Thankfully, I was able to pack my bags for the most part and take them up the stairs the night of the race. My flight out of town was 8:30 and I knew I needed to be up around 5. I made a couple hamb sandwiches on Trader Joe's bread with cream cheese, and packed a ziploc bag of grapes for traveling home. Turns out, my airport arrival time worked well with my sister's normal 'depart for work' schedule and she was able to take me without a big wrench in her system.
Once I started moving, I was fine. Glad that bag check was right inside the door at the airport. At Washington National, I mean Reagan, I love seeing our flag hanging in the airport. It hasn't always hung there though--and it's nice to see it while we're at war, and after running the MCM.
THIS. Why doesn't every airport have one of these bottle refill fountains? Seriously Detroit Airport doesn't have any of them. I know, I know, it's to encourage one to buy plastic bottles of water. Sigh.
Delta offered and I accepted, to check my roller bag through to my destination. I was wishing I hadn't done this when I had to walk through Minneapolis airport with my heavy bag and neck pillow, but it was a wise decision.
After getting to my gate in MSP and having a few hours to spare I started stretching out, with some basic legs up the wall move. It feels soo good and relaxing to do this. Then I tried doing Dolphin handstand or something like that. I got into the pose and was feeling good, but then my shirt fell down and a guy was walking back to the gate, so I stopped. Nice thing about flying out of the lesser used gates is that there aren't that many people to see you do weird things. Yes, those are bandaids on the sides of my big toes as well. Blisters there too.
I went back to my seat are and started doing stretches. One of the other people flying out started talking to me about the race. I had my MCM finisher shirt on and she wondered if I was a Marine. No, no. I 'm not. The ARMY wouldn't take me in college because of a medical condition. Then another woman came up who said she had run the MCM too. She said she ran for the 22 Too Many group, which is so named because "Approximately 22 veterans a day take their own lives". (though I'm positive she told me a different time frame). Apparently you sign up to run "with" a veteran who took his life. The company sends you information you memorize and then place the photo on your back in the race. You commit to sending your medal to the family (through the organization) but that you can try to request a second medal at the finish line, so you and the family would each have one). I kept up the stretching until we boarded the plane.
Back in my local airport I had to walk clear across the frozen tundra to my car. Okay, not frozen tundra, but I had to park out in the furthest lot from the terminal!
On the floor of the car--where I thought I left it--was my ifitness belt (company now called fitletic). I actually had forgotten this at home, realized it at mile 6 of my drive, turned around to go home and specifically get it and then I still left it in the car at the airport! Mine is from 2011 and it is showing wear, but still was good. I ended up buying a new one at the expo. It's their "old" version which was more modern than the one I have. On the back of the water bottle areas it has gel spots to keep it stuck on clothing instead of riding up. The new pouch also fits my Galaxy phone. I'll keep my old one around, but I like the new one too.
The rest of this week has been pretty good. Tuesday morning I got up and did yoga class wondering at the time if I was nuts for doing it, but feeling so much better at the end of class.
I've been taking epsom salt baths to help with the aches and pains. I have been dealing with the pain of the blisters under my nails. Friday I said I'd had enough of waiting and decided to pop the blisters myself. I sterilized a pin and stuck it under my big toe nails. It didn't hurt, which was freaky. I got a lot of fluid out and then put a big bandaid on and kept it wrapped up all night and day. I changed the bandaid out, but still kept it wrapped for a couple days. Sunday I went without bandaids and the toes were feeling fine and nails were looking purplish. I think they'll recover from the marathon.
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