Night of Lights with My Girls

Saturday morning I woke up and went for a run with Kayla. That's typically how Saturdays work, Carly, Kayla, and the open road.  In any case, we busted out 5 miles at pace with 1 mile cool down to follow. I was slightly tired on this run as I had worked late into the night making tutus... as, my daughters and I were involved in a 5K Saturday night.  It's not any 5K, it's the Night of Light 5K in downtown Morganton to benefit the families of the First United Methodist Church. It's festive, fun, and a tradition now as the race is in its 6th year. I have only missed one race, last year's, because we ran another race the same day.  My girls had begged to run a 5K, they know how far 3.1 miles is, they've practiced and trained, and they know running is very important to me.

So the time came... the Bumgarner girls were going to run a 5K together. We arrived at the church, dressed pretty cute, if you ask me.  Ava and I were reindeer and Elle was dressed as Santa.  We posed for pictures along the way, met with the preacher, talked with the race directors (two of my sole sisters), and mentally prepared for the race. The girls climbed trees, did cartwheels, and ran in circles. I'm so active, I didn't even think about how this might effect them during the race. (MISTAKE)

When the time came to race and we stood at the starting line, Elle looked up at me and said "I don't want to do this now." I reassured her "this will be great, you are ready, Mommy loves you."  (MISTAKE) When the gun sounded, we were off. Elle was running at mach speed and I vaguely recall hearing Ava say "slow down, save your energy Elle!" I chased Elle down the hill to the start of the course. By 0.2 miles into the race Elle looked at me and said "I'm tired. I don't want to run." I told Ava to go on, I'd catch her.  And I picked up Elle and carried her. I carried her for more than half a mile. I walked fast and Ava trotted along beside of me.  The race was done with 3 X 1.033 mile loops, so I knew if I could get Elle back to the start I  could finish two more laps with Ava.  When we got to the final hill of the first lap, and water station, Elle complained about being thirsty, and I put her down to get water. She then sprinted to the top. I found a friend who watched Elle so Ava and I could finish.  I waited for Ava who started lap two with me. We ran a good pace but by the third Ava was wearing down.  I pepped talked her through an entire mile. It was daunting to me, but I've had supporters help me through marathons... so it's part of the process. But, she finished strong and got her medal!   In fact, Elle put it around her neck because Elle had been given the job of medal giver-outer!  That night we celebrated with Subway and a large bowl of popcorn at the house. The girls were worn out!  Now, my 8 year old is a 2x 5Ker and my 5 year old is a DNF. But I couldn't be prouder!

That night, I had a glass of wine and texted some of my friends who raced the race... then I woke up early Sunday morning and went on a 10 mile run with the race director who wanted to debrief.  I admitted the race was perfect and would recommend it to anyone looking for a small 5K with big charisma. The Night of Light 5K is a Morganton Tradition - with mega hills, mega thrills, and load of magic at Christmas time! I'd say to just about anyone, be there or be square, and wear an ugly Christmas sweater or else!

Philly 26.2

It is a long story, a mighty fine story, but nevertheless a long story on how I got roped into running the Philadelphia Marathon to raise money for Autism. I'll just say, I'm a speech pathologist, I met the right people, I run marathons for fun, and the rest is history... but I won't stop the saga there. I have to tell the story of the day and the marathon, I will never forget.

Remember there is a rich back story to this all... but fast forward... through some kick ass training and beyond... the story unfolds. On 11/18/2017 I sat at Charlotte Douglas waiting on my friend Jennifer... so we could fly up to Philly for the weekend. We met, we hugged, we did all that excitement jazz that two girls do before girls weekend -- then we got on the plane.  The flight was uneventful, which is great, and we got two glasses of complimentary wine from the stewardess along the way to go with our complimentary pretzels.

When we arrived to Philly, we texted Sam, who happened to be hosting us for the weekend in his home.  Sam is the founder of Operation Jack. Operation Jack is a non-profit charity in honor of Jack Felsenfeld who was born in 2003 and has severe autism.  Jack happens to be Sam's son.  So we were so honored to be a part of this and get to meet Jack over the course of the weekend.  Along with all the other Felsenfelds, who happen to be the coolest cats around!

