The Flying Pig Marathon // Part One // Adventures BEFORE the Race

 Have you read any of my recent posts and realized what an insanely crazy weekend we just had?  From an honor celebration and a track meet on Friday night to a graduation ceremony and prom on Saturday and then we were heading into a marathon and a night of worship on Sunday?  And that doesn't even include the story of how Marissa squeezed in another trip to Cincinnati to pick up her race packet the day before?

Yes, you read that right.  Marissa drove to Cincinnati and back all by herself on Friday just so she could check in and pick up her race packet and that was an adventure in itself!!

SO... let me back up and tell you the complete story. 

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When Marissa registered for this marathon back in November there wasn't anything on the schedule.   She paid her registration fee, I booked the hotel, and at that point, the only thing that we were really concerned about was whether the two months between Marissa's swimming season ending and the marathon would be enough time for her to train for a full marathon.  Then as the race came closer and school and sports schedules came out, we realized that prom was on the Saturday evening and that if I went with Marissa to the race, I would miss the prom.   Then Morgan made the decision to graduate in May rather than go on to grad school and suddenly, the weekend was filling up.  

Then, about two weeks before the marathon, Marissa started getting final directions regarding the race  route and times to pick up packets and directions on how to get there, etc.   And we probably figured out about 10 days before the race that packet pickup would be on Friday from 10-7 and Saturday from 10-5.  There would be no late or race day pick ups.  If you were unable to pick up your packet during those times, you would forfeit your spot.  So...how would that work if Morgan's graduation started at 10:00 and would probably last at least two hours?  That only gave us five hours to get to Cincinnati and according to maps, it was a four hour drive, without traffic or road construction.  Was it even possible?

I admit, I was trying to pray about it and to trust God with all of the details, but we were all feeling the stress of how it would all work out.  I certainly didn't want to rush Morgan's graduation or leave before it was over but I also didn't want to stress Marissa out about getting to the check-in on time or about losing all of the money that had already been put into the race.  I was trying to think through all of our options and even if we knew anyone in Cincinnati who could pick up her packet for her?  Finally, on Friday morning, Noel called me from work and he asked when packet pick up was and why Marissa couldn't just pick up her packet that day instead of trying to rush over on Saturday?  What?!  You mean, could she drive all the way over to Cincinnati on Friday and then come home and then we would turn around and drive all the way back again on Saturday?!  That's just crazy talk!!  Especially when gas is $4.99 a gallon!!  LOL  It did sound totally crazy as he was saying it, but the more I thought about it, the more it sounded like it might be our only option, so when Marissa woke up and came upstairs for breakfast, I asked her what she thought about the idea.  She certainly wasn't crazy about it, but she said that it was probably what she needed to do so that Morgan could just enjoy her graduation and we wouldn't be so stressed about the time.  And with that decision made, she got ready to go. 

Both of us were pretty nervous about her trip.  I mean, as an older person who has driven quite a bit in my life, making an eight hour trip in one day doesn't phase me but for her, this would be a pretty big deal.  She hasn't really ever had to make drives longer than two or three hours and since she lives in a small town and goes to college in a small town, she hasn't driven in any larger cities very many times.  So for her to think about driving all the way to Cincinnati and back completely by herself and then having to drive downtown and to find a parking garage and then walking to the convention center and all of that.... it was pretty daunting.  I prayed over her right as she was walking out the door and then after she left, I continued to pray the rest of the day as I occasionally checked her progress online.

I was sitting at Morgan's honor celebration around 4:40 p.m. when Marissa texted me to let me know that she had made it and had finally found parking garage.  She sent me a pin of her location just in case and then she said she'd need to walk about a mile to the convention center where she would pick up he packet and some other race day information.  She would text me to let me know when she was back to the car and getting ready to drive home.   I felt like I could finally exhale and could just sit and enjoy watching Morgan receive her awards.

About an hour later, right before Morgan's school was being announced, I got a text from Marissa asking if I could call her.  Since she knew that I couldn't talk on the phone, I knew it had to be important so I stepped out to the lobby and gave her a quick call.  When she answered, the first words that she said was "Mom, I can't find the car!"  She had made it back to the parking garage but the car wasn't where she had left it.  She said that she had walked all around on the third floor where she parked but it wasn't there and she was in the parking garage by herself, except for just a couple of cars.  I could hear the panic in her voice and I obviously wanted to help her, but what could I do?  I reminded her that she was driving my car and the key fob would make noise if you click on the lock button multiple times so I suggested that maybe if she held that down, she would hear the car.  That didn't work but then she said that she would just hold the panic button and follow the sound of the alarm.  Thankfully that did work and she was able to follow the noise to where the car was parked, just one floor above where she thought it should be.  Again, I could let out a huge sigh of relief as I went back in to see Morgan and then I would be able to completely relax a few hours later when she finished her long day and arrived back home safe and sound.

She said that she cried a couple of times just because it felt overwhelming to be in such a busy city with all of the marathon people and that a couple things scared her... like when she thought she had lost the car or when she was approached by a man who asked her for directions and then followed her for a bit.  But God protected her and gave her strength to do the hard thing....and it was a very hard thing for her.  Something that she would have never attempted on her own if it wasn't for how much she loves her sister and wanted to make it all work out. I'm really proud of her!

Okay, so since that was such a long post, I'll share about the actual race in another post, but I told you, this past weekend was certainly quite the adventure.