I am not a super sensitive girl.
Loving?
Yes.
Nurturing?
Gimme that seed and I promise you it WILL grow.
Protective?
Maybe too much.
Strong?
I'd like to think so and not only in the brute force kind of way.
Sensitive?
Ehhh, not so much. Suck it up.
The people that truly know me know that sensitivity is not an attribute that I am known for. It's not a trait that comes naturally to me. So, when I tell you I had to take a deep breath before I wrote this post so that my emotions didn't take over.....
You'll know that what you're reading is all the notes I jotted down on and am now wearing on my sleeve. There is no possible way I can capture this experience in a blog post. But I'm going to try!
Saturday morning we left for Chicago. My mum flew out 2 days before and would be there waiting for us. The girls were so excited! Anna & Jane had never been on a plane and Julia's only experience was before she could remember. I woke up with a sore throat and chalked it up to nerves.
We were headed to the Windy City!
Once we got on the plane I really started stressing. My throat was KILLING me. I couldn't swallow water so I decided to chew gum. Chew, chew, chew, pop! All of a sudden there was a tooth where it shouldn't be. I reached in and grabbed the bubble gum covered crown out of my mouth. Now I'm REALLY freaking. Sore throat. Lost tooth. Still trying to stay positive for the race but obviously in the back of my mind I am aware this may not end up being the race I was hoping for. It's all good.
Moments like this reminded me that the trip was about so much more than just some race.
Catching some Z's
We touched down in Chicago, grabbed our rental, plugged in the GPS and headed to my brother's house. We were cruising down the highway when Anna rolled down the window and stuck her little face out. "Whoa, I know why they call it the windy city". Scott and I cracked up.
We do not get to spend nearly enough time with my brother and his family so when I tell you we couldn't wait to arrive...I'm putting it mildly. The girls were talking for months about visiting their Aunt, Uncle and Cousin Sammy. I was SO happy that this trip was not only about a race but bringing our family together.
I can't even explain the joy this little guy brought us while we were there. Do you like to dance? Think you're pretty good at it?
Meet Samuel. He's better. :)
After we settled in we went to a local fall festival where the kids had a great time jumping in bouncy houses and running through fountains. It was HOT. The grounds were amazing and it was really nice to see the kids let loose and have fun together.
Saturday night when we were all getting ready for bed I picked up my phone and called my new friend Lori.
Before Chicago Lori and I met once at a race in Boston. We were introduced by my fabulous friend Jess. Jess is beyond description. That is how fabulous she is. I have to stay focused on what this post is about or else I will go on a tangent about how Jess has breathed new life into our school.
So,
Lori and I stayed in loose contact leading up to the race and hoped we would be able to find each other. After all we were in similar situations. Realistically I'm pretty sure we both thought it was a long shot. Through email we discovered that we were flying out on different days, staying in unfamiliar territory and then there is the whole crowd thing.
So when I called the night before the race my expectations weren't very high. I was beside myself when I got through to Lori and she was receptive to finding a meeting place. "Ask her if she knows The Bean. We can meet her there at 6:45" my brother said after having zero knowledge that I wanted to meet anyone at all but obviously seeing the relief in my face that I wouldn't have to walk to the start line alone. "I know The Bean! I'll see you there." Feeling at this point? Pure joy!
Winding down with Grandma
Meet Henry. Anna's new best friend.
Ahh, Sunday. Scott and I woke up at 4:15am Sunday morning to get ready for the race. My brother was already up with coffee brewing. There was some talk about who would go and who would stay. My brother offered to take me in to the city so that the girls could sleep after just having flown in the day before. Honestly, I stayed out of it because at that point I was already in awe of the support I was receiving that I didn't have a preference. I wanted it to work for them. After much deliberation Scott decided that we would wake the girls early ("We're good at this!") because with 40,000 runners it would difficult to get in to the city (if at all) any later. We would follow my brother in to the city, he would get us situated and head home to our mum and his family.
It was the perfect morning. We were up and out the door on time, my brother got us into and parked in the city like it was his job. I don't even want to add that I was still chewing gum just to swallow my own spit because at the time it wasn't even on my radar. Race morning was pure bliss! Friends and family were only allowed to a certain point and the crowds were getting thick. The girls were were falling behind. We decided that Scott would stay with the girls...Chris would walk with me until it was clear that it was runner's only.
