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Sunday, 10/26 was the most incredible day. I really need to put the word "incredible" into the thesaurus for the rest of this recap, because it seems to be the one word I want to use over and over again...

Ok, here's what it says...

These will work too. 

I had the honor and privilege of running the 50th Marine Corps Marathon with Ainsley's Angels, an organization that fights for "inclusion beyond limits". All you need to do to get involved is go to ainsleysangels.org and click the JOIN TODAY button. This doesn't mean you're committing to a race, but it will ensure you get information about what's happening near you and with the Ainsley's Angels family.

People ask me, "Why did you get involved with Ainsley's Angels?".

I tell them that I saw my friends, Tracie Hunter and Angelica McMurtray run the 500 Festival Indy Mini with Ainsley's Angels and it made me wonder if I could get involved. Originally, I thought that you had to have someone in your life with a disability to be able to join. That couldn't be further from the truth. Sign up by filling out a form on their website and you're in - you're part of the family. 

Since I've run so many races, I started feeling compelled to have different experiences. I don't need to PR every race. So, this seemed like a great way to give someone else the experience of doing something I love so much. 

So, in 2024, I signed up to run the Indy Mini with Ainsley's Angels and ran with my friend, Ashley Schwab, for Team Hope. After that, I vowed to never run the Indy Mini any other way. We were back in May of this year for Team Emmalyn. And I pushed for Team Kendall Jade at the Hit the Bricks 5K in September.

These experiences were so rewarding.

It's also worth noting that in December of 2024, I had the opportunity to interview Amy Shinneman for my podcast, Finish Lines & Milestones. Listen to her story here. Amy has a very rare form of Muscular Dystrophy and wasn't diagnosed until the age of 44. Her husband, Jamie, pushes her in races and they were planning to run the 50th Marine Corps Marathon (after they'd done the 50th NYC and Berlin Marathons). This got me thinking about committing to the 26.2 distance with Ainsley's Angels. 

So I decided to go for it. In April of this year when registration went live, I signed up for the marathon. Then in May at the Indy Mini, I got to meet Ainsley's dad, Rooster. I was so excited to tell him that I'd also be at MCM.

Here's why Marine Corps is so important to the Ainsley's Angels family. Ainsley's first marathon was at Marine Corps in 2011 and Ainsley crossed her 100th and final finish line at the Marathon Corps Marathon in October 2015. And on February 23rd, 2016, she crossed the ultimate finish line, on the anniversary of the American Flag raising at Iwo Jima (which is depicted by a statue at the MCM finish line). Her dad, Rooster, is a Marine. Ainsley knew what she was doing. If you want more of this story, listen to my interview with him here.

"How do you train for something like this?"

The advice from the Ainsley's Angels team is to get behind a chair as much as you can during training. Our local ambassador and VP of Education for Ainsleys Angels, Kristy High, drove down from Kokomo, IN to lend me a Freedom Chair to use for training. My friend, Carly Stewart, also lent me her Bob stroller.

So on easy run days, I'd try to push as much as I could. It was easier when my oldest daughter, Sydney, was home for the summer. When she went back to school, I did a run with my neighbor's kid once, and also put 70lbs of kettle bells in the chair to push at a local park with hills. My coach also added in more arms strength in my workouts.

The furthest I pushed at one time during my training was a sweltering, 11-mile training run on the Monon Trail with Sydney. This got in my head leading up to race day. How in the hell am I going to do this for 26.2 miles?

When I first signed up to run MCM with Ainsley's, I'd assumed that I'd be paired with another runner to help me cover the distance. Turns out, that was not the case. I spent some time pleading with my friend, Stephanie Woods, to sign up and then catch me to help... I did the same with my brother-in-law. I'd even asked my husband, Zach, to do it with me, but he still claims that he's a "one and done" marathoner. But now looking back, it all worked out the way it was supposed to. And it was even better than I could have ever dreamed of. 

RACE WEEK

On October 12, two weeks from race day, I texted my dad to ask him if he'd signed up for a time to go to packet pickup. My dad is 69 and we did MCM together in 2013. When I told him I wanted to run,  he decided he'd sign up too. For his "last" marathon. He replied by putting a "?" on my text. So, I called him and told him what he needed to look for in his email to sign up. 

Turns out, he'd accidentally signed up for the VIRTUAL marathon. Ever since COVID, races provide this option so people can run anywhere and still partake in the event and get a medal - for MCM it makes even more sense since there are members of the armed forces deployed everywhere.

We started to panic. The race was sold out. The date for bib transfers had passed. How the hell would we get a bib? 

So, I emailed the race director with the subject line, "My 69-year old dad accidentally signed up for the virtual MCM".

Alex -

My dad and I ran MCM together 12 years ago and we're returning this year. We both registered immediately when registration was opened.

