I was happy just to toe the line for this. I have been dealing with IT issues for the last 5 weeks.
The plan was to start out with the 4:30 pace group and hold on for as long as I could, but I was standing it the line for the bathroom and couldn't get to them by the start of the gun! So started closer to the 5 hr group and started running with Kerri from IL that trained by herself. It was great talking with her and we found ourselves caught up to the 4:30 group.I found Geoff and Jenny and started running with them and Kerri moved on. At around mile 4 I could tell that a blister was forming on my right foot. Jenny said her group of students would have tape for me at Concordia. I hung with them and I felt great to mile 8 where I stopped to get the foot taped. They did a great job! Then around the corner a wait for my first pit stop...come on people don't you know we are in a race! It was a longer wait then I would have liked. After my stop I was feeling great and having a blast! Around mile 10 my IT started talking to me.. not too bad but it was letting me know it was there. Just thought to myself please hold off for a bit more! I caught back up to Jenny shortly after that and we kept each other going. By mile 18 I was in pain and not really lovin this whole running thing! I saw DJ somewhere out there and he told me to be smart...ok like you are one to talk! Then two ladies behind us were talking saying...hey I think that is the guy from the triathlon movie..had to let them know it was...(Ok Dave control your big head :) ) I had to stop for the bathroom again so Jenny moved on. Out there by myself was harder then I thought but I was still in awe of the fact I was running a marathon..even if at times my run was slower then some of those walking! The pain was getting the best of me and at points there were tears in my eyes. I had another bathroom break somewhere in there..the tummy was a bit gassy and I was a bit dizzy, it hit me I really didn't fuel much. So I ate one of my date/almond balls.(only 2 gels one cup of Gatorade and 1 of my date/almond balls and water the whole run.) Then I saw Peter...It was great to see a familiar face and he gave me the encouragement that I needed to keep going. A little farther down the road I see Nashers and Amy(?) Their energy was infectious! They ran with me a bit and I was complaining about the IT and Amy had me stop and she massaged it out a bit...oh much better! They stuck with me a bit them moved on to the finish line. This is it I can feel the end coming, when I hit mile 24 it was like heaven opened and took the pain away. I was running...or so it felt like it! I checked the watch and realized I could make it under 5 hours...it would be close! I gave it all I had...so much so that I didn't even see my hubby at the finish line all I kept saying was under 5, under 5! I saw the official clock say 5:00:14 and knew I did it!
All through out the course my hubby and kids cheered me on...they were a huge motivation for me. Hearing the "I love you mom"..."we are proud of you" kept me going till the end! Thank you to my family and all my friends out there!

get the IT checked out sooner!

I was a hurtin unit when I crossed the line, pain shot down my leg and I couldn't stand too good on my own. went to the med tent and they gave me a baggie of ice...umm ok then waited for the massage. Also walked over the the beer tent and bought my finishers pullover!


lack of training and injury


Very happy I raced, would like to come back and see what I can do with the right amount of training and no injury! But probably not next year because of MOOOOO!