Setting the stage...

So everyone’s waiting….in high anticipation…what were the results….how did I do?

You’ll have to wait a little longer my friends….I must go back and set the stage for this one.

Short recap: my long lost college friend Megan and I decided to run a half marathon together since she has recently moved from Missouri to Franklin, NC (about 3 hrs from Knoxville). Apparently we are just weird and didn’t realize it might be easier to get together for dinner or something. We picked the Kickin’ Asphalt 1/2 Marathon in Murphy, NC. I have also been battling some tendonitis and Plantar Fasciitis in my left foot since August. 

Before a big race like this, I typically chose NOT to travel for the few days prior. My boss is typically pretty good about respecting those wishes…typically. He was planning on going to PA for a training/sales session with our dealer on a new product line last week. Instead, he suddenly has to go to MI, leaving me to cover the PA session. However, he did agree to let me out of Friday’s festivities so that I could fly back home, pick Mark up and drive to NC.

Tuesday, Nov 1: Very busy work day. Did not have time to pack for trip until late evening. AND I have to pack for the race trip too so Mark can haul my race bag to work with him on Friday. 

This is STRESSFUL!! 

What if I forget something? Will I remember in time to tell Mark? What if I don’t remember at all? What if I get there and don’t have socks? A very late night worrying and packing and getting ready for 2 trips. I don't like feeling rushed while packing!

Wednesday, Nov 2: Flight leaves Knoxville at 7:40a.m., which translates into getting up somewhere around 5:15a.m. Get to Philadelphia, drive 2 hrs, meet up with sales rep, spend rest of day/evening with her. Get back to room at 9p.m. Mostly, I spent the day COMPLETELY wigging out over this race. Nervous energy doesn’t begin to describe the situation. Did NOT sleep well. Did NOT get a run in to work off that negative energy because the hotel treadmill started shaking like a bucking bronco when you got up to a fast walk! Just my luck….break my leg on a treadmill before a race!

Thursday, Nov 3: Training session all morning with sales reps. No early morning run because no sleep the night before, plus I'm terrified of that horse of a treadmill. The afternoon was spent traveling across PA to meet with potential customers. Drove to Philadelphia late in the evening. Got to hotel at 8:30 p.m. No running…too tired. Just a shower and pack up for early flight. In bed by 10 p.m.

Friday, Nov 4: Most runners take it easy the day before a big race. I guarantee you those running the NYC marathon today were totally chilling on Saturday. I, however, am not most runners. On Friday, I was scheduled on a 6 a.m. flight out of Philadelphia so that I could make it back to Knoxville by noon and have a somewhat easy afternoon. My plan was to get up at 4:15-4:30a.m. and sleep a bit on the plane. Well....so much for plans.

Somewhere around 3 a.m. I was WIDE awake with a feeling of ‘something weird is going on’. I get up, go pee, and look in the mirror.

Nothing like scaring the crap out of yourself until you start laughing hysterically. 

Yep. This is what I look like in the mornings. Like a pissed off Banty Rooster. Mark just loves it. Thankfully, that morning “The Rooster” was a little calmer than this.

Then at 3:15a.m. there’s a strange hum in my room. Not very loud, but loud enough to keep anyone from going back to sleep. What the heck is that noise???? I open the door, no noise in the hall. I walk around the room….Is it the fire alarm? Is it the heat/air unit? What is that??

At this point, I feel the impending doom hovering above my head. I think I should do something with "The Rooster" and get presentable at this point. So, I go to the bathroom and wet my hair down, start to brush my teeth. Then it happened....

“ATTENTION! ATTENTION! THERE IS AN EMERGENCY IN THE BUILDING. PLEASE EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT USE THE ELEVATORS. USE THE STAIRS.” 

Seriously? You’ve got to be joking! Of all flipping nights!!!??? (With some 4-letter words mixed in.)

Usually, I would throw clothes on and get the heck out of the building! I’ve been through this before at hotels, and my motto is nothing is important enough to waste time trying to save your crap if the building around you is burning to the ground. (Plus it pisses off the firemen when you don’t evacuate.)