Today, my dad realized he accidentally signed up for the virtual marathon instead of in-person. I'm heartbroken. This is clearly his own mistake, but I'm humbling asking if you'd consider granting him an in-person bib (obviously he'd cover the additional cost).

He's trained. He's ready for his "last" marathon. His name is Mark Hill from Carmel, IN.

Thank you for your consideration.

Ally

I texted Joe from Ainsley's Angels. He said he didn't think there was anything he could do. My dad told me to call Rooster. It was late in the day I told him I would first thing the next day. 

I texted the Executive Director from Indy Monumental since I sit on the Board and a fellow Board Member who lived out in D.C. for a while, but neither of them had connections to MCM. 

Then, I sent a similar email to the MCM team email and every single charity partner listed on the website. 

And finally I decided if there was anything social media could be good for it would be this. I shared this video. For everyone who reached out to help, THANK YOU. Social media can be a crazy place, but the help I received reminded me why I love the running community so much. Special thanks to my friend, Eileen Poore, for sending a heartfelt email to the race director and Amanda Nichols, who reached out to the MCM team to offer up her bib.

To my surprise, the MCM team replied within hours of my initial email. I'd gotten in bed and my mom texted me, "I heard you saved the day!" and I replied "Not yet I'm trying". But then caught up on texts and emails to see that Michelle Sledge from the MCM team had replied and called my dad to get him taken care of. Her email said,

Ally,

Thank you for reaching out to us!  

There are some limitations we have right now but changing your Dad from virtual to live isn’t one of them.His registration has been changed to live and you will be running together on race day!

See you soon!

The next day, I received this reply from the race director himself:

Ally,

Michelle Sledge, the MCM Business Manager, has informed me that this issue has been resolved.

Wishing you and your father, Mark, all the best for a great run at the 50th MCM—and for him, a smooth and memorable farewell performance at the marathon distance!

Semper Fidelis,

Alex

THANK THE LORD!!! Crisis averted. I would still get to share this experience with my dad. 

Originally, we were supposed to receive our rider information at the end of the summer, but with changes happening to the roster, that was delayed. I emailed the head of MCM and EVP for Ainsley's Angels, Joe Orth, to see if I could at least get an understanding of the type of individual I'd be pushing. I wanted to make sure I could give her the best day. He told me she was small and 5 feet tall. That gave me a little piece of mind. If there's one thing that I got to take away from this experience as an "uptight, road runner" it's the ability to give up control and just "roll with it"... like that pun?

On 10/15, we received our official pairings. All I could see was a name, Melissa Dayton, and a type of chariot, NCR Blade. I scoured social media for Melissa and found some pictures, but I was finally connected to Melissa's mom, Jeannie, on Wednesday of race week. 

Here's the note I sent her:

As someone who doesn't know what it's like to have a child with a disability, I tried to choose my words carefully and be as respectful as possible. Here's what she said.

Thank you Ally,

Melissa loves all types of music. She wears diapers so no restroom breaks or mishaps with her. She has the mind of a 1 year old so no glitter because she would try to eat it. Lol.

And she is fine without snacks or water until she finishes. Otherwise she might wet thru her diaper. We will also be at the dinner and I am bringing one of her  babysitters with us. There are a total of 10 of us traveling together with 4 of them in the marathon. Can't wait to meet you on sat. We really appreciate you lending your legs

Thank you so much

Jeannie

It said:

If you see Team Melissa on Sunday in hot pink for Ainsley’s Angels - that will be me! If you don’t have time goal, feel free to hang and push with me for a mile. I’ll be solo! So nervous. Hope you have a great race!

Within 20 minutes, Rob wrote me back:

I replied:

Thank you, Rob!! 🙏 Here’s to hoping the government lets you rest soon.

And that was that (for now).

RACE WEEKEND: BEFORE THE RACE

You’re too kind thanks so much!!!! It’s going to be such a special day

Yesss I love them!!

 

RACE DAY

I woke up at 3:17 without my alarm and quietly rolled out of bed to turn off the alarm before it woke Zach and Sloane (Syd was upstairs with the big girls).

I felt awful. I wondered how in the hell I was going to run a marathon while pushing another human being. I was distraught to say the least.

I Googled "can adrenaline make you feel like you have a fever?" and the answer is actually "Yes". Might be TMI but I recently weaned myself off of an SSRI after being on one for 4+ years. In this moment, it felt like a mistake - and maybe it still is. My anxiety race morning was through the roof. Unlike any pre-race nerves I'd ever experienced. 

Got dressed and went upstairs to find Mandy already making coffee and laying out bagel options. God bless her. I could barely eat. I made myself chug some Neversecond C90 with 90g of carbs so at least I'd have the energy I needed for the race despite it not being much solid food. I had a few bites of a bagel, covered my feet with Aquaphor before putting on my pre-race shoes. 

