White Rock Traffic Woes

I strongly recommend not running on a stomach-ache. Owww. I have no real idea what my problem is, but I've just tried to eat a steaming bowl of oatmeal only to receive painful knots in my stomach with each bite.

This morning I met Barb and Gayatri for our long run of 13 (possibly 14) miles. I ditched out after 5 rather painful miles thanks to intense pain in my abdomen. I hope they finished happy and strong. Possibly I will run again tomorrow morning...doubtfully will I do 13 alone. I will for sure do 7 or 8 and will have a goal of 10. 10 alone is doable. Let's hope the stomach cooperates.

I want to spend a moment on my Dallas White Rock experience. No, I did not run the marathon, the half, or even the relay. I was there to support David at his first marathon. Elizabeth A. and I planned to drive together with our kids (4 total, 2 each) to track our husbands. I was worried about the unfamiliar roads, but I was optimistic after driving the course on Saturday.

Sunday the boys and I had room service breakfast after David left for the start. Elizabeth called to say their breakfast was late, so we moved our meeting time back 15 mins to 7:45am. We met and stood in the valet line for a few minutes, and then again for at least 10 minutes while they searched for Elizabeth's car keys. We finally get both vehicles up and got the car seats from Elizabeth's car. They circle my van for some reason, so we have to wait even longer as the van inches its way back to the front of the hotel. Finally, we have the seats in the car and are on our way. I back into a cement wall (oops) and take a wrong turn to get on I-35 which sends up back around the block of the hotel. Well, now we surely won't be seeing our men at mile 3 or 4. On to mile 8.5 we go.

I-35 and the Dallas North Tollway were smooth sailing. Mockingbird lane was not. It was slow, neighborhood speeds, and then the road was abruptly closed for major repairs. We took the detour, and I call our friends (and former Gazelles) who are at mile 8.5. Somewhere along here I get a text message that David has crossed the mile 5 mat. Uh, we better hurry up. I call BJ and Sarah back and let them know I won't be getting there in time. BJ kindly runs to his house (just right there) and gets a goo for David as I'm supposed to hand David a goo at this stop. Just a few minutes later, BJ calls to say David went by. I'm frustrated and sad...pretty darn sad as I missed him after promising that I'd be at that location. Our plan now is to get there to see Elizabeth's David run by. Just 2-3 minutes later, BJ calls again to say that her David ran by. We are parked now and go ahead and walk to the corner to greet BJ and Sarah. A quick hello and good-bye and retrieving of David's gloves, and we are headed back to the van for the next stop.

I was thinking we'd try for mile 12 or 13, but after missing them once, we decide to shoot for a later mile. BJ wisely tells us to take a different road than Mockingbird to get to Northwest Hwy. Smooth sailing again, and we feel like we are making some progress. Elizabeth says around this time, "It's sad that they can run faster than we can drive to see them." Quite true. I wish knew shortcuts and such, because I would have much preferred seeing them more times.

We drive along side the 3:10 pace group along Northwest Hwy. Unbeknownst to us, David A. was probably with that group at that time. We find a great spot on Buckner to see our boys. Thank goodness for driving the course the day before as I had seen a spot along that road where the White Rock trail comes very close to the street. We pull over there and wait. Turns out we were just meters from the mile 16 marker and we had a great view as they runners came around a corner and we could see them jogging towards us for a good 200-300 meters. When I saw David's red socks, I really started freaking out. I was elated to finally see him. I didn't plan to run with him, but I wanted to make the most of every second. I ran down toward him and ran with him a while. He was so strong and looked great. We waited a few more minutes for David A. to come by. He was all smiles and looked great right in with the 3:10 pace group.

Back to the car, and at this point we are changing our plans to be at mile 19 or 20 and move it along to mile 21 or later. There's part of the run where the runners come off the White Rock trail and run on Buckner for a bit. As we were driving, I mentioned how great it would be if David just happened to be at that point. I didn't know what mile that was, but God was good to me that day and there David was running as we approached that section. I slowed to a crawl, and we drove along side him for as long as possible. Elizabeth took the only photo/video of him that I was to get that entire race. I'm grateful we even got that (the battery was low and would not turn on at mile 16 and then later at mile 21).

