^{PLACE & TIME:}  Robin 3rd Place; 3:25:22

(Click on most pictures to enlarge)

It's 3am and it's time to get up!  We're staying with Chad and Ally Hawker.  Chad is doing the race too.  We drive to downtown Monterey to meet up with his friend and board the shuttle bus.  It's the only way to get to the race start in Big Sur.  I have my Bible with me.  I want to spend some time in God's Word.  I'm feeling especially close to Him this morning and want to know His thoughts for today.  I feel led to Acts 13 and Psalm 22 although unfamiliar with them.  Both passages talk about the sacrifice that Jesus made for us in dying on the cross.  I think of the great suffering He experienced…so much more than I could imagine! 

We arrive in Big Sur an hour before the start.  I hit the ladies' room (porta-potty) and get in some good stretching.  I head out for a beautiful warm-up run.  The scenery is certainly gorgeous here!  I literally run into Megan Canova.  She looks good and I am sure will have a fast day!  No sign of Tana Jackson, though I'm certain I'll see her on the race course.

Dropping off my race garb, I run into Kevin Kirkpatrick, son of the great Dick Kirkpatrick.  We're both planning to run about a 3:15 (7:26 per mile).  We line up on the starting line together and chat.  Just 2 minutes before the start I'm feeling nature's call!  I see guys just lining up along the side of the road… I don't feel comfortable doing that in front of others.  I'm just going to hope it goes away or that I find a porta potty on the way.

Go!  The first 4 miles are downhill. I remind myself not to go out too hard.  With Kevin next to me, our fun conversation, and the beautiful woods surrounding us, our first 4 miles are conservative.

Mile 1: 7:23.  Mile 2: 7:33.  Mile 3: 7:10. Mile 4: 7:35.  We're in front of the virtual runner on my watch which we named Troy (just like Jami and I did in the Napa Marathon).  Virtual Troy is running an exact 3:15 pace.  We joke about how "Troy" is so perfect and how he keep that perfect pace.  Another runner gets in on the joke and we have a good laugh at virtual Troy's expense.  We come out of the woods to an exposed area.  The wind is very chilly.  A head wind can be felt.

Mile 5 is a 7:34.  A bit slow.  Kevin encourages us to pick it up.  We tuck in behind a few young Marines to get relief from the wind.  They protect us on the front lines far away, and also close by!  There goes Pro Triathlete Nicole Deboom in her pink dress.  She designs these cute outfits for racing.

Mile 6: 7:24.  Better.  We've got to keep this pace going.  At the aid station Kevin & get separated.  I realize that I'm taking these sections too slow.

Mile 7: 7:29. My average slower than 7:26.  I've got to get back on pace and up to Kevin!  I see his Sponge Bob hat in the distance and work to catch him.  My goal was to be exactly on pace at miles 7, 14 and 21.  Because of the hills other miles would be slower or faster.  I'm over the pace at this mile, but I'm hopeful I'll be right on at the next benchmark.

Mile 8: 7:31!  Virtual Troy is ahead.  I wanted to pick up the pace before Hurricane Hill.  It's the infamous 2 mile climb that really beats up runners!   And the urge to pee has only gotten worse.  I need to stop!  I'm going to loose even more ground to Troy but maybe if I go fast enough it will be minimal.  I'm looking for a bathroom.

Mile 9: 7:38.  Oh boy!  Even slower.  I find a bathroom just before the hill and dart in.  As I come out I see Virtual Troy is 300 yards ahead!  And Kevin is nowhere to be found.  On the climb, Virtual Troy will get farther ahead but I hope the long downhill will help me to catch up.

Mile 10: 7:31.  Not bad with a bathroom stop.  I feel more relaxed and comfortable running now.  Thanks God!  Hurricane Hill is a doozy!  I try not to work it too hard to save energy.

Mile 11: 8:36.  Mile 12: 8:15!  At the top of the hill Virtual Troy is .3 miles ahead!  I feel confident I can catch up to him.

