My first KBVCM …….This was the best running experience I have ever had.  Let me explain. 

I trained extremely hard and was very dedicated to this marathon.  I have been going to the Champlain Islands since I was 5 ( a very long time since I’m now 55) and have recently wondered why I never signed up for this as I’m always up there for Memorial Day.  This year was the year.. actually LAST year I signed up but couldn’t go as my daughter was very sick and on a ventilator in NYC.  So I was dedicating this one to her!  I WAS READY!!!   When I heard the weather forecast I was a little worried because this only being my 4^th marathon, I have never run one in the heat.   As it turned out, not as hot as originally expected but hot for me.  I was running a great 4:30 pace with (pacer) Jen all the way through mile 14.. she was fabulous!!  Kept us motivated and was SO positive.  4:30 would have been a PR for me and I could feel it coming!

Well, the best laid plans as they say…at mile 15 I hit the wall.  Yes, THAT wall.   Not sure if it was the heat, but I honestly thought to myself, how will I ever get through the next 11 miles.  I was devastated.  I put one foot in front of the other and for 4 more miles all I did was pray…1 more foot…1 more foot.  All of a sudden and out of nowhere a woman came up to me and asked me how she could quit this race.  She was never going to finish.  She was also looking to finish in 4:30!  I said…here’s the plan.  We will do this together!  I wasn’t going to let her quit and not get that medal at the end!  We both put too much effort into this to not cross that finish line.  So I found a new running buddy for the duration of the marathon.. we laughed,  we shared stories about running, our families, our aches and pains and yes I even cried.   We walked, we ran…we plodded, and for all those WONDERFUL miles, the crowd cheered us on saying how GREAT we looked…and WE DID LOOK GREAT.  It took us a long time, but I found a new friend and we held hands crossing that line….RUNNING!

As I type this, I still get goosebumps.  This was an amazing moment for me and I will never forget Jodi.. Coincidence?  I don’t think so!  Thanks Jodi.. for my medal too and to know what it really means to be a runner!

Doreen Buell