Mandy took me to the host hotel where I was planning to get into one of the vans to head to the start at 4:30am. Again, I saw my friend, Matt May, and while we were talking I realized I didn't have the appropriate paperwork to get on base with the rest of the team taking the van. So, I decided to walk to the airport metro with Matt. There, we met up with Annie and her dad, and Scott, Matt's running partner. 

There were runners starting to arrive for the 5am opening of the metro. There was a slew of other Ainsley's team members. We all chatted waiting for the train to arrive. I saw Matt Choi, a running celebrity who had announced he'd be running the race with The Kyle Pease Foundation, a similar organization to Ainsley's Angels. I walked up to him as he got off the escalator and thanked him for running for a cause. 

Finally, at 5:18am the train showed up. It wasn't super crowded, thankfully, so I got to sit down. I kept sipping on my water to calm my nerves. I'd taken off my sweatshirt because I was so hot - again, the adrenaline had gotten to me. 

Once off the train, we followed the other runners towards the start line. We were running behind schedule since the metro didn’t come until 5:18, but there were a lot of us so at least we were in good company. 

We made it to Charity Village right by the finish line at 5:49am (I only know this because that’s when this photo was taken)

I love that Ainsley’s Angels is hot pink because it sure makes it easy to find everyone. All of the chariots were lined up in rows, there was a line of porta potties (no lines!) and a team tent with snacks, tables and chairs. I checked in with Kristy High who told me Melissa had already arrived and was likely in her chair. 

I started wandering around trying to spot Melissa and her family in the darkness. I saw my friend John Calabrese again and gave him and his rider, Katherine, some pink glitter freckles.

Despite my smile, I’m still a wreck. Hiding it as best I can. I need to find Melissa. So, I call her mom Jeannie who explains to me where they are and I easily find them in the back row. 

This is the first time I’m seeing the chariot I’ll be pushing. I’d brought a stroller bag from Carly’s BOB to use in case my chariot didn’t have one, but there was a similar bag on the chair already. I positioned my phone clamp on the top of the handlebars and filled the organizer with my portable speaker, electrolytes, sunglasses and most of my fuel. I put some in my pockets for easy access.

It was nice to get all of my stuff situated. I went to the bathroom for the last time. Jeannie got Melissa situated and made sure she was bundled up (remember - she’s a Southern California girl). I texted with a few friends, my dad, and other runners.

There wasn’t a whole lot of down time before they announced it was nearly time to walk to the start. I switched my shoes from my comfy Brooks Ghost Max 3s to my sparkly, rhinestoned Saucony Endorphin Pros. I also changed out of my hot pink sweats and put on my hot pink Amazon bathrobe. I double checked and made sure I had everything. It was now or never. I hugged Jeannie and Dani and we started the walk to the start. 

We all walked through the tent to an amazing send off with families lining both sides of the tent. It made me tear up. 

It was a dark, cold, and mostly lonely walk to the start. Just me and my girl, Melissa, who was already fast asleep. 

I’m taking a video as we walk closer to the starting line when a voice behind me asks if he can take a video for me. I politely declined and turned to thank the kind stranger. And it was him - it was Rob Perez! I said something like oh my god, hi Rob! And he did a once over and asked, “team Melissa?”

I couldn’t believe it. He walked with me for a minute or two and then promised he’d come find me in the corral before the race started. 

The walk wasn’t short. It was over half a mile from the tent to the start line. When we passed under the starting arches, I looked around to see where I should get situated. I lined up behind Matt and Scott (Team Annie). Jeannie and Dani show up and that was a nice surprise I didn’t think I’d see them again until I was out on the course. It was now 6:45 - over 30 min until go time. 

I decided to try to eat the banana I brought with me. I got some of it down and then took a gel and salt capsule. I just wanted to start running in hopes that would ease my nerves. 

I walked to the side of the corral to find a good spot to throw my banana and gel trash. I opted to walk up a bit to throw it by a big sign. On my way back to Melissa, I hear Matt say, “Are you looking for Ally?” And when I turn it was Rob again. He had stayed true to his word and came to find me. 

We lined up to get a photo with the start line behind us. 

As we looked at the runners behind us, Rob spotted Matt Choi, the internet celebrity pushing for Kyle Pease that I mentioned earlier. 

Matt made his way over to us and they high fived and exchanged pleasantries. I said hi again and told him I saw him in the metro. I asked if we could all get a picture. We couldn’t get the flash to work on my phone so that ended up resulting in an unintentional photo of our feet which I actually love. It has one of Melissa’s feet in it too. And then we got a picture of us. Funny I’m in a bathrobe. Thank you so much to Matt May for capturing. I asked if they wanted a picture of just the two of them, but they said no. 

