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 ".... remember this story when you think that something is imPOSSIBLE. You can think "if Gina can finish a marathon then I can do anything". I challenge each of you to take on something imPOSSIBLE. I believe in you! " |
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Gina Mollicone-Long, San Fransisco Marathon, Oct 2004
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I have good news: I DID IT! Yes, the bar has been raised on everything that seems imPOSSIBLE. Yesterday, I threw out the "IM" from imPOSSIBLE. It was POSSIBLE! I have just having returned from San Francisco. I am very sore but really want to share my story with you... It was a perfect day for running (aside from being pitch dark at the start). 9000 runners (95% women) started out at 7am on the Great Ocean Highway with overcast skies and about 50 degrees F for the first ever Nike 26.2 Women's Marathon/Half-Marathon. I felt AMAZING! I ran. I kicked the first hill's butt! The sun came up! It was truly breathtaking. The course would take me through most of the incredible scenery of San Fran. Through Golden Gate Park, The Presidio, Fisherman's Wharf, Embarcadero, North Beach and back again. At mile 10, I was AHEAD of my goal time. I couldn't believe how good I felt! At mile 15, I was still ahead of my goal time. This was the best run of my life (except for a nagging calf injury from my last training run). And then, I think I hit a proverbial "wall". The hill at mile 15/16 was a killer. Nothing on Bowen Island could even touch its sheer size. It was steep and long - over a mile long with the same steep incline. By the time I reached the top, I knew I was in trouble. I tried to ignore my calf (which was screaming my name). I tried to pretend that my hamstring was my friend but to no avail. A surprise sighting of Andrew at mile 18 probably saved the race! I was in a serious state of despair. I have learned (after the race) that Adidas describes the seven stages of a marathon as ritual, shock, denial, isolation, despair, affirmation, renewal. The beginning of my marathon was ritual - we were all excited, hooting, hollering - not even sweating yet. Then came shock at how much I was sweating after that first hill and how quickly my calf injury reclaimed its territory. Then denial as I thought "this race isn't that bad at all" and "my calf doesn't really hurt". Then isolation as I pounded on the pavement by myself - no one was talking much anymore and I couldn't believe how long the road looked ahead of me. I was in despair! This was never going to end and my body couldn't possibly hold out for another 8 miles. Help! That's when I saw Andrew again. I had left him at mile 12 with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. I was almost halfway at that point and felt awesome. You can imagine his surprise when he saw me at mile 18, tears streaming down my face. "I can't do this", I cried. It hurts too much! "I'm falling behind my pace time very quickly, I'll never make up the time at this rate"? He didn't say much but rode his bike beside me. I felt awful. Then he said "Did Carrie Schuliger sponsor you? I didn't know that. And, who's Jessie, Zack and Greg? » It hit me like a ton of bricks. He was reading the names on the back of my shirt. These people believed in me (heck these people believed in me so much that they donated $100 each for cancer research). Andrew believed in me. I was the only one who didn't believe in me at that point. What do I know anyway? I thought "I can do this but I need to change my attitude". The first thing I did was to throw my split times out the window (sorry Bruce :). I handed them to Andrew. Then I took a giant swig of “Power gel”. I stopped and stretched my poor calf and hamstring muscles. I took many deep breaths, dried my tears and started running again. I had reached the stage of affirmation. I had it in me. By the time I reached mile 22 and my incredible support team of Andrea & Dave with their kids Ben & Mason and my superstar family of Molly & Simon with Andrew I was in good spirits again. The sight of them cheering like maniacs made me cry again but this time they were tears of joy. I couldn't believe that I was doing this. I ran the last 4 miles faster than the previous 7 but I was hurting in a bad way. I had a small renewed sense of energy. I had made it to the seventh stage: renewal. I ran with a presence of mind. I noticed the clear blue sky and the surf crashing on the shore as I ran along the Great Ocean Highway for the second time that day. People were going mad but it was like I was the only person in the world. I thought of you, my supporters and I thought of Hari and his ever-positive fight against cancer and I thought "Anything is possible". I wasn't actually convinced that I was going to finish the race until I was about 200m from the finish but I did manage to save a teeny little extra for a mad sprint to the finish line and pounded my way across in fine form: a smile on my face and arms raised (thanks for the tip Dave). I crossed the line at 6h9min18sec and finished in 1756th place out of 2372 marathoners (there were also 6500 people in the half-marathon). A man dressed in a tuxedo handed me my silver finishers necklace that had been designed by Tiffany's (necklace instead of a medal is a benefit of a Woman's marathon!) Despite the fact that the first 15 miles were the fastest that I've ever run and then the next 11miles were undoubtedly the slowest, it was the last 11 miles (specifically miles 16-22) that will forever stand out in my mind. It was miles 16-22 that reminded me that the most important person that needs to believe in you is YOU and that ANYTHING is POSSIBLE if you believe it is. I left the "IM" from imPOSSIBLE somewhere along the course on miles 16-22. Hopefully one of the Bison that roam in Golden Gate Park (don't ask me why they have Bison?) will find the "IM" and eat it so it disappears forever. If not, perhaps you can remember this story when you think that something is imPOSSIBLE. You can think "if Gina can finish a marathon then I can do anything". I challenge each of you to take on something imPOSSIBLE. I believe in you! PS: By the way, we (you and I) smashed my fundraising goal. In the end, I will have raised $6253.50 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (still need to collect a few pledges). I cannot thank you enough. The race rose over $10million because of people like you! Gina Mollicone-Long,
Toronto, Ontario, October 2007 |
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