Freedoms Run Half Marathon and Thank You
Josh was originally supposed to run the full marathon and me the half. However, with his foot still sore from a injury he incurred a few weeks back I was the lone runner this time. The tables were turned on this rare occasion as he was the one watching ME run (that really never happens as I'm usually the cheerleader)! I think he made a good decision, though. He's got two more marathons to run this fall (one of them with me) so he needs to be kind to his foot now if he hopes to abuse them later.
This was my fifth half marathon, but my first one since April... so it had been a while. I didn't do well at the last one I ran at all, so I was a little nervous. I always want to run a PR (personal record) but my body doesn't always cooperate.
The temperature and overall weather were fantastic. The race began at 8:20am and the temps were in the 50's. The temperature never rose above the 60's the entire race and the sun was shining. You really cannot ask for better running conditions! The course ran a flat three miles to begin with along the C&O Canal before veering off course through some country roads up some long big hills to the Antietam National Battlefields. The battlefields were laced with very large rolling hills, a few of which were very challenging. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the scenery during all of this hill hell and quietly thought how peaceful and quiet the battlefields are now which is weird considering that 23,000 people were killed here in a 12 hour period in the year 1862. We exited the battlefields at mile 8 and started the road back to the finish, through Sharpsburg, MD which was really small and cute.
It was a tough race and even though Josh popped up at mile 11 to cheer me on, I was nearly defeated by one of the last hills on the course. I decided that I was making good time and could afford to walk a bit to save my legs (for what, I don't know)... until a lady came up from behind me and said, "Girl... I KNOW you don't need to walk right now! You're the one who got me through all those other hills!" Well, shoot... I couldn't walk after hearing inspiring words like that! I raced to the end, finishing with my best 13.1 mile race time, a full minute and a half faster than my first one which was in Baltimore last year.
After the race we headed over to Harper's Ferry, WV to check out the scenery and have lunch. That's also where I found the building that inspired my finisher's medal! The full marathon started in Harper's Ferry before meeting up with us half marathoners just past Shepherdstown.
It was also on the drive to Harper's Ferry that I checked my email and saw how many donations have come through my team in training webpage since the Shelter Island Reporter ran a story about me on Thursday. The kind people of Shelter Island as well as numerous other supporters have gotten me to surpass my personal goal. My fundraising minimum was $1,775, however I wanted to set the bar high and I only hoped I would raise $3,000. Having just finished the best race of my life to date, and seeing that my goal had been surpassed thanks to the love and support of so many individuals brought tears to my eyes and we drove through the rural WV countryside. I really have been humbled by the generosity of so many people, and through it all I truly feel like I have honored my brother Christopher James Tehan. He may have lost his battle with cancer 14 years ago, but I still feel his love as if he's still here with me. He's an angel that has always watched over me and I hope that I have made him proud.
Thank you.
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