The Akron Marathon Race Recap!

This weekend we (myself, Savannah, my mom, and dad) packed up and headed to Akron, OH for the Akron Marathon!  There was a lot of excitement around this race - not only was it my 3rd marathon in 11 months but it would be my family's first time experiencing a race and watching me run!  There was so much excitement and anticipation from the beginning... plus, we were going to have perfect "Ohio Fall weather"... you know, that beautiful bright blue sky, mid-60's, a slight wind, and full on sunshine...

My training had gone well, no injuries and I felt confident in my miles logged and ready to take on this race!  I studied the elevation chart, looked at the route, and felt confident that if I could take on the Flying Pig here in Cincinnati, Akron would be a piece of cake... boy was I wrong ;)

My dad drove us to Akron- it was a great car ride filled with laughter, talking about the race, and sharing stories! 

 Savannah was a GREAT little traveler!  She was very excited about going to her first race, cheering me on, and watching me run a race!

Once we got into Akron, we went straight to the Expo to pick up my race packet.  The expo was super organized and so nice!

After the Expo we checked into our hotel and went to dinner!  Chad and I drove a portion of the race route around 8:30 pm.  We got organized for race morning and were excited to finish another race.

I tried to fall asleep early but it was difficult... I was nervous, anxious, excited and in a new place to sleep.  It was Savannah's first time in a hotel and she was beyond excited about being there (it's the little things, right?!)

My alarm went off at 4am... I ate my whole wheat bagel, soynut butter, and 2 bananas then went back to bed for 45 minutes.  I then woke up at 5:15am and got ready to run!

It was already 55 degrees and the high was going to be 70!  I was so excited... absolutely perfect weather conditions!  The Akron Marathon is called "The Blue Line" so the entire route had a blue line to follow... it was so cool!

As we started the race, my body felt so strong!  It was a beautiful run and I had a seriously awesome playlist!  I knew I was going enjoy these 26.2 miles!  I started preparing my mind for the long run... The route was hilly but by mile 10, I was pacing GREAT and knew I "had this"!

What I wasn't prepared for was the bike trail we turned onto at mile 11 that was a mixture of gravel and sand with an occasional few feet of concrete and a few wooden bridges.  I have never ran on anything like that so it completely messed with my head - by mile 12 I was mentally beat up.

I pulled off the course and stood at the medic tent.  I looked at my watch and saw my pace slowly creeping away from my desired pace.  I was frustrated, disappointed, and ready to cry.  I still had close to 5 miles on the bike trail left... how was I going to get through this?

And right there at mile marker 12, for the first time in my running life, I thought about quitting...

I then remembered my family was there, I prayed and ask the Lord to match my stride, and kept moving.  At this point my goal went from a certain time to just finishing the race.

As I finished the bike trail route, I was so happy to see pavement.  My ankles were achey from trying to stay stable on the rocky route, my calves were burning, and my quads were shot... and then I saw it, "Heart Rate Hill"... this is what the Akron Marathon is known for.  A steady incline for several miles that just doesn't give you a break.  A constant climb.  No breaks.  And my heart sunk.  I was not prepared for this kind of a hill, this far into the race, after running on gravel and sand.

At that point, I honestly didn't think I was going to complete the marathon.  How would I survive this kind of hill after running on that trail?

I continued to pray, quote scripture, and ask the Lord to give me supernatural strength to make it through this hill.  He pulled me up that hill and landed me in the sweetest little neighborhood.  Here there were families, children, music, signs, and so much encouragement.  It was such a blessing!

At mile 21 I was almost an HOUR behind my pace so I called my mom... I said; "I'm ok but this route is really hard and I'm really behind!"  My mom told me to keep pushing and my dad was somewhere along the way.

That's all I needed to hear.  My dad was waiting for me.

My dad and I have a very special relationship.  We have one of those relationships where we don't really have to say anything- we can look at each other and understand.

So let me give you a little mental picture of where I was at -

At this point my body was completely fighting me.  My pace had gone from 9:24/mile to 10:47/mile.  I was exhausted, my mind was saying STOP, my body was yelling STOP but there was a piece of me that just wouldn't give up.  I was on the verge of tears.  I had absolutely nothing left.  I was drenched in sweat, my legs were on fire, my ankles were yelling at me, and my knees were not wanting to work.

And all of the sudden the spectators cleared, no one was around me... Right before the 23 mile marker, I looked ahead and saw my dad, by a tree, blowing me kisses and waving.  He was overflowing with joy, beaming with pride and excitement.

I immediately started crying... I yelled to him; "Dad!!! Please run with me!" and he jumped right in.  I looked at him and said; "I don't think I'm going to make it, I don't think I have 3 more miles in me."

He put his arm on my back and started pouring encouragement over me;

"Don't talk, Hillary.  Save your energy.  We are less than 3 miles away from the finish line.  Mom and Savannah are at the 26 mile marker waiting for you.  I am so proud of you.  You are doing great."

As we climbed the last hill and turned the corner, there it was MILE 26!!!

My dad moved behind and to the side so I could see mom and Savannah...

Savannah started yelling "MOMMY!" and some of the spectators started yelling; "Go Savannah's mommy, you're almost there!"

It was the fuel I needed...

They say a picture is worth a thousands words but when I see this picture my mom snapped of my dad and I hitting mile 26, I'm speechless.

My mom captured my dad pushing and supporting my weak body to the finish line.  It's 3 miles I will never forget.  My dad, even at age 30, was there for me.  He was there to comfort, encourage, push, inspire, support, and get me across that finish line.  That memory and bond is forever stamped in my heart.

Due to security, my dad wasn't allowed to cross the finish line with me, so we parted ways at mile 26 and I finished the last .2 miles in the stadium.  That fire pushed me across the finish line with a time of 4 hours, 44 minutes, and 59 seconds.  A hard earned victory.

I found Chad after crossing the finish line and we celebrated our victory!  He is a great friend, a great athlete, and I feel blessed to have him as a running buddy.  He has pushed me to hit paces and goals I never thought I could.

I admitted I totally underestimated Akron but was happy we did the race!

Savannah was there, waiting to celebrate and see my medal!  She was so proud and didn't even care about my finishing time.  She celebrated, hugged, and kissed me for running my race!

I am so thankful my parents were there for me!  I honestly can say, I don't know if I would have finished if they weren't there to pray over me, encourage me, and support me.

Dad's got the "marathon itch" and is ready to start training for his first marathon!  We have a few races on the schedule to run together and I would love to run a full race with him!  I know he will be awesome!

Thank you to everyone who prayed, encouraged, sent texts and love my way.  I am so thankful the Lord has given me this opportunity to serve Him in my running, that He matches my stride, gives me strength in my weakness, and pushes me across that finish line.  He deserves all the honor and glory and praise... He is faithful, His righteous right hand holds me, and because of His faithfulness I know I can do ALL THINGS through Christ because He is my strength!