Now it’s 7:05am. Just over ten minutes. Rob went back to his corral and said he’d catch me and Matt went back to his rider. I wanted to speed up time. I think now is when the National Anthem was sung. It wasn’t super loud. 

Then, it was time. A a big “bang” sounds the start of the race. 7:15 was when the hand cyclists started. Then another bang for us at 7:17. I’d turned my music on, got my watch ready, and started my Rally app. Quick sidenote. A guy I met on Instagram who was running MCM, sent me a “Run with Rally” link. Voice notes on race day - encouragement at every mile. So, I clicked it and tried it out. I don’t remember what mile I picked for Junior, but I wished him good luck and told him my three favorite mantras - Run the mile you’re in. You can do hard things. You get to do this. It was so easy I decided I wanted to try it and sent it to my family and friends. In theory, it uses GPS and plays a voice note at every mile of the race. 

THE RACE

I was glad to finally get moving! If you're keeping track, I'd already been up for four hours (which is still less time than getting across the start at the New York City Marathon, but not by a whole lot). With the rest of the wheels it was cozy so I stayed patient and tried not to waste any energy weaving and trying to speed up. 

I spotted Matt Choi and his crew (no, not camera crew) fly by and wondered how fast they'd be running the race (3:49:40 as it turns out). We passed by the mile 26 marker and I silently told it that I couldn't wait to be back. I looked to the left to see the hill up to the finish and the demons were quick to tell me I was never going to make it.

Guys, it hadn't even been a mile and Rob caught up to me. Pretty sure that's exactly what I said to him too, "Oh my gosh, not even a mile and you're here?!" He immediately asked what he could do and so I showed him the trick to steering (which is leaning down on the chariot to pop the front wheel off the ground) and I gave him the reigns. 

He told me he'd get me through the hills and I can't begin to tell you the relief I felt (in my heart at least - my body still wasn't cooperating). Since I thought that's all the time I'd have him for, I had him push for the first miles through Rosslyn. 

MILE 1 - 11:00 - the slowest mile of the race 
Voice note was from my training partner, Becky Riley

MILE 2 - 9:45 
Voice note was from my friend, Carly Stewart 

Having the voice notes play out loud on the portable speaker was hilarious and somewhat embarrassing in front of a guy I'd just met, but you guys made me look good at least. 

And when I tell you everyone knew Rob - everyone knew Rob. At least that's what it felt like. I asked him if it was weird and he said it wasn't anymore and that he absolutely loved his community and his city. This showed for the entire 26.2 miles.

Somewhere in the first 5K, fellow Indy runner, John Kou, ran up behind us and we got a photo together. Not my best work but pretty impressive that we're both in it given the fact that I'd just started running a marathon and still felt like I could throw up at any moment. John went on to run a speedy 3:06:32.

MILE 3 - 9:39
Voice note was from my niece Bella and sister, Casey, it made me tear up

I remember asking Rob if he was good. I remember trying not to ask him every ten seconds. He was fine. Hell, he'd been running 20+ miles per day for the last week. This was easy for him. For anyone who doesn't know, Rob has a day job. Yes, he has a day job (in National Security) and he is finding a way to run every day for the shutdown and make an informative video about it. 

"Where are we now?" I'd ask. "Technically, we're still in Rosslyn", Rob said. 

Another aspect of race day that I was super anxious about was how I'd get water and electrolytes while pushing. Need I remind you this was a race of 40,000 and steering with one hand isn't the easiest. So, having Rob there to help also allowed me to grab water. I don't remember how much I pushed in the first few miles. Probably less that a mile total. I kept thinking that Rob was going to leave to go have his race and I'd need all the extra energy I could get. Sharing the load this much also made me feel like an imposter when people were cheering for us. My mind wasn't kind to me at all during this race.

MILE 4 - 8:49 (thanks, downhill)
Voice note from my friend an ultramarathoner Lindsey Welty 

After mile 4, we crossed the Potomac on the Key Bridge and could see Georgetown. This was the first time Rob took out his phone and took a quick video of us. The nerd in me was thrilled to be part of the behind-the-scenes of one of his iconic videos.

The view across the water looked like a green screen with how the light was hitting the buildings. Absolutely breathtaking. I remember asking Rob if they do kayaking out of Georgetown because I'm pretty sure I've done it before. He told me there were a ton of boat launches there. For the record, we did do this in 2016.

Georgetown itself was incredible. The crowds of people lining the streets. I forget which cheering stations were where, but there were tents for brands like ON and Lululemon and they had SO. MUCH. ENERGY. And they all knew Rob.

