying soccer balls, socks, goalie clothes, shoes, shin guards, goalie gloves… you name it and I bought it.

Then as I got home and started to put away my new soccer equipment, it sunk in… 25 year, 25 YEARS… 25 LONG YEARS since I had even held a soccer ball. What have I done?!? So I put the fear and dread to the side and focused on my running, it calmed me.

Then the day came… It rained, to wet to play… have to wait till next week. Then the day came… fields still wet, we may not play… they are moving us to another set of fields. I so don’t want to play I have injured my knee (see previous blog entry). Ok so the day has arrived, I put on my clothing, equipment and head out. I make a decision, I will play and if my knee starts to hurt I will pull out. I get to the fields, I know no one. I meet the other team; my team is not there… 25 YEARS, OMG! What have I done? As my team starts to arrive, they are girls, 18 to 30 years old, I’m a 42 year old, injured, slightly still over weight, heart attack survivor! What have I done?

Ok, I talk to the captain we decide I will play, but if my knee hurts I call it and they take me out.

The game starts and WOW, why are they all down here at my end… For an hour and a half (45 minutes each half of play) the other team ran all over us. They out numbered us and had two reserve players they dominated the field.

As I stood there in awe of the fact that I was diving, jumping, sliding and blocking the 500 (really it was more like 20 shots on goal) shots taken at me, I was impressed I didn’t have another heart attack, die or break any bones. I was never winded and I kept up with the younger girls on my team. I stopped all but 8 shots on goal and lived to tell this story. The girls on my team are hard working and never stopped, hopefully the rest of this season will be with fewer shots on me and more on the other goalie of the other team, either way I am having a blast just to be on the field again. 

Injury Free is an Oxymoron!

All runners know that at one time or another you will have an injury or be sick. I have braved the running world head on into all extreme weather conditions: Rain, Ice and Snow also as of late pelting freezing rain with high gusts of winds. I have had a cold from the sniffles to the flu. I have braved it all and have been very, very, very careful not to fall or injury my body that it would cause me not to run. I was going to make sure I didn't have to worry about a bodily injury forcing me to stop running.

Then it happened… an incident at work where you would never think you would injury a part of your body that you actually need to run. I was doing some photography of product for a new brochure and sat back on a bucket I was using as a seat so I could get better angles of the product and missed the bucket. I fell on my ass and left side hip, but when I fell I must have also used my right heel to catch myself and I twisted and slammed my right knee too. Causing pain when walking and I knew I was not going to be able to run.

WTF! I have a half marathon in less than a month; I am starting Soccer in less than a week. You have got to be FREAKING kidding me!?! Now what?

I was mad, I was pissed and I was scared, I thought I am not going to be able to run, my heart started to race, I got cold sweats…. “Wait, just wait, you have been running and preparing yourself for something like this for two years, you will be OK.”

I love when God just says it like it is. OK God, I have to rest. I have to heal. And I have to be patient.

I have been doing what needs to be done to rest my injured knee and I am resigned to take it easy as many days as it takes to get back out on the road. This is a test, I feel like I am in a movie and the climax for the ending where I battle all the odds and win is right around the corner. But I have all ready done that, I did that when I beat heart disease. This is a test to see if I can be patient and allow my body to heal and then I can go again. I will pass this test and I will finish my half marathon and I will excel at Soccer.