Looking back, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. I was lucky enough to have the time with Scott and the girls that I did. But It was beyond words to have my big brother see me off.
Anna's view from the car of the city race morning
Julia, Uncle Chris, Anna & Jane under The Bean
Meeting Lori. Nerves setting in!
I just started running races a few years ago. I live in a small town. I have never in my life experienced an event of this size. Lori and I ended up splitting up (thank god I had her to the point I did!) so I decided to seek out my pace group. I bobbed and weaved and pardoned myself for awhile until I realized I wasn't even remotely close to any making gains and most likely just expending precious energy. I decided to just let it go.
Right off the bat I knew that this wasn't going to be the race I was planning on. But standing in a crowd of forty thousand people will make you do crazy things. I knew I was sick (as much as I tried to deny it). I also knew that I could finish sick or not. Even if that meant finishing far beyond my expectations. I looked up at the big clock as I crossed the starting line and it read 75 degrees, much warmer than I was used to. At mile 17 I would look up again and see 91 degrees. By mile 20 there were so many people walking in front of me that running was almost impossible. The cheering had gone from "GO! You can do it" to race volunteers on bull horns screaming "We're on a code red walk if you need to!" I'm sure a lot of people PR'd that day. I am not using the weather or my health as an excuse. Because (see above) I'm a suck it up type girl. I am a firm believer that the best racers pull it out when they are faced with adversity. On that day, I can honestly say I gave it all I had even though I knew it wasn't all I was capable of.
Again, I'm a small town girl and use to having my family's arms to crumble into when I cross the finish line. This time...not so much. I have never crossed a finish line needing my family so much and then being told that I needed to walk 2 blocks to find them at the "meeting tent". Do I understand their strategy? Yes. It was such a big race that they had to keep the flow of runners moving through the gate and obviously couldn't handle family/spectators where the runners where finishing.
*Deep breath*
I crossed the finish line WELL beyond my goal. I was JUNK. At mile 25 I was already shaking and holding back tears. Imagine what I was like when I crossed the finish line...I needed my family.
This part of the experience is so hard to describe. I couldn't talk. I wanted my family. If I tried to talk, I could only cry.
The "meeting tent" was set up 2 blocks away. I staggered through the crowds of runners asking each and every volunteer where I could find my family while trying not to burst into tears. "Go straight, take a left, blah, blah , blah" was all I heard. "Where did they just tell me to go?" I decided to just follow the crowds and hope that Scott would find me. I circled the Buckingham fountain. Families were coming together everywhere. My legs were barely moving. At one point a golf cart passed me carrying another runner. I swear to god if my voice was working I would have asked for a ride. I bumped into another volunteer and asked again through tears where I might find my family. Finally I got it. I knew where I was supposed to go. "See that white tent in the distance? It is the tent just beyond that." I tried to rally knowing that I would meet my family there. I headed on dead legs to the tent beyond the tent. I walked a few feet and that's when I saw him.
I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that when I saw Scott I thought he was a mirage. I tried to call his name twice before I was able to make my voice actually work. When it did and he hugged me...I lost it. When I finally pulled myself together and looked around I saw my beautiful girls and my brother who has decided to stay for the entire race. I can't even tell you how happy I was.
Anna's picture of the Sears tower which we were informed is now the "What chu talkin' bout Willis tower" We all agreed it doesn't have the same ring.
The girls taking in the city with Daddy & Uncle Chris
Jane in the lobby of my brothers building. Scott and Chris did an unbelievable job of entertaining the kids for 4+ hours.
Me and Scott's thumb at mile 24. At this point I think we were both exhausted. :)
With the race over it was time to relax and have some fun. A fantastic meal was made that night complete with a cake that read "Run Melissa Run. Congrats!" We spent the rest of the trip visiting the zoo, jumping on the neighbor's trampoline and just soaking in our time together. The piano was a huge hit. Aunt Miyu taught the girls to play Heart and Soul with Uncle Chris while Sammy danced and danced.
Jane's drawing of me running past the Sears Tower.
Chicago is a beautiful city! I know I can speak for all of us when I say we can't wait to go back. We love you Chicago with all of our "Heart and Soul"!
This year Anna's birthday just happened to fall on the last day of school. 