I wanted to know Rob too. I asked him a lot of questions during the race and found out that he's originally from Chicago, that he used to go to the Indy 500 every year with his family and they'd stay in West Lafayette to save money on a hotel. That while he served in the Navy he was on the USS Indiana (a Virginia-class fast attack submarine) Of course, I'm now selling him on coming to run the Indy Mini and Monumental.

MILE 5 - 9:35
Voice note from my daughter, Sloane, and my husband, Zach

The voice notes from Zach and the girls were by far the best (no offense to anyone else). It was also sweet how everyone around us would hear and smile at me. It did make me feel like a little bit more of a badass mother runner.

Now we headed into an out-and-back loop in Rock Creek Park. The trees were gorgeous. And there were way more spectators out on this part than I had imagined. Rob said they could get to the course from the neighboring streets and the bike paths. 

During this part of the race, I remember a group of three or so girls run up alongside us and get so excited to see Rob. I told them I had just gotten done telling Rob that I felt like this was my "running with Harry Styles moment". (In case you missed it, Meghan Howard, was the Canadian runner who shared miles with Harry during the Berlin Marathon). Rob was, of course, super humble and laughed it off, but I was serious. How was this real?

MILE 6 - 9:09
Voice note from my very pregnant best friend, Alyssa Stickley

A quick quote from her note, "Nothing should hurt right now, but if it does, tell that body part to shut the f*ck up." Still just my stomach. I'd taken two rounds of fuel and salt tabs but my stomach was still messed up. I'm really thankful that it wasn't the kind of messed up that mean having to poop because that would not have been fun - especially with Rob in tow. 

MILE 7 - 9:27
Voice note from my daughter, Sydney

I pushed a little bit during this section. It was nice and flat. So many people recognizing Rob and telling him how much they loved his videos - how much he inspired them. Rob was kind to every single person he encountered. He'd say, "Thank you for your support." and then proceed to ask them their name and wish them a great race.

MILE 8 - 9:23
Voice note from my niece, Kennedy that said "you're almost there". Not quite.

Mandy had said originally that they'd try to see me at mile 4, but before the race started she sent me the updated plan that they'd be at miles 9 and 16. I needed to see them. I knew that would help give me some renewed relief and energy to keep going. The great thing about having a place for my phone is that I could look up where Zach was on the course. So, we had it pulled up and we were ready and looking for them. I had told Rob that I'd probably stop and he could keep going if he wanted to. He said he didn't mind stopping at all and would do whatever I needed. I did start to hope he'd stay with me the whole time, but also didn't want to get those hopes up.

MILE 9 - 9:37
Voice note from my husband, Zach, and daughter, Sloane - during which he said he'd help me "stretch" after. This garnered a few laughs from the crowd.

We were looking but we seemed to go right by their dot and there was no sign of them. We still aren't sure how we missed each other. And by the time we hit the 10th mile marker I knew we'd have to wait until The National Mall to see them. It was a bummer, but Rob was still with me so I was doing ok.

MILE 10 - 9:58
Voice note from my childhood friend, Kate Nielsen "I don't know. You tired? Probably. What's the weather like? What song ya listening to?" Loved this one. I didn't catch most of it until after the race because of the spectators - that was a case for a lot of these, actually. Thank goodness you can play them back! 

We were now running along the water. The weather was perfection. I can't remember when I took of my gloves and arm sleeves, but that happened at one point after being in the sun for a bit. Here we could see some of the monuments. So far, the entire course was scenic. I also can't remember when exactly but I remember saying to Rob something like, "I know it's a little early in the race to get sappy." Rob, "Never, fire away." With tears in my eyes I tell him, "I want you to know I will never forget this. What you're doing means so much." Then he said, "I'll never forget it either."

MILE 11 - 9:56
Voice note from my friends Sue and Will Young "You didn't get this far to only get this far. Keep going!"

MILE 12 - 9:39
Voice note from my friend and Ragnar teammate, Jennifer Nei

Now we're on Haynes Point. Rob says it's a perfect 5K. That did help me focus on the next 5K - running the mile I was in. Mile 12 is called "The Blue Mile" and honors fallen service members. There are pictures that line both sides of the course and Rob tells me that so much care and detail goes into it. That they're all placed exactly 12 feet apart, "It allows runners time to see, read, and emotionally register each face and name without them blurring together."

We turned off the music to honor the moment. After the pictures, service members holding American flags lined both sides and cheered for us. It was very moving. 

MILE 13 - 9:33 - now forever in my head known as "The Sticky Mile" from all of the Untapped maple syrup 
Voice note from my mom "You get to do this. You chose this."