Mile 13: 7:11.  Good, but I've gained little ground on Virtual Troy.  It's disappointing.  I realize that Mile 14 benchmark will be off.  I'm still hopeful that at Mile 21 I'll be back on pace. 

Mile 14: 7:11. Mile 15: 7:18.  Still only a little ground gained on Troy but I continue to focus ahead.  I feel my energy level take a dip so I have some Hammer Gel 2 miles earlier than planned.

Mile 16: 7:39.  My hamstrings start to tighten up a great deal.  It's becoming very hard to keep them moving quickly.  Hurricane Hill was tough but this course keeps dishing out ups and downs.  I cannot seem to make up any ground as my legs get more and more beat up. 

Mile 17: 7:47.  The frustration of being so far behind is getting to me.  I cry out, "Lord, please, I really want to make the goal!"  A few tears fall and then I regroup.

Mile 18: 8:08.  Hamstrings are killing me!  At this point my goal starts to change.  Okay, now, let's try to go under 3:20.

Mile 19: 7:52.  I hear a familiar voice behind me.  It's Tana.  I'm happy to see her and overcome with emotion.  I start to cry and tell her that I'm hurting.  She offers to stick by me.  What a girl!  But I insist that she run her own race and continue on.  I want her to go for it.  Now I think a sub 3:22 sounds good.  Man my legs are making it so hard!  I try to pick up the pace but I've hit a wall.

Mile 20: 7:56. Mile 21: 7:48.  I can still see Tana in the distance and work to keep her in my sight. On the approach to the finish line in Monterey we hit a series of rollers.  These just about finish me off.

Mile 22: 8:19.  Mile 24: 8:28.  Mile 25: 8:07.  Ouch, ouch and ouch!  My new goal is to beat my best time of 3:26:07.  It's going to be close!  I just need to hang in there!  My flesh is crying out and telling me to stop and my spirit is telling me to go on…I know the Lord is behind my spirit.  I see Michelle Ridder running toward me to begin her relay leg (the final leg of the marathon).  Tears of pain are flowing now and I know I'll be seeing Anna and Troy soon.

Mile 25: 8:03.  There they are with Christine Kirkpatrick (Kevin's mom).  I'm balling now.  When you see the ones you love it's hard to hide anything from them.  I run over to Anna and give her a hug and kiss and tell Troy I'm in a lot of pain.  Troy comes along side to run with me and I tell him no.  I don't want to cry anymore, I just want to finish.

Mile 26: 8:25.  The finish is coming soon.  Thank you, Lord, for helping me!  This hurts but not as much as it hurt you when you died on the cross for me.  I'm going to meet my final goal.  I cross the line in 3:25:19. 

I see Troy and hold onto him and cry.  It was so hard!  I lay down on the ground and feel the pain pulsate up and down my hamstrings.   A volunteer brings me Gatorade.  Another insists I go to the medical tent.  But they want to examine me and I don't need that.  I find Troy again with Dick and Christine Kirkpatrick and Megan Canova (who was 2^nd overall!!!).  Overcome with emotion I start crying again.  Troy leads me back to  the medical tent and encourages me to let them examine me.  I think the emotions of the race kept me from thinking clearly but I at that moment I listened to Troy.  As I lay in the tent, weeping in pain, I told Troy about the verses that the Lord led me to this morning.  We felt maybe the Lord was preparing me for my suffering ahead.  Yes, the Lord was preparing me for this difficult day.  The disappointment is there but know I did what I could so I do feel content with the results.  A little later I found out that I had finished 3^rd my age group.  I couldn't believe it!  It was a nice reward for the pain and agony.  I felt the Lord rewarded me for being content and not giving up, but pressing on to get a PR, even though I cried.

I thank the Lord for being with me all the way!  Even in challenging times, He's still there and real.  I don't know the exact reason for this day but I believe in the future God will reveal it's purpose.  And I thank Him for that!

 )

Megan is 2nd Overall!