PF Chang's Rock 'n Roll Marathon — or Barf
posted Wednesday January 14th, 2009
Early this morning — long before dawn — I heard Sophie roll over and cough that kind of I’m-getting-ready-to-barf cough.
My first thought: Oh no! (The stomach flu’s been going around school.)
My second thought: Oh yes! The timing will be just right — at this rate, I’ll be puking myself by Sunday.
A serious bout of stomach flu is about the only thing that can stop the inevitable: I’m signed up to walk a half marathon on Sunday. I am so not a competitive sports kind of girl — I don’t even like to watch competitive sports.
I don’t like to think about competitive sports.
And yet here I am. It’s all thanks to Ms. X, who convinced a group of us to walk with her. (She’s a veteran of several races.)
There have been some positives, for sure, but right now I’m focused on the negative.
Ray is of no use.
“YOU WILL COMPETE IF YOU’RE ON YOUR DEATHBED!” he said (in just that tone) when I told him of my hope for the flu. “THIS IS A COMPETITION! THIS IS SERIOUS!”
I know it’s serious, because my feet hurt constantly. My only solace is that I’ve trained — some. I can say I’ve walked 12 miles in one stretch. (Couldn’t move for days, but still.) Last night a friend/colleague was lamenting the sad state of his life in an email and I replied, “Well, it could be worse. At least you’re not signed up for the PF Chang’s Marathon on Sunday.”
Turns out he is. He plans to walk the half, too. He’s a little concerned, since his only training so far has been to walk the dog around the block.
Suddenly, reading that, I felt better. And it turns out that Sophie’s cough was just a cough. But now that I’ve jinxed myself by writing about it, I’m sure the vomiting’s not far off….
you’ll be FINE!!! you will!!!
I’m thinking of bringing the boys down to cheer you all on. We’ll see. But you won’t have any problem at all, there will be a lot of talking and music and water to drink, it will be great.
This from someone who is NOT walking, but still…
I must echo Sari when I say, “you’ll be FINE!!! you will!!!”
And from someone who IS walking…
This is so NOT a competition!
Ok, maybe there ARE some that view it as such. I, however, will only be competing with the voice in my head that constantly reminds me that I, too, am not a competitive athlete and that I am foolish to think that this was a good idea.
Thank god for that other half of my brain that reminds me that it has been a fun journey to get all of us to this point and hopes that it won’t end after the race is over!