Toby's quest for the BQ!
I'll write this up tomorrow. It is 1:30 and I need to go to bed. 5 weeks in one day with a long Boston write up is enough :)
I was very stoked to run this race! Although I got to the bus a little later than I thought I would, Amy and Toby waited for Marci and me to get there. We found all of our peeps at the bus and luckily we all got on the bus together and had a typical ride up to the top. Amy was ready to hit her PR and Toby was more than ready to hit that BQ and I was SO ready to help her take on that journey.
It was nice at the top because they'd poured out rocks so we weren't in a muddy cow patty field! I made the rounds visiting and saying hello to lots of peeps then met back at the fire to get our final nerves out and get ready to run.
We lined up and Marci, Toby and I started off. Toby's sister in law joined us for a few of the first miles and we had a good chat and we were just cruising at a little below pace, but not too fast. Around mile 8 I asked Toby to check in on herself and she said she wasn't feeling good. That it was feeling too hard for mile 8. I got worried about her, but figured that a good gu stop would pick her up and we had a little in the bank and so I knew we'd be okay. I just kept doing my best to keep her mind off her pain and keep her mind positive. I don't think it worked. Poor Toby just kept falling behind and I could tell she knew the BQ goal she'd worked SO hard for SO long was slipping through her fingers.
There is lots and lots and lots I could journal/blog about with this next situation, but I'm going to leave the details to my personal journal and not here. Suffice it to say I was VERY excited that Smooth was going to be at the half and that she was waiting for Lowell to come by and was going to join him for the last half. I kept thinking what a boost it would be for Toby to see her and to feel her spirit! Toby made a pop stop and ironically, Smooth was taking a pop break at the exact same time :/ so we missed seeing her.
The hills took a bit out of Toby and for some crazy reason I was just feeling incredible. Emotionally and physically. I wanted SO badly to transfer that energy to Toby. My heart was just hurting for her. I know. I've been in that position 10 times! A perfectly trained for marathon that should've been a BQ and I get nothing. Something horrible happens and I beat myself down over and over again thinking it would never happen. I tried to stay positive and chatting to not just Toby but others around us, because I knew Toby was more than done. It has been too long, but I met a crazy French friend. Oh, he was incredible and I had a great time getting to know him. He would pull ahead of us and then we'd catch up and I'd tell him he'd better start running as I caught him :) He was very responsive to my pacing and good about being silly with me. I wish we wouldn't have lost him around mile 22. Around mile 20 we pick up Bradley. He gave Toby the look, the "what the heck are you doing here" look. She gave the look back with a few words that didn't mince feelings about how she was doing and why she was where she was.
As we came down the final stretch of the canyon I tried to have her push speed just to change up her turnover pace and help her get out of her "grind". I hope something I said was successful or at least that my rambling made her mind think about how much she hates me and not running and the situation :)
After we got out of the canyon Toby's family was right on the other side of the tunnel. She took a moment to say hello to them and made me cry. I hate how emotional running can be! Okay, not really :) It was amazing what that little visit did for her. She started running with resolve to finish. She had a grit and determination in her eye I hadn't seen for many miles.
I was SO impressed with how she barrelled forward through the last few miles. She never gave up and she kept passing people like crazy. She was determined. She knew how to get it done and she certainly didn't need any more of me or my antics, but it is what she signed up for and I wasn't giving up to her or leaving her at this point...despite all of her pleading for me to run my own race :)
We had a great race and I was SO impressed with Toby's push and will to finish. She asked what she did wrong. I told her it was nothing. The heat, the day, our bodies. I tried to tell her that she did the best she could for the day and the circumstances and it was nothing she did or didn't do. I've failed BQ tries more than I've succeeded. It is hard. Some people effortlessly hit a BQ or much better on their first try and the rest of us have to fight tooth and nail over and over and over again to get there. I know she has it in her. I KNOW it! Her training is more than spot on and she will get there and achieve. It will come.
After the race I chatted it up with many, many people and had just a great time getting to know some new friends and hearing stories SO similar to Toby's. It truly was just the day and not her at all. I waited until Smooth and Lowell came through and Marci and I visited with them for a while. Then I had to head home to get my triathalete and my boys from grandparents. What a wild and crazy day, but I'm SO glad I had the opportunity to be with Toby through this journey. I love that lady and I can't wait to see her get that BQ!
| 