But these aren’t usual times. If it’s a false alarm, I may/may not be allowed back in my room for over an hour, then I’m late to the airport, could miss my flight, etc. etc. If it’s NOT a false alarm….I’m NOT leaving my wallet and running shoes in a burning building!!

Luckily 95% of my stuff was packed up already. I literally throw the rest in the suitcase, throw on some clothes (which were already laid out), grab my backpack and suitcase and go down 5 flights of stairs as fast as possible with a suitcase & backpack…just to end up…..in the kitchen??? I manage to work my way through the maze of the kitchen, the offices, the laundry facilities, the restaurant and get to the lobby where 100s of pissed off people in their pajamas are waiting. 

Ten minutes later….”Ladies and Gentlemen…it’s a false alarm, you can go back to your rooms.”

At this point it’s 3:35a.m. What to do, what to do? Last time I was in a hotel with false alarms, it was repeated….several times that night. I know I won’t go back to sleep at this point because I’m afraid I’ll sleep through my alarm. Well…..damn it all….I’ll just go on to the airport! As I’m pulling out of the parking lot, the alarm is going off again, and the fire department is pulling in. Smart choice Kristy…Smart choice.

I get to the airport to find this……

Nothing. No one. The doors were open, but there’s no one there. Anywhere. It’s a ghost town. Half of the lights are off. It’s Desert Delta. No food, no water...and I'm thirsty and hungry at this point. I start digging around in my backpack to find a half drunk bottle of water and....

 Psht! Who doesn't travel with animal crackers in their bag?

I decide to go to the bathroom to finish dressing and to see what happened to “The Rooster” after a quick wetting and in the mad dash to leave the hotel room, I totally forgot about my head full of wet-pissed-off-Rooster-hair!

So my half-dried hair was somewhat tame. No outlet to do anything with it anyway. And, at this point, what’s the point of putting on makeup? Add a belt and some deodorant…good enough. I don't think I'll be scaring the kids in the airport....right?

I get back to Knoxville at noon. Need food…..Olive Garden….need pasta….need tiramisu!! Actually, I really needed a nap, but settled for a slow, relaxing lunch and getting some very important emails done. 

Appointment with the physical therapist at 2:45 for the ‘taping of the foot’. Leave at 3:45p.m. Then realize I’ll be leaving the hotel in the morning for the race before they’ll have breakfast out….Go to Panera for last minute stock up on bagels… get to Mark’s office at 4:45. Drive 3+ hrs (with a stop for supper in Tellico Plains) to Murphy, NC.

I’ve never been. So. Tired. In. All. Of. My. Life.

For a week I’ve been freaking out over this race. I haven’t run in 6 days. I haven’t slept well in a week. I’m worried my foot will break apart in a thousand pieces…or my PF will rupture (yes, apparently this can happen). Megan messaged me Friday night and said the name of the road for the community center was spelled wrong. Oh geez! I’m beyond exhausted. This is going to be a disaster…. Time for a hot bath while icing foot and then to bed….where I apparently passed out completely.

Saturday, Nov 5: Alarm at 5:10 a.m. Get dressed….one shirt, two shirts? One shirt? Two shirts? Two shirts. Start stretching. I’m beyond tired. Eat some bagels. Pace around room. 6:15a.m. Time to go. It’s DARK, it’s FOGGY, and it’s COLD (35F). Punch in new street address spelling….Lola can’t find it. Punch in old street address spelling….bingo. Let’s go. We follow Lola….not to a community center, but to a POWER SUBSTATION!!!??? The spelling on the street sign was different too.

What’s up with this town? Are they all illiterate? Did they not have a spelling class in elementary school??

Drive around nervously in the dark looking for a community center. Okay, there it is…with no clear way of getting into the parking lot!! Oh GEEZ!!!! At this point, my anxiety level is through the roof.

This is going to be a disaster...of epic proportions. Why the hell am I running a half marathon? What was I thinking? Maybe I should just volunteer or cheer on Megan from the sidelines instead.

Gotta run…Not really…I won’t be running for a while…