Freedom's Run

"Running isn't about winning or losing, but the experience of it. That's one reason I like it." --Anthony Edwards

There I stood with my hair disheveled, wrapped in my house coat and sporting my big fuzzy slippers as I stared at my calendar that hung on my kitchen wall. The big red circle and smiley face drawn around the date for my half marathon glared at me in a mocking sort of way. It was only 6 days away, and there I was with a box of Kleenex in one hand and emergency room discharge papers in the other; papers that plainly stated in all capital letters: NO SCHOOL OR MARATHONS FOR 5 DAYS. I was bummed…totally disappointed that I had come down with the flu. What was I going to do? Would the grueling months I had spent training in the summer heat be wasted? Or could I possibly bounce back, ignore the doctor’s advice and run the half anyway? Well, three days and several cans of chicken soup later, I felt much better. I started to get the idea in the back of my mind that maybe, just maybe, I could still run after all.

The plans for the first weekend in October had been in the making since July, when my aunt called and asked me to join her in this undertaking of completing a half marathon. She wanted to walk a half marathon and had found the perfect race in her home state of West Virginia. I would run, she would walk, and her sister would drive down from New Jersey to walk as well. Three different women with three different goals…each woman and goal unique in its own way. I was sold from the get-go. I love a good challenge and wanted a chance to beat my 1st half-marathon time of 2:27. The rest is "history" so to speak. We talked our husbands into the trip and began training.

On the morning of the race, we caught the shuttle from our hotel to the starting line. I had never participated in a race of this magnitude and I was amazed at the number of people present. Runners and walkers were everywhere. Some were stretching, pinning their race numbers on their shirts, laughing, and talking as excitement filled the air. Almost 600 people took their places at the starting line to run the half marathon, and when the gun went off, the mass of people jolted into motion. I have never seen anything like it; everything around me seemed to bounce as the dense crowd filed into the street and took off over the scenic Rumsey Bridge, crossing the Potomac River. The sight was beautiful, and although I was just one in the crowd, I couldn’t help but notice the sun glistening over the water. It was a beautiful day for a run with perfect weather and hardly a cloud in the West Virginia sky.

I knew this race was going to be hilly, and I had tried to seek out hills while training for this race, but nothing could have prepared me for the first hill we came upon. I climbed it slowly and steadily, all the while reminding myself that there would be no shame in having to walk a little. (After all, I had just had the flu…) When I reached the top, I did stop, and I turned around and looked back at the monster of a hill I had just climbed. I stood there as people passed, trying to get a glimpse of my aunt and her sister, who I knew were somewhere behind me. Finally, I turned back around and started to run again. Turns out, that first hill was just one of many that I would climb that day.


I tried to take in as much of the scenery as possible. There were beautiful historic houses and the people were sitting on their porches to cheer for the runners as we came through the Civil War town of Sharpsburg, Maryland. My favorite part of the run was Antietam Battlefield. It was here 23,000 Americans either lost their lives or were wounded in the bloodiest day of our history. As I looked out at the rolling fields and I felt the warm sun and gentle breeze on my face, I took several moments to remember the men who fought for our county then and those who continue to do so today.

After running through Antietam Battlefield, I focused less on the scenery and more on my running. I found a good pace and stuck with it for the next few miles. The route along the C&O canal was in the woods, but it was flat. Leaves covered the dirt trail and I could see the beautiful Potomac River right beside of me. I cranked up the music on my iPod, thought about my husband and daughter who were waiting at the finish, smiled, and kept on running. I have to say, the hills of Antietam were difficult, but the run along the C&O canal was refreshing and invigorating. Finally, I saw the 11 mile marker and I picked the pace up even more. I was excited at this point, especially when I looked at my watch and saw that, despite the hills, I might actually make the 2 and a half hour mark. I crossed back over the Rumsey Bridge into Shepardstown and kept going to the finish line. And of course, my family was waiting for me there. 2:32 was my official time. Not the time I had hoped for, but I finished strong nonetheless.

We waited for my aunt and her sister. Both ladies finished strong and we all accomplished something that day. The theme of Freedom’s Run was “Health and Heritage”…something I think we all connected with in our own unique way. This course was challenging and I even stumbled and fell between miles four and five. I scraped my knee, my shoulder, and tore my favorite running pants. But I got back up and I kept running; after all, that's what I was there to do. I learned alot from the experience of this race. Everytime I run a race I learn more and more about the physical limits of my body and how far to safely push those limits.

I’ll post some pictures of the run at a later date. I used a disposable camera and have not had the pictures developed yet. In the meantime, if you want to learn more about the rich history of our nation and the inspiration behind the historic places on the route, visit the website for Freedom’s Run. www.freedomsrun.org

And to my husband Robert, thank you for understanding my need to run. Thank you for driving me to West Virginia and for keeping our daughter occupied for hours while you waited for me at the finish line. Thanks for the celebratory dinner and cheesecake at Ruby Tuesday. Thank you for spending our fifth wedding anniversary as a “weekend centered around me”. Thank you for your support in every way. I love you and I couldn’t do it without you.