I’m not as excited as I should be but that’s because I didn’t finish in the time I wanted… whomp whomp. I finished, and that’s a pretty damn great accomplishment!
Here's the play-by-play of my marathon run.
I started out running pretty decent: 9-9:30 minute miles…
… then about three-quarters of the way through my knee pretty much blew out. So I hobbled for about 8 miles. Then I got a blister the size of Texas on my foot, so I walked for about 3 quarters of a mile. Then I ran hard for the last 800 meters or so and finished strong.
It was really fun until about the 16th mile or so when I really started hurting.
I tried to stay ahead of 4:30 pace group. I was successful until mile 16. Then the 4:30 peeps passed me. About 20 minutes later the 4:45 pace group passed me. THEN about a half hour later the 5:00 pace guy passed me but told me he was quite a bit ahead (so much for pacing?). I tried to keep him in sight, but it just didn’t happen.
With about 4 miles left, I ran into an older gentleman who was walking that told me to keep going. I told him that I didn’t want to have to walk, so he walked alongside my super slow jog for the rest of the way. He said he was about 50 and had a daughter my age and that he had been running for about 5 years for his health. He had lots of friends and family there to cheer him on. I’m glad I ran into him or I might not have finished! I felt bad because I had to leave him behind—he couldn’t run the last part with me at the pace I wanted to finish at.
Thanks to everybody that came to cheer me on!!
My boss and co-worker were about at the halfway point with a big sign—which was really helpful. My girlfriends and my dad were at mile marker 23 holding these great handmade signs. If it wasn’t for them being there I might have quit! But I made it! My friend Danielle took these pictures as I crossed the finish line (thank you!)
