We arrived at the piazza Michelangelo around 7:30 a.m. on November 25, 2007. Looking out over the city of Florence with the fog dancing through the city was calming yet exhilarating. Between my nerves, the cold, jet lag, and anxiety I was a wreck. When I heard the gun go off, the adrenaline began pumping thorough my veins, and I all I could think about was getting to the finish line.
Five miles into the race we noticed a van pull up to the five mile marker (nearly all of the signs were marked in kilometers) and take the sign down. This was a little discouraging, but I relied on a green line I noticed painted in the street along the course. Two hours into the race I began noticing people walking back with metals around their necks. I’m thinking to myself, “They can’t possibly be finished already?” I tried my hardest to remain focused on the marathon (more like the finish line and all the gelato and wine I could have when this is over ... ). However between the rain, the cobblestones, no more water stops (the only reason we knew that there was a water stop was because we saw empty cups all over the streets …), getting lost and worse yet hitting the dreaded “wall” at (what I think was around fourteen miles) I was DONE.
I felt discouraged, defeated, tired, cold, and was in dire pain. The few spectators that were along the “course” yelled “Vai!” (Which means “go” in Italian) Which sounds like die, and that’s exactly how I felt. ( … like I could just crawl under some statue and die!) Here I am in one of the most beautiful places in the world, hundreds of friends, family members, and colleagues donated over $6,200 on my behalf to the AIDS foundation, and I wanted to give up!) Still I pushed on constantly reminding myself why I am doing this. About five and half hours into the marathon, we notice people who have completed the marathon walking back to their hotels or where ever pointing to their wrists and looking at us as if to say “… you’re not done yet? Come on, vai!”) (At this point I was ready to kick some Italian ass, never mind I could barely walk …) Although I ended up walking in the rest of the course I eventually found my way to the finish line seven hours later.