Saturday was basically filled with laughter and tons of travel.  We had to get to the expo for packet pickup in Philly and I think we drove around Philly for two hours looking for parking.  As expos generally are, Philly's was pretty great, we bought what we needed, got our bibs and shirts, took cute photos... etc... and I swear there were pretzels everywhere - this theme will continue by the way.   (We even bought a pretzel at the market!)

Saturday night went as I expected the night before a race. We ate a nice pasta dinner, laid out our "flat runners*", wound down with a glass of wine, and then jumped in the bed early  (*flat runner- your race outfit and bib laid out flat and ready to jump into).  I actually slept okay... but awoke at 3:53 am with a 4:00 am alarm ready to blare. Jennifer and I both got up and got ready.  We drank coffee, ate a bite of food, and tried to get mentally psyched. We met Sam downstairs at 5:00 am for our departure to the race.  At 5:00 am in Philly, it's cold y'all, and unfortunately it was raining... and even more unfortunate, it was windy.  Not little gusts, I'm talking 40 mph headwinds that never stopped.  Fortunately the rain did stop and the wind made for an adventure!

We drove several miles from Sam's home into the city. So we parked in this parking deck that Sam claimed was the best... it was.  (Along with listening to him tell us stories about the best Weggman's best Target... etc.) Then we had a mile long walk to stretch out our legs.  Marathons are interesting as you have to through security checks,wait in long lines to go to a porta-potty, listen to banter about running pace, and find your correct corral. And in our case.... we did this in the cold rain and wind.  The race started at 7:00 but my corral didn't get to the start line until 7:25 or so.  Sam started ahead of us (several corrals), but so is life! During the wait, I met some lovely gals who were from Philly. They represented the 610 Running Club.  We laughed, joked, and even hugged --- since the meeting, I've even been made an honorary 610 Runner! The rain did stop by this point!

The race started and I was so excited. We started near the Art Museum (Rocky steps) and ran through the town.  I saw so many historic things as the course runs past Independence Hall, the Betsy Ross House and the Liberty Bell. The course travels the streets of Old City on Penn’s Landing, parallel to the Delaware River, along the Schuylkill River and out to Manayunk as well.  I loved the sights, the sounds, and the atmosphere. I danced in China Town, told every Philly policeman "thank you!", cheered at the spectators, and gave at least 100 high fives. I giggled at the signs along the street saying things about chafing, running, and smiling.  I met people from all over the world and talked to people on the course about life in general.  The town of Manayunk, was my absolute favorite part of the course.  It takes some time to get there... but it is well deserved.  You enter Manayunk at about mile 21 of the course... and that's where the party begins. I have never been offered more beer, more shots of liquor, and given food in my life. I had a Reese's cup, a doughnut,  some pretzels, a couple of beers, and then finished it all off with a shot of Fireball Whisky! Then they turn you around for the finish.  I never hit a wall because I was having too much fun to realize how much I had run.  I did get slightly tired at mile 24 but I recovered quickly because miles 25-26.2 were so exciting! You could hear the end!

I sprinted to the finish.  I heard a girl say (about me) "give her a medal, did you see her come in?"  I said "yes! I need my little Liberty Bell now!" I grabbed a water and a soft pretzel.  I was also handed a bag of pretzels. (Shocker) I couldn't eat. I was zonked. I found Sam and we waited at the finish line for Jennifer. I knew she would finish behind me because I saw her in Manayunk at the turn around and she indicated she was injured. I wrapped my body tightly in my Mylar blanket... the wind was whipping still and it was getting cold. I found out later, I had PRed!

After the race, I hugged Jennifer... it was over. She was concerned about an injury that she had checked by the medical tent at mile 17.  She indicated it made the last 9 miles cumbersome and painful... but she got it done! She's a crazy runner chick too, if you didn't already know! So proud of her tenacity!

Then we had to find the car. After running 26.2 miles, plus tangents, and walking the city earlier that morning... the last thing you want is to walk some more.  But we did.  Then we traveled back to Sam's for the evening.  They celebrated with cheese steaks, I had something veggie, then we watched the Philadelphia Eagles stomp the Dallas Cowboys.   I fell asleep too early to report on how my Eagles really did, but I heard it was great.

