I got to my corral with 5 minutes to start and went to take a gel. Sh*t!! I left my gels in my gear bag! I made the decision to sprint back to gear check in the dark to try and recover my baggie of gels. I ran so fast and I was trying not to freak out. The race was chipped times so I could *really* start anywhere. I made it and found my bag and ran back to the corrals as fast as I could. I hoped back in, took my gel and the race started 90 seconds later.
miles 1 thru 6 were pretty good. I knew I wasn't going to make bq (not that I was trying) or even a PR but I thought I could hold onto a 3:50. No problem. Kerry, a running friend from USA Fit, caught up with me at about mile 3 and we ran together until just after the half/full split. I knew I wasn't going to have the kind of day I *hoped* for but I was easily holding pace in the 8s. (Garmin can confirm) As I made my way through Candler park and up to Ponce I started feeling fatigued, not in my legs but in my body. As I rounded that corner onto College Ave. I started thinking this was going to be a long day. I felt like I could just go to sleep right there on the side of the road. I made it up to Agnes Scott in a blur trying to convince myself to keep going. All I needed to do was keep moving forward. By the time I reached down town Decatur and the half way point I was negotiating when I would call the SAG wagon. I just didn't think I could push through the fatigue. Running down (or up) Claremont was pretty brutal both physically and mentally. I was ready to give up when I hit the water stop right after the turn onto N. Decatur Rd. and realized I was already at mile 15. This was the turning point for me and I just kept telling myself, no matter how long it takes me I will finish this race. Making the turn onto Lullwater I knew it was going to be tough for the next few miles but I had also just ran the last couple miles *pain* free, so I was feeling more confident. Usually, I don't start feeling bad in a marathon until the 15 or 16 mile mark, so when this overall fatigue came over me so early on I didn't know what was going to happen. Making it to the Highlands is a god-send on the full course. From this point (mile 20) to the Park (mile 22) is nice and flat and a good reprieve from the never ending ups and downs. Once I made the turn onto Juniper I knew it was pretty much all uphill from here and I just tried to hang on the best I could. My heart rate was abnormally elevated through the entire run and my breathing was very shallow. I'm not sure if that played a role in my fatigue earlier or not, but I managed it very well. The final turn onto Marietta St. was so long, it felt like forever but seeing the finish line was a great feeling.

1. Not leave my gels in gear check :) Not that that had anything to do with how my race went.
2. Not walk through the two water stops (at the time I didn't have a choice)
3. Train better for the course. (This is the biggest thing and should be number 1)

Walked through the (long) shoot and got some food. Found my gear bag and changed into warm clothes.


Me, always me. I've given this a lot of thought and this is all I had yesterday. That *little* mental/physical issue I had in the early part of the race really took a toll on me and it pretty much guided how the rest of my day would go.


It's hard to pass up a marathon in your backyard. It's not the best as far as spectators goes but the course is beautiful and is very challenging. It will make you honest.