"Marathon" adventures

So I woke up totally knowing I overslept..you know the feeling....its too light out, you actually feel rested..and that sinking feeling in your stomach tells you something isn't right.

I turn over and look at my phone to see what time it was to discover 5 missed calls and texts messages blinking away..yeah I was supposed to be at the starting line 45 minutes ago. I call my friends freaking out wondering WHAT time is it?

(Jordan changed their clocks back last night..apparently mine did twice).

The friends tell me I still have time. I throw clothes on. down some water. book it out of my house, only to get to my circle(where Ill catch a cab) and find they've closed it down..can't get in or out. I walk the 5 minutes to the next circle. also closed. call my friend. want to cry. I do cry. I'm so bummed. But in my head I think-"Sarah you will laugh about this later!"

I then realize they run right through this circle so have them call me when they are close. brilliant. I know.

So join my friend at 3rd circle. run the rest of the race. its through the downtown area(read: sketch and sleeze)...men all over wondering what is going on.

(This is only Amman's 3rd year of a marathon through the city. The running for "fun" concept hasn't quite caught on to their smoke infested lungs)

But there's still hundreds of people (read: 15 year olds) running the 10K and I'm in the front section so it was ok.

Didn't drink enough water due to my morning frenzy so was super dehydrated. They handed out water that people dumped all over the street and I literally thought I was gonna slide down the hill...it was so steep and slippery. yes, let's hand out water at the top of a giant hill. brilliant.

Finally get to the finish line, greeted by friends who got there before me. Fight the masses to get some water and apples? ok apples. didn't get my medal. There's a guy standing on a table handing them out by the hundreds to throngs of people who are finishing. It's like a mosh pit all around me. Some random dude walks up to me and pats me on the shoulder..pulls out a medal from his pocket all secret like..and gives it to me. it was like a drug deal(this happened to one of my other friend too) so sketch. but.....got my medal.

Leave the masses (read: fight my way out of the mosh pit). meet up with friends. we wait for our friend to finish the marathon. Watch a prince and his family who I guess ran it get escorted to the VIP room section. We don't find out he's a prince til later. Guess I need to study up on my princes.

Guys come up to us and ask if they can take their pics with us(yes. we are famous). I ignore them but my friend Julia goes for it. She had just been lamenting how we didn't get race shirts

( we signed up free through another friend who works at one of the sponsoring companies..so we had to wear a company shirt instead. Saved 100JD but who's counting.)
Julia had just asked a race worker if shirts were for sale. no. they weren't.

(live in this country long enough you know that a "no shirts aren't available" isn't really the final answer. Someone always knows someone who knows someone.)
So back to the guys. She said she'll take the picture if the guy gives her his shirt(race shirt). what? this shirt. yes. that shirt. his friends really want the picture. so he agrees.
yes. she got the shirt off his back.

we then wait for the final marathon runners to come in. Our friend among them. We clap and cheer every time a red numbered person comes through. Mind you, the end isn't clearly marked and some of the guys totally get to the end to find they have to go around to get to where we are. Everyone is minding their own business. Hundred of "volunteer" race workers..doing nothing.

No one seems to care that people who dedicated a giant portion of their life to running are coming through the finish line.

Fast forward. Our friend comes through-they are threatening taking down the signs, they've already disconnected the counter. Ummmm there's 92 people who showed for this marathon...I'm pretty sure only 20 have come through..and its barely been 5 hours. Friend comes. We have saved her a metal, some water and an apple. We cheer really loudly. A couple of guys come through---they don't get water because yes. they have run out.

He asks me thinking I'm a worker---I go up to a worker asking where all the water is!! why don't they have water!!! More yells from my friends put them into action and water is found for the poor marathon runners who are slowly dehydrating before our eyes. haha. hilarious.

Another marathon runner comes up to us and thanks us for cheering at the finish line. He was really touched(cuz no one else was there) and he said some of the other guys were glad too. So glad we could do our civil duty!

Side note: My friend thinks that girls who she knows were behind her..totally cheated...easy to do. since the route is 4 loops and then the finish line. Finish one loop early and your golden.

Maybe I SHOULD do a marathon next year.....

now we need to go find our bags with our keys that we checked at the finish line. When ask..they are behind. Behind what??? so we go off in search of our necessary essentials. Find them. Now we need to find the busses. Supposedly there are buses that will take us back to our cars which are at the starting line. We join a group of volunteers and other youth who are also heading for the buses. We find the buses..get on and are told by 11 years olds its a school bus. Volunteers are confused. I'm glad we aren't the only ones who haven't a clue. Next stop. Military bus station...we find a bus that will take us and all of us get on. Wait in traffic for 15 minutes.

I'm thinking at this point I should have just taken a taxi.

All this to say---I had a great time making some hilarious memories with some great friends. I actually think I could do a marathon...so when I've decided to sell my soul and life to training..I'll let you know.