The flight back was uneventful, I ate more freaking pretzels, and hugged Jennifer until next time... Then I ran down the sidewalk looking for my husband where I fell into his arms.

What I learned from this experience:
1) It's Philly not Philadelphia
2) People in Philly love the Eagles and nobody likes the Cowboys
3) Encouraging others and celebrating life is what it is all about
4) Pretzels get old after a while
AND
5) You can't put a price on a marathon  - it's an experience.

Marathon 6 is in the bag... I'm feeling pretty great.  In addition, I have gained some new friends, become an honorary member of Run 610 and Manayunk Beer Runners Clubs, and I'm ready to run number 7.  I cannot express my gratitude more to Sam and his wife Tiffany for making this possible. I cannot express to you all how excited I am to have helped raise money for Autism awareness through running.  I cannot put the words onto this computer to let you know how amazing the whole thing really was.  But, it was one of the best experiences of my life and  that’s the truth!

Marathon Madness

Here I am, training for another marathon. I'm well into the midst of training, running nearly 35 miles a week, keeping up a yoga practice to reclaim energy, and swimming to keep stress off my joints. I get all this done while being someone's wife, someone's mom, someone's employee, someone's daughter, and someone's friend. Things lapse, like I struggle to stay up past 10:00 pm to watch television with my husband, I often neglect folding towels for a day or two, and I have to decline invitations to go out with friends and party. It's exhausting. My legs are always sore, because in reality I'm probably still recovering from the first time my body hit 12+ miles in this training series --- several weeks ago. Sure, this is marathon 6, and it feels old hat at times, but at other times, I'm reminded of how emotional, stressed, and chaotic I feel.  Because I'm tired - most all of the time.  But the funny part is... I can't imagine my life any other way. I was selected for some odd reason to be a runner and it has brought me the greatest joys in life. Running has also taught me the greatest lessons -- from learning to recover from a major injury to healing from the heartbreak of losing a running friend or two.  Running is my catharsis, my passion, and often my best friend. 

Here's the cool part. I was asked to run on the Operation Jack Marathon Team to raise money for Autism awareness for Talk About Curing Autism (TACA).  We are running the Philadelphia Marathon on 11/19/2017.  I'm excited! This marathon is not about a personal record (PR) for me. This marathon is about the experience.  As you know, I'm a speech pathologist. I help diagnose Autism for a living. It is not an easy diagnosis to make, to understand, or even to talk about --- but we need to change the last part.  We need to talk about Autism in an effort to understand and in an effort to diagnose earlier.  We think we know a lot about Autism -- but we have some much more to learn. We need to be able to share the beauties that come from people with Autism and learn how we can all live together and learn from each other in this world.  On 11/19/17 I hope to start racing toward that goal. We can learn to tap into their gifts, their passions, and make social communication easier.  For people with Autism have a lot to teach us.

I feel extremely blessed to be a runner on the Operation Jack Team. My two loves, running and speech pathology will hit the streets together for  beautiful reason. It can't get much better than that.  Then over Thanksgiving break, I'll sleep.

If you'd like to donate here's a link! Peace, love, and light! 

https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/team/2017-operation-jack-philadelphia-marathon-team

Growth - Learning - Catharsis

I used to think that people who changed directions, changed beliefs, and changed who they were at great frequency, were drifters. Directionless and headed away from the sun. Aimless.  I used to think that carefree was equated to careless and that being stable was ideal.  Then I shifted my perspective.  Isn't it funny? When I shifted perspective, I saw these folks as life-learners and I saw stability could be equated to stagnancy.  I saw that I was one of these life-learners and I am definitely not heading away from the sun. In fact, I may be closer to the sun than ever.

Each and every person you meet and each situation you encounter is a learning opportunity.  Sure, some of those people and some of those situations are not happy and far from good.  But, you gain an opportunity to grow and learn. If this is learning, then that makes us all teachers.  Right now I am going through a point in my life where I want to learn it all. I have a voracious appetite for some of the craziest things to do and things to learn from.  I offer my heart to others to teach about growth and development. I bear my soul to let people know it's okay to be yourself.  I blog, not only to share catharsis, but to encourage.