Halfway home. I'm still not feeling the best, but I'm doing it. And Rob hasn't left our side. Around this time we meet Rob's friend and D.C. photographer, Ralph Navarrete. They chat for a while. I swear Rob said that Ralph ran a marathon in his cul-de-sac, but that could just as easily been another friend we saw along the way. 

There were people golfing and Rob wondered aloud how in the world they were able to get out and play since it was in the middle of the marathon course. 

Less than 30 minutes until I get to see my family. 

MILE 14 - 9:33
Voice note from my dad "I'm probably at about mile 5"

Almost done with Haynes point and then we'll be heading to what will be 4 miles of spectators around The National Mall. I think it's around this time of the race I asked Rob about the 300 milers he's done. Turns out he ran The Speed Project (a ~300 mi race from the Santa Monica Pier to the Las Vegas sign) the same year my friend, Cameron Balser, did. Which meant that Rob also knows the guys from Meshingomesia Track Club (MTC) - shoutout to TJ Dailey and John Kuhn.

MILE 15 - 9:39
Voice note from the hilarious Renae Saager. Another favorite. The fact that it played out loud for the world to hear... so good. 

I can't remember the exact mile when we saw her, but we spotted a pink crew and I could see Jeannie, in the second row. We locked eyes but we moved past her. We needed to see her. I told Rob we should pull over, so we did. I carefully ran back to grab Jeannie and she got to see her girl. She got to meet Rob and I told her we'd see here again soon at the finish line. I loved getting a chance to give her a hug.

It's starting to seem like Rob is going to stay with us. I was too afraid to ask him because I really didn't want him to leave, but I also wanted him to have the race he wanted. I told him that if he was going to stay that I needed to start pulling my weight and switch off every mile, so that started at mile 16. I'd probably pushed less than 3 miles up until this point. Hard to say. I was feeling really guilty. It was hard to accept this kind of help from a complete stranger - especially one like Rob. And especially since I'd committed to doing the race alone. With that said, the way I was feeling - I needed the help. 

MILE 16 - 9:54
Voice note from Coach Rachel Sinders

We pass by the National Museum of African American History and Culture. I had to ask Rob what it was, I've never been. The building itself is really special. He says it's a must visit. 

Now, we have Zach's location pulled up on my phone so we know where to look. Rob says it looks like they're going to be on the left, so we make our way to that side of the course. Two blocks Rob says. I'm already feeling emotional at the thought of hugging them all. 

And there they are. All dressed in hot pink for Ainsley's Angels. I didn't know until later they'd also painted angel wings on the sides of their faces. 

In the picture of me and Mandy, you can see Rob waiting patiently with Melissa in the distance. I hugged them all one-by-one and gave Zach a kiss. Then, I was ready for the rest. What a boost of love and energy - just what I needed. 

It was a blur, I think Rob's people were shortly after that. The Northeast Track Club. I'm 80% sure this is where he got to see his girlfriend, Mollie, and this is Rob's also first shot of Fireball on the course. Yes, first. 

Then, we run by the Capitol Building. Rob gets a great video of me. 

MILE 17 - 10:31 
Voice note from Eileen that I didn't hear until after the race because the crowds were SO LOUD

Less than 10 miles to go. The crowds and the atmosphere here are nuts.

MILE 18 - 10:17
Voice note from my friend and Ragnar teammate, Kallie Bonnell 

At this point, I thought maybe I'd see my family again on the opposite side of the mall, but then as we started gettin closer and we looked at the location, I realized they were staying put to find my dad. And they did! Even though he says he didn't know where they were going to be. Thank goodness for hot pink. It's so special our girls got to see their Papa do this.

MILE 19 - 10:10
Voice note from the one and only Lindsey Hein 

Now we're leaving the mall and I know it's going to be time to dig in. What's really weird is that my body is FINALLY starting to relax. I finally feel like I'm not going to puke and the rest of this could be - dare I say - enjoyable?! We pass by the Jefferson Memorial. We're staring down the 14th Street Bridge, which is famous on the course because it's the "Beat the Bridge" checkpoint where runners must be before the time cutoff to finish the marathon. 

There are some spectators with another shot of Fireball for Rob! 

It's my turn to push up the bridge during what Rob says is the hardest part of the course. I'm so happy I get to do this. I am feeling so incredibly grateful in this moment.

There's an infamous water stop on the bridge where you can refill your water bottle. They are giant jugs of water that are ironically positioned behind a cement barrier. I'm happy I have the storage of my electrolytes and don't need to stop.

I remember yelling "The Wall is bullsh*t" as we go up because I firmly believe it is only a mental block, but I also know I've experienced it before. You could say I'd hit the wall before the race even started. 

