Ok, to start, this was my first marathon ever...previous to this, I'd run one 15K in 2002 (before I broke a kneecap), and since then, I'd only run a 10K (in 3 Olympic distance triathlons) as my maximum distance. But, since I signed up for Ironman FL, I had to get my butt in gear. I follow Hal Higdeon's novice 1 program. When I started in November, I couldn't run more than 2 miles at once...I never missed a workout (except for 3x during CHristmas), out of an 18 week plan. And, I think that I had a very minimal run base when I began. So, here is how it went (going by my Garmin - clicked it at every mile marker:
Mile 1 - 10:50 (1.02miles - 10:40min/mi) - Dark and tons of people through a neighborhood of some sort, I was really worried about falling on my face
Mile 2 - 11:14 (1.00miles - 11:13min/mi) - Still dark, trying to settle into my rhythm, felt good
Mile 3 - 10:59 (1.01miles - 10:54min/mi) - sky is getting lighter, put on the sunglasses so that I look cool:)
Mile 4 - 11:59 (1.09miles - 11:02min/mi) - long mile? hooked up with the 5 hr pacer for the marathon, forgot her name, but she was absolutely AWESOME!!
Mile 5 - 10:31 (.95miles - 11:02min/mi) - short mile? still with the pace group, we were talking, I felt really good
Mile 6 - 11:31 (1.01miles - 11:22min/mi) - still with the pace group, could see a lot of the half marathoners sprinting back to the finish, I was jealous, and they were freaking fast:) Took 2 Cliff blocks
Mile 7 - 11:42 (1.01miles - 11:35min/mi) - still with the pace group, spotted Matt flying by mile 11, he looked great
Mile 8 - 11:40 (1.01miles - 11:32min/mi) - still with the pace group, talking, felt great (in training, this was the furthest I'd run without walking)
Mile 9 - 11:47 (1.01miles - 11:44min/mi) - I think this is where our pace group was told that we needed to speed up, I noticed that the mile markers were consistently just a bit off, so I kept thinking that it would correct itself - I was trying to convince them to stay on my pace
Mile 10 - 11:55 (1.01miles - 11:51min/mi) - was starting to fall off the pace, but not by much, took two cliff blcoks, had my first water (walked for about 10s to drink, then started jogging again)
Mile 11&12 - 23:53 (2.00miles - 11:58min/mi) - guess I forgot to press lap, oops! Fell off pace group...then at mile 12, we had to go over the John Ringling Causeway which was BIG! So, I walked the uphill, but ran the downhill, and kept going
Mile 13 - 11:38 (1.01miles - 11:34min/mi) - some of this was the rest of the downhill from the bridge - I think, was still feeling good, and I made it to 13.1 at almost exactly 2:30 which was great for me. I also saw Matt going to other way, and he looked like he wasn't feeling so good, so I screamed and looked like a crazy person cheering him on...
Mile 14 - 12:05 (1.01miles - 12:00min/mi) - definitely starting to feel it, just trying to keep going, ran with another lady who had done 4 marathons before, took more water, and 2 more cliff blocks
Mile 15 - 12:19 (1.02miles - 12:06min/mi) - OUCH, and long! Kept with the lady, she was super nice
Mile 16 - 12:47 (1.04miles - 12:16min/mi) - another long mile, that was annoying...still with the lady, I think I got water? Don't remember...did walk a small uphill, then kept going
Mile 17 - 11:52 (.97miles - 12:15min/mi) - passed the lady as she ate something, walked 2 water stations - had one right before a turnaround, then looped back to it right after the turnaround...
Mile 18 - 12:39 (1.02miles - 12:28min/mi) - started to have lead legs, a bit of uphill, at this point, I was walking for about a minute when I got to the mile marker, then trying to run to the next mile marker
Mile 19 - 12:36 (1.00miles - 12:37min/mi) - lead legs - HURT!
Mile 20 - 13:14 (1.00miles - 13:16min/mi) - up the Causeway again, I walked a lot of this one, I also ate 1/2 a crunchy peanut butter bar - could only eat half...ran the downhill of the causeway
Mile 21 - 14:35 (1.03miles - 14:14min/mi) - still trying to digest, I'd never run so far before in my life...at this point I knew I could do it...
Mile 22 – 12:53 (.97miles – 13:18min/mi) – walking about half of it, knew that I could get under 5:30 at this point
Mile 23 – 12:52 (1.00miles – 12:51min/mi) – completely focused on run/walk, and when I walked, walking as fast as I could
Mile 24 – 13:09 (1.01miles – 12:59min/mi) – figured out that I could get under 5:20 is I tried hard, couldn’t eat anything else, just pouring water on my head at this point
Mile 25 – 13:28 (.99miles – 13:36min/mi) – almost all walking as fast as I could, having a lot of trouble running
Mile 26 – 13:18 (1.00miles – 13:15min/mi) – almost done!
Mile 26.2 – 3:08 (.24miles – 12:55min/mi) – I sprinted this, I know its faster, but forgot to turn the watch off after finishing – I was so happy/excited, I can’t even describe it!
PS-Just found out that I got under 5:20 - I got 5:19:58, yeah!!

just run more, have a stronger run base, but I've never run so well in my life, and I'm absolutely THRILLED!! It is just such an amazing feeling to have done it, I really questioned if I would be able to...I am writing this report so that I'll always remember how magical it was, and I couldn't have had a more perfect day, from the weather, to the volunteers, to the other runners, to the pace girl, everything!!! I loved every minute of it, and literally teared up at the end, cause I was so overwhelmed!!

Try to breathe - try not to heave...try to walk - try not to stop...walk fast to get back to the hotel in time for checkout - ouch ouch ouch!


Run base was so weak...


A perfect day, an amazing experience that I will always remember!!