When you change yourself, you are growing. You have an important choice to make, whether you want this change to be positive or negative. Whether you want to dwell on the past or move forward into the present moment.  This may all sound airy fairy and whimsical... but this is how I live. I view encounters as a growth opportunity and I try to take positive aspects from people who touch me and "grow" with it.  It takes time to understand journeys, growth, mindset shifting, and positivity. It takes an effort to be conscious, engaged, and present.  It takes work to find the true you - but it is possible.

The highest version of yourself is there.  As Mark Twain said "the two most important days of your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." This gives me chills... I get excited just reading it!

Over the weekend, I embarked on a growing opportunity.  One of my best friends and someone who has taught me lots, Karen and I, embarked on a girl's night out adventure.  We met in graduate school, way back in the day, and have kept up with each other since. Certainly there were peaks and valleys in the friendship as it is with life - but now we are very close and embarking on our journey to higher self-versions together. We left our husbands with the kids and met in Asheville for the evening.  Karen lives in SC and I'm in NC - but Asheville is a 45 minute drive for us both so it works as a meeting place.  What could have been a trip of day drinking and chatting, turned into a spiritual journey and pilgrimage.

Our journey started well.  We did a little shopping around town and then headed to a Tibetan Buddhist ceremony at the Urban Dharma.  We sat through meditative chants and explanations of reincarnation, kindness, and compassion. The process touched my heart. We were cleansed of impurities and it had me longing for more.  It had me wanting to provide more compassion in my life.  I just want to smile and laugh.  It was ground breaking in the process of discovering my why. We discussed the ceremony afterward and I hope to learn more.  Both Karen and I are plant-based eaters, her more so plant-based than me as I ascribe more to veganism than "plant-based."  My diet is for ethical reasons and hers seems to be dietary and medicinal (if that makes any sense)...  but, in Asheville, that is no problem.  We chose a vegetarian/vegan cafe and had jackfruit tacos (bahn mi style).  It was delightful eating! I could of eaten seven of those things!  After our meal, we headed to check into our dwellings.  We rented an RV through Airbnb, because--- why not. We set up our things in the RV and called Uber to get us safely back to town so we could hit a few breweries.  We hit the town running and reminisced about good old days, talked about our families, and then shared our dreams.  We found a bar off the beaten path, that was only meant to be found if you were seeking it --- which seemed to define the whole purpose of our trip.  In the end, we called Uber to take us back to RV, laughed some more, and slept.  We slept in that next morning and left for our homes with excited hearts.  What I took from this experience was 1) laughter and friendship is good for the soul; 2) compassion and kindness are everywhere if you know where to look; 3) doing things that are unconventional will teach you more than you could imagine; and 4) you have to do things for you to stay happy and healthy.

Life is an experience.  It's meant to teach you tremendously.  Make good choices and learn new things. Enjoy it all and be positive.  There are speedbumps and hardships, but it's all okay and works out in the wash. Learn from others - use them as teachers... grow in abundance.

The Journey

I started an Instagram post the other day with "On a path to enlightenment, on a path to liberate your soul, you journey.  Journeys begin with people you meet. Some light fires in your life that last a minute, some even immediately go out... then there are those fires that continue to be lit and burn strong, because those are your people. You may lose people for various reasons throughout your journey because you gain experience; and that's okay because that's life. In fact, you take bits of pieces of these experiences to make you uniquely you. One day, you realize it is all part of the journey." In posting this, I hope it relieves the stress and burden people feel when they lose a loved ones, friends, or other relationships due to "drifting apart" or general discordance.

In the past year, I devoted my time to uncovering relationships and assigning meaning to why I lost certain friends over the years. It used to be "what did I do wrong?" But over the past year, I've discovered that I did nothing wrong - it was just time. Time to move on.  Each unique experience and relationship has made me who I want to be and what I want to share with the world. Those first friendships as a child made me see friendship as fun, exciting, and adventurous; those high-school relationships made me see that friendship requires trust and sometimes others are not loyal; those college friendships helped me see that some friendships are lifelong, rewarding, and uplifting; and my adult friendships are luckily a grand mix of them all and also some of the most educating.