We found a spot to stop at the mile 21 marker. The air was really wet and cold at this point, and the four kids were real champs with all the driving and in-and-out of the car and waiting around. However, they were getting tired of it, and Joshua naturally let me know about it. David looked strong still but less alert at mile 21. I again rain alongside him and told him, "Don't quit! You can do it! Don't quit! I love you!" At the time, I thought he heard me, but later he said he didn't remember what I said (but he did remember us being there). Joshua is cold, so I take my boys back to the car while Elizabeth waits for her David to come by.

We plan to go to mile 24 but switch to mile 25 to be sure to see them run by. Traffic snarls us. We don't know where we are or how to get around, so we sit as the minutes tick by. My phone beeps the message that David has finished. We celebrate his sub-3 time, but my heart hurts as he is there all alone while we sit in traffic. I finally go the wrong way on a one-way street, and we head back to the hotel.

At the hotel, we debate what to do. The men think we are meeting them at the doors of the American Airlines Center, but the shuttle apparently won't take us down there. Do we wait at the hotel? Elizabeth suggests a cab, so we head down in the now very cold air in the hopes of seeing our marathon finishers. What a mess. People everywhere. I'm amazed yet at how well our kids did during all of this.

We stand in the long line to get into the AAC, and then wait by the door. Hordes of people are crowded in that place, and I wonder where sweet David could be. We did briefly walk in to the arena area only to see it packed with people. I think, "There's no way David is in here with all these people." We wait and wait. We wonder why they haven't called. It's going on 12:30pm now...1.5 hours after David finished the race. Where are they? The boys and I walk the hall looking while Elizabeth waits by the doors. Her David calls finally from the hotel, so we are head back to the hotel. I still wonder why my David hasn't called as surely he's at the hotel, too?

Luckily, we get on a shuttle back to the Hyatt. The kids are happy with their cab ride and now bus ride. Hey, at least they got something out of it. Into the hotel we go and see crowds waiting for the elevators. Elizabeth leads us to another set of elevators, and we are riding up when my phone rings. There's my David finally. He's in the hotel lobby. Doh! He's been waiting as he can't get in the room.

I wait by the elevator doors for him, and I'm so happy when I finally see him. I practically scream, "You did it!" He's genuinely happy to see me, too. The elevator doors are still open as we hug each other, and the elevator riders tilt their heads and sigh at our sweet embrace. I think some thought I was commenting on his completing the marathon. Maybe one or two saw his Top 100 hat though and knew I meant far more.

I really did mean more than sub-3 and doing his first marathon. I'm so proud of him and overjoyed for him. He's been an inspiration to me for many, many years, but now it transcends inspiration. I've always listed him as one of my heroes on those silly "all about me" questionnaires. I always meant it in the "of course my husband is my hero because I love him and he's great and blah blah blah" sort of ways. Now I mean it in such a different way...closer to a real hero sort of way. When I run now, I will think of him pushing through those tough miles to reach his goal. Never quitting. Never faltering. Pushing every fiber in his being to get there. I want to be able to do that someday.

Ah, the heartbreak though of hearing of his aloneness after the race. Cruel to me to not be there to celebrate with him. Cruel that he only briefly saw one other Gazelle post-race. Just all together not right that I didn't see him until 2 hours after his finish - and back at the hotel at that.

Lesson learned is to ditch my car and take a bike. That, of course, means that I must also leave my kids behind. I don't know that they so much care. I don't even think they truly realize how far their dad ran or how fast he ran it. It's just another race to them - just a boring 3-hour drive away this time. But boy, those kids were so sweet and good. Elizabeth's kids were angels. Who would imagine a 1 and 3-year-old would never cry once during our entire morning. The only complaint from any of them was Joshua wanting to go back to hotel. Good kids, I tell ya, good kids.