When looking back on the run, I know that I started out way too fast. This was my very first race of any sort and the environment was so invigorating that I felt invincible. My training partner and I started off faster than we had ever ran before continuously running about about 8:45-9 minute pacing. I felt great, he felt great so we kept pushing. I had to figure out the aid stations at mile 3, but that was a quick learn. It was so much fun grabbing water and gatorade at the stations, too bad that isn't available for my training runs. After mile 3 I decided I would try some jelly belly beans. I drank a good deal of water in anticipation, but eating those beans honestly sucked. They were too much chewing and too much sugar for me. I will go back to the gu. I felt great through mile 11. I got to see my wife and 9 month old at about mile 8, and my wife's cousins at mile 11 and that was awesome seeing them there. At about mile 11 my fingers started to go numb and by 11.5 my entire hands were numb. That feeling then went to my feet. These last miles were a fight. At 12.5 I tapped my running partner on the shoulder and told him to keep going and that I was goign to walk. I started to feel faint, the numbness was spreading, so I figured that would be the best course of action. We train a lot together and he was the one that got me into running in the first place. He very sternly told me that I better get running otherwise he would carry me across the finishline. Well he knew what I needed and I finished the race. We got to finish at the 50-yd line of Memorial Stadium and seeing that finish up on the Jumbotron, it solidified my intent of coming back next year.

After I finished the race, I was in a sugar low/delirious state. I went to the concourse for something to drink. They offered pop and gatorade. I slammed at least 6 glasses of liquid calories. After that I found my wife and we headed home, but not before we took a picture outside of the stadium.