Right now I am on precipice in life where I feel I could fall back and let former things hurt me or I can fall forward into the unknown. It's a rather exciting and frightening time for me.  Yet, I hate the unknown. I have basics covered,  I'm somebody's wife, I own a home, I have a job, I have a dog... but, I am always seeking growth and that's the scary part. Growth requires change. It requires seeing what's right and letting go of what's wrong, including friends.  It requires trusting the unknown. But I see no other option rather than to grow, because I'm a mother and I have to show my kids how to be a strong human. So, here I grow. As I bear my heart to this computer, which will eventually be seen by you guys, I guess I sigh relief. I sigh relief because it's cathartic.  I sigh relief, because it cannot be undone and that's the best I can do.

One year ago, I was hurt the most I have ever been hurt in my entire life. Unimaginably hurt, and I took the fall, to some degree, instead of clearing my soul because I was tired. I was tired of the relationships, the stress, and the drama.  Sure I enjoyed the laughter and fun but I was too exhausted from the negativity to keep going. I just let it go at the time trying to not look back.  Seems that is easier said than done, but I'm a work in progress. Fortunately I had support, of a few dear friends (one who was involved in the situation) and had family and a husband to love me... but I still reel and lose sleep at night over the situation.  I resigned myself to self-discovery and growth mindset.  I set forth to find beauty, love, and freedom. On my journey I found all those things in abundance, in fact, they were there all along, I was just too clouded to see it.

What I hope you take from this is, you are you... and that's perfect. Amazing, kind, and beautiful you.  Just like shoes, some things don't fit -- including friends and sometimes they aren't your taste. Sometimes they feel good for a bit and then all of the sudden don't. But there's plenty more out there that do.  Sometimes by letting that friendship go you allow your friend to grow too and the best things happen for them.  So when you are ready, consent, allow life to happen and go on a journey.  Life will continue without you so why not follow it and be happy?  Do what you need for you because it's healthy and contributes to the highest version of yourself. It's part of your journey.

Run Like a Bumgarner

People often ask me why I run.  I generally say "because I love it," which is likely the easiest and most correct answer, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

I got into running many years ago, at the age of 14, when I wanted to run Cross Country at my high-school. At that time, 3-5 miles was a daunting but wonderful feat and it complimented my swimming "career". Running came in and out of my life through my college years, but I would often be coined "the runner" at the gyms I went to because you could usually find me running 1-2 miles on the treadmill before classes, before I lifted weights, or before I did the elliptical. When I got my first job, I started running 5K and 10K races again, because some of my colleagues were doing it... the 10K pushed me to finally "train" and that's where the running passion struck me.  I kept running through pregnancies and eventually set my sights on the half marathon distance and eventually the full marathon, to which I have successfully finished 5. I have run so many miles and races over the years, I feel like an accomplished runner - despite the fact I'm relatively slow.  Not a weekend passes that I don't go out for 10 miles with a friend and I typically run several miles on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays too.

So why do I run? There are many reasons.  Physical, spiritual, emotional, and for soul catharsis... it makes me feel sane. For you see, I have a tough job.  I see a slice of life that others will never see. I wear my heart on my sleeve.  I often cry after we diagnose Autism.  I always cuddle babies extra longer when I hold them at work, because we've lost these same babies over the years.  I often question why I wore white when a home is less clean than my standards.  I try to distance myself from situations, because I am a trained professional --- but I can only distance myself so far because in reality, I am a mother of three and it makes me sad in individual situations.  So I run to find peace in all of this. I run to bring a piece of joy back to my heart. I run to pray for these families.  I run just to be in that moment - to feel sunshine on my back - and to just live.

They say life is short, which is very true... but I think life can be hard in its short duration. By finding joy and peace on my runs, I'm only adding life to my soul and you can't argue with that.

Being a Mother

Have you ever been in a situation where you feel you have to subscribe to everyone's norms? I'll admit, I've lived that life. I constantly feel like the square peg trying to desperately fit into the proverbial round hole... but I rarely fit and it never matters in the end, because to others I'm "cool", "different",  "wise", and "unique". 

