My goal was 4:45. Looking back this was not a very realistic goal. My long runs had suffered over the past couple weeks (the longest was 6 miles in the last month) and I didn't take into consideration just how hot it was going to be.

The start was Amazing! It was overwhelming, inspiring, awesome. I couldn't believe how many people were there and the spectators were awesome. Waved to my husband and we were off...well 30 minutes after the first person crossed (takes that long to get to the line!).

From the very beginning I knew it was going to be a long day. I just didn't feel good. I felt like I was working way to hard for it to only be 3 miles. I'm not sure if it was the lack of training or just my emotions. I saw my husband at mile 4...he screamed, I waved. When I saw him again at mile 8 I just pretty much burst into tears. And I am not a crier. I couldn't believe that I still had 18 miles to go. It was started to get really warm and I just wanted to be done. He walked next to me for a minute and told me that I looked good and everything was going to be fine. I knew he was lying but I appreciated the gesture.

At the halfway point I convinced Sarah, my running partner to go ahead. She didn't want to but I promised her that I would finish no matter what and she went ahead. Pretty much from this point forward I wouldn't call anything I did running. I walked (although pretty fast) from mile 13 until mile 18 when my husband found me again. I was in bad shape. Not happy, and very hot. I don't do well with heat. He told me that he was going to be with me to the end. So there we were...walking, jogging, running for 30 seconds for the next 8 miles. When I look back it was kind of like childbirth....he would count the seconds until we had to run again and then countdown the seconds until we could walk. And we just did this for hours.

I ended up finally having to go to the bathroom around miles 22. This was a mistake. I had to wait about 2 minutes and by the time I started walking again I was really stiff. But on we pushed. Finally we reached 26 miles, they told my husband that he couldn't go down the finisher shoot, so I said goodbye and told him I would meet him on the other side.

I turned the final corner...I could see the end. I started running. No matter how much I hadn't run during the day I was going to finish running. And there it was...over. Almost an hour and 20 minutes over my goal. But I did it.

Never realized how excruitiating the one mile walk through the end area would be. I just wanted to lay down and take a break. But got some water, got my picture taken and then finally laid down on the ground. I did it.

Wow, so many things.

1. Train more.
2. Figure out the great mystery known as nutrition.
3. Adjust goal for the heat.

Walked around a bit and then headed back to the hotel. Took a cold bath and nap. Then headed out on the town. The Tilted Kilt restaurant may have been the highlight of the weekend. I highly recommend it ;)


Training, heat and nutrition. Pretty much everything. My goal for next year...yes, I'm doing this again...is 5:40. I figure if Edison Pena can run the NY marathon in 5:40 and be trapped underground for 70 days...I should at least be able to match it.