I didn't know what to expect coming into the run. The furthest I had run prior to this was a little over 6.5 miles. At the beginning of the year and for the past 7 years I have been struggling with chronic shin splints, so to make it to the finish line was a victory in itself. My goal was to finish and nothing else.

I told my husband before the race that I should finish around 3:30, my goal was to keep about a 15min/mile pace. It was what I had been training at the whole time and so I wouldn't expect anything else.

As always the first 45 minutes are the hardest for me, it's when my shins hurt and nothing seems to be clicking. I knew that if I made it past the first 45 minutes then everything would be okay after that. Sure enough about 45 minutes in everything started clicking. I made sure that I started out slow (for me) because I didn't know what 13.1 miles was going to be like, it's better to finish standing up than being carted off.

About 4 miles into the run I had to take a potty break, I tried to prolong the potty breaks as long as possible, because I knew I was towards the back and I didn't want to end up so far behind where I couldn't catch up in the end. The good thing was that I knew I was hydrated and than gave me a good piece of mind. After the potty break I started up a nice incline. I wanted to run to catch up with the people that I was orginially with but to my better judgement I walked up the hill. My HR monitor was going off like crazy and I knew trying to catch up wouldn't help me any, so I walked up the hill, and gave myself a little break.

Once I got up the hill I decided to jog/trot a little to see how my HR was doing and it took all of a couple of seconds before it started to beep at me again. I turned it off because I thought I could run more than my HRM was allowing me to. So I turned it off, and I started to run. About 4 minutes later I realized that that was a stupid decision and I could feel the fatigue and it was only mile 6, so I turned it back on and wonder what was I ever thinking. Nothing new on race day.

Mile 6-7 were a blur, we ran straight into the wind and the rain and it was miserable. Of all the days it could've rain it had to be this day.

Once I got pass mile 6-7 I knew that it was uncharted territory for me, so I knew I had to take it one mile at a time and focus on the hear and now instead of what was coming up. Doing this helped miles 8-10 go by extremely fast. I started to pass more people during miles 8-10. The people that had passed me before, I was know passing, a good confidence boost that I needed.

Once I saw mile 10 I knew I had a 5K left (when I was in the Marine Corps that's a PFT), no problem. Around the 11 mile mark I started to notice a blister on the bottom of my left foot, soaking wet socks were starting to get the best of me. And my feet started to hurt. I started to realize that it hurt just as much to walk so why not run. At this point I was going to finish no matter what. I would crawl to the finish if I had to.

I had about another 1.5 mile when everything was starting to fall apart. The mental part of the run was going into effect. Right when I thought just walk the last 1.5 miles, I saw my husband and my whole attitude changed. He was able to run/walk to me the whole time, encouraging me the whole way. We took it every other light pole at a time. It was my fastest mile. 13:10.

I saw the finish line and I gave it everything I could my last surge. I cross the finish line and the smile on my husbands face and my face, made everything worth it.

I finished and that's all that matters.



Nothing. I thought I would finish in 3:30 and I finished in 3:11. That's a PR for me.

Walked to get some goodies that they were handing out, and walked back to the car, about another 3/4-1 mile to stretch my legs out.


I was fast enough for my training.


Not a lot of spectators, but it could've been due to the rain and wind. I will do it again if I'm still in the area.

AWESOME MEDAL!!!!