I'll be honest here, the hardest role I've ever played though, is that of being a mom.  Society has this definition of a mother --- that she cooks, cleans, looks pretty, never complains, and seems to get it "all done." She's on top of the laundry, knows where everyone's toys are, has a pantry full of goodies, and has time to make it to all of the birthday parties. She's somewhat of a superwoman. But that's not me.  I'm the mother you find rushing home after work and a sweaty run to cook for my family.  We spend the evenings doing yoga together, getting dirty outside, walking the dog, or curled up watching television. I'm the mom who spends Saturdays exhausted because I get up early to run and then spend the rest of the day chasing my kids around the pool, playing at the park, going for a hike, or discovering a cool museum.  I'm the mom with the unorganized home, because I want to show love and compassion to my children and not societal norms. They'll see that in life... but true love and nurture is hard to come by these days. 

Other mothers, other women, even men try to make you feel bad for being a certain way.  There's no right answer.  I'm not saying that being the "perfect" mom is wrong or that being the "crazy" mom (like me) is correct.  All I am trying to point out is that in the end, all that matters is love.  And I've found, from being the mom that I am and not trying to fit into societal norms, I'm able to express love on  a higher level.  Because I am being me and my kids are happy.  Just a thought. 

Alter Ego

A friend recently pointed out to me, that I seem to have an alter ego. Her name is Eartha. Eartha is serious and into radical changes in the world.  She runs, she's a natural beauty, she believes in the ethical treatment of animals, she recycles, and she likely drinks kombucha. Then there's Carly. She's professional, kind, pulled together, pretty, and proper.  See, I thought they were one and the same.  Then it got me thinking... do we code switch, lifestyle switch to adapt to our surroundings? Do we have alter egos that allow us to fit into certain categories? And with those thoughts, I went to nature.

The chameleon came to mind. A chameleon will change his color to hide/camouflage himself from danger, he will even change his color to communicate his intent to his tribe, and he will change his color to submit or give up.  That fact that he changes does not make him less chameleon; it does not make him fake; it does not make him weird or odd --- it makes him chameleon.  There's beauty in nature which adds beauty to life.

This brought me back to me.  I've struggled the past few years with adaptation and change.  I dealt with learning to live on one income, I dealt with being in the wrong job placement for me, I dealt with the loss of a loved one to suicide,  I dealt with toxic friendships, I suffered a severe running injury ... I dealt with struggle after struggle ... and I tried to smile in the midst of it all... because that's Carly -- kind, pretty, and proper.   Then with a switch in mindset and growth,  I learned about abundance... abundance means that life is provided for if you are willing to just let go.  I sought out guidance from a couple of friends who I knew could support me on this journey.  Overnight things changed. I meditated over the thoughts of eventually finding eternal happiness in all aspects of life even if some days would still be hard.  I remembered happy thoughts and tried to tie up the past so I could learn to live in the present.  I read a lot more,  I took time to enjoy my cuppa tea, I listened to others, and I even learned to let go of toxic friendships and learned to relish healthy friendships.  A weight was lifted off my shoulders.  I ran faster -- because I was only focused on running in that present moment... I learned to love more fiercely, because if that single moment is the only one my loved ones remembered of me, then damn it, I'm going to show them love... and I lived freely with no one's rules but my own.  Maybe's that Eartha. I don't know. I think it's likely my higher self and I'm glad she shines brighter these days.

For now I plan to move forward and continue learning... I will continue to grow internally. But only one day at a time, because I'm needed in the present moment --- not the past... I've proven I can adapt to change. And I have a wonderful couple of friends who pointed this all out to me.



 

Myrtle Beach Marathon

On Friday March 3rd,  2017 I woke up feeling sort of rough. I hadn't run since Tuesday and my body was achy. I chocked my "un-well-ness" up to nerves about running the next day's marathon; my fifth full.  My husband and I left for the beach that morning.  We had nice conversations, listened to good music, and I drank a lot of liquids. By the time I got to the beach (5 hours later), I was feeling feverish. Again, I chocked it up to nerves. We had a nice lunch, went to packet pickup, relaxed, and then had a nice dinner (Vietnamese food-- yum!) I passed out in the the hotel bed from exhaustion that night.

