Lindsey Mastis

I did it!!! I ran my first race!!! I’m sooooooooo happy!!!

Saturday morning I met my friend Suzie in Bethesda. We drove to the Building Museum to pick up our race packets. We got our t-shirts and bibs. We also spent some time looking at running shirts, socks, and gathered some information about other races around the country. Suzie bought a stick to massage her legs. She also got some great shirts that said “Will run for wine,” and such. After we grabbed lunch, I rushed to work.

I had to work late Saturday night. Well, I didn’t have to, but I was really interested in my story and wanted to spend extra time making it look perfect. Plus, it’s the longest story I’ve done at WUSA 9 to date (at 1:45). I left work feeling very proud of my story.

I got home after midnight. I started to freak out. I was tired, nervous, and hadn’t even had time to look at my race packet. The stress set in. I hurriedly got ready for bed. I felt there was no time to do anything. I set my alarms for 5 a.m. and shuddered at the fact I could only get a few hours to sleep. I just wanted my race to be perfect.

Luckily, Patrick slowed me down. I asked him how he felt the night before his marathon. He said he felt the same way. Nervous– like there’s something important we forgot to do. He told me to spend a few minutes reading my race packet. I was glad I did. I realized it didn’t say anything I didn’t already know. So I could rest easy.

My alarm went off at 5 a.m. I didn’t want to go. I wanted to quit and ignore all my training. But when I started to put on my race outfit (my favorite workout shirt) I got excited. I couldn’t wait. I had Patrick take some pictures of me and then we headed to the Rockville Metro to meet Suzie.

The Metro opened at 5 a.m. for the race, and the trains were packed. We got off at the Smithsonian exit and followed the crowds of people toward the starting point. By that time, I had to use the restroom. The lines to the port-a-potties was over an hour long. There was no way I would be able to get in there and get to the starting line in time. So, I just held it, (I know, I know– way too much information).

I lined up with the Red Wave, and was soon running with the pack. Well, not really running with the pack. Everyone was passing me up like I was standing still. I tried running as fast as I could without going too fast. But it wasn’t enough. Why was this happening?

It took me about three miles to realize the Red Wave was for people running 9-minute miles. Um… I was running 11-minute miles. I miscalculated my running speed and was nearly getting trampled over. It took more than five miles before people with my pace caught up with me. Until mile five, I hadn’t passed anyone.

At mile seven, my tummy started hurting. It was because I didn’t have a chance to use the restroom earlier. I realized I would have to stop and use a johnny-on-the-spot. I lost nearly four minutes. But it was worth it. I was able to up my pacing. I took two water breaks and a Gatorade break. But the two miles felt impossible.

I was happy to hear the sound of cow bells. Some of the spectators brought them, and signs. Most were for specific runners, but a few of the people cheered on all the runners. They brought tears to my eyes. Every time I felt I couldn’t run one more step, I would look up at one of these people and make eye contact. They would say, “Keep going!” “You’re almost there!” “You can do it!” It made me feel like I could.

I wanted so bad to stop and walk, but I didn’t want to disappoint those cheering me on. It was tough. Right after I passed mile nine, there were people handing out little cups of beer. One woman shouted, “You need carbs!” Yes, yes I did need some carbs. The beer tasted horrible, but it gave me a boost.

The last mile was the hardest. I kept looking for the finish line, but it felt like it would never come. I thought to myself, “I’ll never do this again. What was I thinking?” Finally, I rounded a corner and saw it. A huge black and pink sign with tons of people. It was the finish line. I was so proud to have made it to the end.

I crossed it and took a look at my watch. I ran the 10-miles in 1:46:21. For me, that’s a great time– faster than 11-minute miles. I proceeded to walk and started searching for water. Not to long after, I found Patrick. He took some great pictures of me in front of the Washington Monument.

Soon after, I needed to replenish. I had a couple bananas and then we went to Chop’t in Chinatown. I had a huge salad. Then, we went back into the Cherry Blossom craziness. We walked from the National Mall to the Jefferson Memorial. We had never seen so many people at our favorite monument. We enjoyed ourselves and took a bunch of pictures. The best part? A vendor was selling roasted nuts. I was in heaven!

We rode the Metro home and took some time getting ready for our big dinner. Patrick took me to The Melting Pot to celebrate. We spent more than three hours enjoying Wisconsin cheese, our salads, lobster and meat, and then… and then… White chocolate with strawberries, marshmallows, and cheesecake. It was incredible. We got home around 9:30 p.m. and just crashed.

I had Monday off, so I slept in and relaxed. The running coupled with the relaxing and satisfying meal left me feeling amazing. I had no stress– no worries. It felt like all the toxins were out of my body. I spent the day cleaning the apartment and calling up friends and family to tell them about the race.

I’m still very proud of myself for finishing my first race. Now I’m looking at other races to train for. I’m still on my runner’s high and all I want to do is run, run, and run. And then go to Melting Pot!