MILE 20 - 9:41
Voice note from my sister, Morgan "You inspire me every day"

Rob asked me if I wanted to do the "10K To Go!" part of his video and I did. Maybe now's a good time to point out that while it might seem like people like Rob (I really dislike the word influencers) are always recording, he probably got his phone out 10 times on the course. He'd do his thing, and be done with it. And usually, the people around us would notice and realize it was THAT GUY FROM TIKTOK! Nothing but love for Rob out on the course.

We saw one of Rob's friends and he turned around and said, "Smile for the camera!
"It took me a second or two to realize he was wearing the new Meta Oakley glasses to record his experience. 

MILE 21 - 9:35
Voice note from my friend Kate Vanlue

Done with the bridge and now there's a weird jaunt through a parking lot in front of the Pentagon. This is where Rob thanked people for the support of his shutdown series (which is how I found Rob) and said he hoped all Federal workers running felt supported. Then, we met a guy who was impacted by the shutdown and Rob repeated the sentiment. 

After the parking lot, we went under an overpass with a marching band that gave a boost of energy as we made our way to Crystal City. 

MILE 22 - 9:56
Voice note from Ashley Haynes that included my favorite Taylor Swift lyric "it's miserable and magical" and is "22" for mile 22 

During Mile 22 there was an Ainsley's Angels aid station which I'm sure was in the documentation I was given, but it was a pleasant surprise to me. They had an amazing spread - regular Coke (yes, please), pretzels, potato chips, candy... it was perfect. We stopped and took what we wanted - for me it was a shot of regular coke, a potato chip and a pretzel. My stomach was finally behaving I didn't want to make it mad. 

MILE 23 - 10:41
Voice note from my sister, Casey, who cried and made me cry

After leaving Crystal City, it was the only part of the course I thought wasn't scenic. And it was about a half mile or so before we were on the other side of the Pentagon. It was around this time I admitted to Rob that I wanted a sub 4:24 to beat my previous Marine Corps time from 2013. I think I'd only looked at my watch twice the whole day, so I had no idea where we were, but it felt like it was within reach. Rob did the running math and factored in the three minute head start I'd gotten.

MILE 24 - 9:19
Voice note from Shannon Spencer, who I met through Ainsley's Angels as we pushed Team Kendall Jade to win a local 5K - the mention of birthday made me smile (remember Melissa's song?)

Now we're approaching where everything had been set up for corrals just hours before. If you remember, we saw the mile marker for 26 shortly after crossing the start. 

MILE 25 - 9:25 
Voice note from Rachael Waterbury that was so funny to hear out loud. Everyone was so quiet and hurting at this point. "YOU ARE THAT BITCH!" It was perfect. 

I can't believe it's almost over. My nausea had finally gone away and I was so ready for that finish line. Not so much the hill up to the finish, but Rob and I agreed we would take that on by pushing together. We pass under the bridge where it felt like we just ran under in the early morning sun to start this crazy adventure. Rob pointed up ahead in the distance, "You see where those runners are turning left? That's it. That's the last turn up to the finish." 

MILE 26 - 9:27
Voice note from my friend, Christi Dee

One last push. I was ready for it. It was a little awkward trying to both push and go around a turn but we made it happen. And then we pushed what felt like straight up a mountain. And as we got to the top, I hear from behind me, "ALLY!" 

I turn to see Jordan Huffman, a friend of mine from Indy who is married to a Marine and runs the race every year - also with her dad. "JORDAN! OH MY GOD!" I scream back. There are even pictures that captured this magical moment and Jordan was able to capture it too. What are the odds? God really knew what I needed during this race.

Another few hundred meters or so and we're there. We finish the Marine Corps Marathon as Team Melissa.

FINISH TIME: 4:18:49 

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! I cannot believe that just happened. 

POST RACE

I'm ugly crying with a lot of emotion, but it doesn't last too long as we make our way into the finisher chute. I take some deep breaths and grab a water. We start heading out one way but want a finisher photo by the iconic Iwo Jima memorial, so turn to find a path we can forge with the chariot. If you've been following from the very beginning, Ainsley passed away on the anniversary of this iconic event - February 23rd, 2016. So, this picture carries even more meaning. 

Melissa had stirred a bit, so I held her hand and told her we'd done it! I swear she's smiling in this picture of us.

I ask Rob if he wants a picture by himself. He doesn't. But he takes a couple of me and Melissa. We head back towards Charity Village and find our way to the Ainsley's Angels tent. Shortly after entering the village, they hand out the coveted finisher blankets to commemorate the 50th running. Rob declines his, so I get mine and lay Melissa's across her lap.

At the tent, I introduce Rob to Kristy and she gets him a hot pink t-shirt (size XL because he cuts all of his shirts). I ask if Rooster is around, but he'd been called to help a team finish when a runner was unable.