At 5:00 am I was awoken by the hotel alarm clock. I felt rough, like I had been run over by a truck.  I went to start coffee and was alarmed to see we only had decaf --- I had to push through. I sipped on the coffee and tried to eat a protein bar, I will not mention the name here --- as it is popular and beloved, but it made me want to vomit. It was yucky! After getting dressed, no coffee, no breakfast, I was ready to run 26.2 miles.  Ha! It was so early and I had to walk nearly a mile to get to the race.  I coughed a lot and felt feverish.... but I was determined to run.

Prior to the race I met some nice people in my pace group.  When the race started I and was able to keep up the first 5 miles with a girl who is slightly faster than me.... then I felt sluggish. I slowed to a slow pace, but still felt I would finish.  It seemed like the next 10 miles (plus or minus) were in the cold wind on Ocean Blvd. I could feel my face cracking each time the wind blew. At mile 11, a course volunteer yelled "You are almost done." I think I heard several marathons say the f-word.  In his defense, this is where the half marathoners turned off the course and obviously he couldn't tell the difference between the blue and orange bibs (assigning which course you were completing). I digress.

At mile 13, I felt defeated. My half time was fair, not a PR, not my slowest, but I just felt so sickly.  I spotted a group of runners who appeared to be having a blast. I ran to meet up with them and introduced myself.  One of the guys was running his 200th-and-something marathon. They told me about another guy who was running his 1,800th marathon.  This group was crazy ultra-running freaks and my kind of people.  I ran with Scott, from this group, for the next 12 miles; and with Scott and his running partner Debra for 6-8 of those miles. I could tell you so much about Scott, his family, the races he has run, his favorite podcast, where he lives --- but the secret about running is "what is said on the run, stays on the run." Ha! Here's the thing about Scott, he was my saving grace. He ran with me, pushed me, and walked when I had to. His friend Debra caught up to us later and pushed us farther. I laughed, joked, and was reminded why I do this crazy running stuff in the first place. We made other friends on the course, who affirmed what I felt about the "back-of -the-packers," ---- that is, the runners who run in the back of the pack, are way more lively and entertaining. At mile 24 Scott said "Let's go, catch me if you can, if not, I'll wait for you at the end." I never caught him those last two miles, but I kept him in sight.  At the end, there he and Debra were, and we hugged! I think I introduced him to Terrence as "my new best friend,"  which if you knew me from high school days that was my drunk catch phrase! (I can make a new best friend anywhere folks).  But Scott, you were my new best friend... my "temporary sole mate,"  at Myrtle Beach.

Terrence and I drove back that afternoon.  I was so sick.  I coughed up green mucus for hours and couldn't breath. I actually drove us mostly back home because I was scared I would stop breathing if I didn't focus. I drank coffee, water, and ate a doughnut. We weren't stopping, but to change my clothes. I was freaking determined to finish this damn day strong!  That night I ate an entire half of a pizza ---effectively ruining 50 some days of veganism --- but I'm still vegetarian and that's awesome! I got in bed around 10pm. I did not sleep well because I was breaking a fever and stiff.  I woke up once in a pool of sweat but couldn't move from muscle soreness to do anything about it.  Talk about misery.  The next day, my legs were tired but not too terribly sore ---- but I was very ill and sickly. As the mother of three, you don't stop to catch your breath, so I pretended Sunday was another marathon and pushed through. By Monday my legs were back to normal, but I was still running a low-grade fever, tired, and coughing up stuff --- so I rested.  I got over the soreness quickly, but maintained this horrid cold for at least 2 weeks. I was back running slowly by Thursday and Saturday back to my quicker-normal pace.

At this point, I'm not sure I will ever run another marathon, while I'd like to as I've had a good time - and the marathon has been good to me -- it's hard to imagine going through the training again and reliving the day mentioned above.  Plus it is 26.2 freakin' miles! Five marathons in commendable BUT running your fifth marathon with a chest cold is not recommended.  But here's a little secret, I've been selected to run Philly to raise money for Autism... if you "cash me outside," I'll tell you more! This girl will not quit running! I love it too much!