The Coffee Monster: Let's Play Catch Up in the Chicago Marathon

Here's some things we will NOT be talking about in this post:

My computer science project.
My computer science lab.
My computer science quiz.
That speech I just gave.

It's kind of important to my sanity that I don't relive any of those. Ever. Ever.

It has been a long time since I posted last, so this may be a bit longer than usual. Hopefully I don't bore anyone to death. I can't afford a lawsuit.

My entire Wednesday was spent on my computer science project, and is therefore a taboo subject. There were almost tears and desperate calls. I'm pretty sure that's all anybody needs to know.

I didn't get my Einstein's on Thursday, which was actually super depressing and terrible. I almost starved to death in my calculus class. Thank goodness I hoard my cliff bars in my backpack, just in case of an emergency. Otherwise bad things would have happened. Too bad I can't hoard coffee in my backpack...

Really, Thursday was pretty boring and I don't even remember what I did during it. I'm sure something funny happened that I'd like to remember and talk about, I just can't recall it right now. Or probably ever.

Friday is interesting though. At least, Friday was interesting to me. And by interesting I mean absolutely fantastic and awesome. Obviously.

I had my third meet on Friday, which was a 5k this time and the same course as my first 5k of the season. My race was last, because I was in the open race and everyone else got to go first. The women's varsity race was so fast! Our team had 5 girls at 18:00 or lower! I was pretty much frothing at the mouth while watching this. I shouldn't be left alone while I watch races.

The women's open race was tiny, in case you were wondering. There at most 40 girls, but probably closer to 30. It was cold, overcast, and windy at the starting line. To make things incredibly awkward, my ex-boyfriend's best friend was at the meet, by the line (his girl friend was racing I think) as I stripped down to my buns and tank top. I found it mildly uncomfortable. But mostly I was cold.

As the race starts, I get up to the front with one of my roommates, our neighbor (another freshman on the team) and a girl from State. The first mile was pretty slow, around 5:55, and the second was at 11:58 (which is about a 6:03 mile). This is where I decided to push the race. I don't know when I started losing people, but all I know is when I hit the last k, that there is a girl behind me and she is chasing me. So I run faster. And then one of my coaches is at the last 400, telling me I need to start going faster here. So I run faster. And then I'm at the finishing stretch, and people are screaming at me. So I run faster. And then I'm crossing the line, and the clock is saying 18:13.

To put this into perspective, I would like to point out that my previous PR was an 18:48 that I ran in my junior year of high school.

I think the words to describe me at that moment were deliriously happy.

To make a long story short, I PR'd, won my race, and didn't die. It was good.

After that I got a ride from my dad, not back to my apartment, but all the way back home (after stopping for dinner with the sisters). Why? Because I was going to Chicago that weekend to watch my sisters ~~die~~ run the Chicago Marathon!

In several good coincidences, my friend from high school had an 11 mile long run to do on Saturday (like me) and my team was meeting up before heading out to Portage to race.

In case you were wondering, it's really fun to sit in my coach's office and casually say hi to my old teammates and wait for their reactions. There was a lot of screaming. And hugging. And delayed reactions. My favorite was when I was standing next to my friend who's also in college now (also named Amy), and a girl named Emily was saying how good it was to see her. I'm pretty sure she didn't even see me there, which was why it was so great when she did notice I was there and had a heart attack.

Good times.

They all had to weight lift though, so Amy and I headed out for our run, and got to talk for a really long time. (It was 11 miles after all.) And I got to hear about her life. And her love life. And her love interest. And them swing dancing. And their dates. And how perfect he is.

If she doesn't put a ring on him, I will. Seriously.

So besides the fact that I'm slightly bitter now, it was really great seeing her and all of the girls again! It's so weird not being with them anymore.

Amy and I ended up getting breakfast before I had to leave for Chicago with my parents. I ended up sleeping for the majority of the drive. The hotel we stayed out was really nice, I sort of wish we stayed there for more than one day.

We woke up at 4:30 the next morning (an hour earlier than we had to) and drove to Chicago. I slept during that too.

Chicago at 6:30 am is freezing. As in, I thought the city was being occupied by dementors and that I'd never be warm again. I had a shirt, two sweat shirts, my thickest running tights, gloves, and ear bands on, and I was still freezing.

At least we got to see my sisters before they raced! We didn't get to talk much, but it was still nice. My dad and I then went to the 2 mile to go cheer, while my mom went to a different part of the course to cheer them on while waiting for their friend to meet up with her.

My dad and I got to see them at the 3 mile also, before they looped out into the city where we couldn't watch. So we went to Starbucks, and drank coffee while we warmed up. I feel no shame for this.

The next time we got to see them at the half way point, and they were doing really well at that point! Eileen was at around 1:38 and Meagan was around 1:42 I think, so they were moving!

We got to see them once more before the finish at the 16.5 point, but I only found Eileen though my parents found others that I didn't see. After this all we could do was go to the finish and cheer them in!

Both of the qualified for Boston! (Eileen was 3:13 and Meagan was 3:25.) Am I allowed to brag about their achievements? Because I really want to.

I don't know how they stomached this after running that far, but we got Chipotle pretty much right after they finished (which was delicious) and pretty much headed home.

Almost everything from this point on is on the list of thing I can not, will not, should not talk and/or think about. So I'll just finish with pictures.