Matt and Scott from Team Annie arrive, so we all chat for a bit. Rob asks if anyone knows where Team Cassidy might be. He'd actually asked via Instagram, in the corrals and now again in hopes of meeting her. Turns out Cassidy is his girlfriend's sorority sister. Again, small world. Luckily, in rolls Team Cassidy about 5 minutes or so after we'd arrived. Rob was so excited to chat with her. I'm telling you - he's an incredible human being.

Jeannie arrived back at the tent too after her electric scooter had died. We hug and get photos (which sadly I don't have but someone out there does). 

It's time for Rob to go. He's in no rush - asks if there's anything else we need. I knew I'd been given such a gift to be able to spend the last 4.5 hours with him. So, we exchanged numbers so we could share all of our pictures and hugged goodbye. I thanked him again for the best day. And then he was gone. It's crazy to think that you spend 26.2 miles with someone during a very significant life event and then it's over. I hope we meet again! We've gotta get him to come do the Mini in May with Ainsley's Angels...

The post marathon food at the finish line was oddly healthy - veggie straws, applesauce, granola bars... so I went in the tent and found my gear bag and some potato chips. I spread out my finisher blanket next to Melissa in the sun. 

Jeannie, Dani, and I all sat and chatted. Jeannie asked me why I got involved with Ainsley's Angels, and I told her the story from before. She was impressed that I felt called to get involved. Then, I learned more about Jeannie. 

She didn't know Melissa when she was in her car accident at age 2, but she met and married Melissa's dad after the accident. Jeannie said she fell in love with Melissa, so when she went through a rough divorce, she fought for full custody - and won. Sadly it doesn't seem like Melissa's dad is the best guy. In her previous marriage, Jeannie was physically beaten. I told her she's an angel. She is. And so is Dani, her babysitter. Dani has worked for the family for about a year. She takes Melissa out to karaoke nights. Melissa surfs in the California waves (at least, I think I heard that right). 

It was weird to say goodbye to people who suddenly felt like family, but they had a flight to catch, so we all hugged and hoped to see each other again.

Kristy got a picture of everyone from Indiana. Annie (the rider Matt and Scott pushed) and Team Jacob pushed by his dad, Brad. 

I went in the tent to hand out the rest of the bracelets I'd made and since I had horrible service, Annie's mom looked up to see where my dad was. He'd finished! 5:14! I called him and we agreed to meet up at Iwo Jima. 

Well, after I left Charity Village it was clear I wouldn't be able to swim upstream to get to him, so I waited further upstream and called him to tell him to come find me - that I'd be in all hot pink. Here's a video of when I found him.

I told him I wouldn't make him take official finisher photos even though I really wanted them. He was spent, and I could see he wanted to get the hell outta dodge. So, we got a photo with some "Marines". The funny part of this story is the young woman on the right was like, "I'm Navy, is that OK?" and my dad goes, "No one can tell." It got a good laugh from everyone. 

There was fresh watermelon that really hit the spot. The woman handing it out yelled so loud when I was feet away from her and I said, "OK, OK, I'll take some" which made us both laugh. I found out later thanks to the internet that she's from Vincennes, IN and knows Chase Adams, a recent guest on my podcast. The world is a small and wonderful place sometimes. 

The second marathon (or maybe third if you count getting to the start) was getting to the metro and making it home to Alexandria. There was a broken escalator that was the longest escalator you've ever seen. It was comical. But we made it. 

My husband had pizza and beer waiting for us. I didn't want it to be over. 

I don't really have the profound words to wrap this up since I've already typed so many, but THANK YOU. 

💕Thank you to everyone who donated to my fundraiser for Ainsley’s Angels. 💕

• Bryan Stoffel
• Colleen Deryckere
• Kimberlee Griffin
• Peter Merante 
• Morgan Sigler
• Carly Stewart
• Catherine Saunders
• Becky Lesh
• Lauren Kort
• Jennifer Nei
• Anonymous donors

Thank you to my husband, Zach, for begrudgingly supporting my running addiction and taking care of our family. To my parents for making sure I know I can do anything I set my mind to. To my friends, sisters, coach, internet strangers... to the Ainsley's Angels family... for Jeannie for trusting me with Melissa. 

And to Rob. This day would have been very different without you. I am forever grateful.

--

Other random things I want to remember about the day:

• There's a father/daughter duo that dress up as Mr and Mrs Incredible every year. We saw them twice
• My favorite sign was the "Momma Ain't Raise No Bitches" and of course the "My wife is going to finish twice today" signs
  
• We encountered a French racing team that had a team of 8-9 that traded off to carry an athlete through the race 
• Rob wears his GPS watch with the face on the inside of his wrist
• Rob is running the New York City Marathon this Sunday with a blind runner named Irwin through Achilles (he cheered for all of the ones he saw on the course - some he already knew)